Kerry apologizes to U.S. troops for comment
Source: Reuters
(Updates throughout with apology, quotes) By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Democratic Sen. John Kerry apologized directly to U.S. troops on Wednesday for comments about Iraq that prompted a firestorm of Republican criticism in the final days of a bitter congressional election campaign. "I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform and I personally apologize to any service member, family member or American who was offended," Kerry said in a statement. The Massachusetts Democrat was forced to cancel campaign appearances for Democratic candidates in three states after becoming engulfed in criticism over his Monday comments to students in California. Kerry told the students that if they studied hard they could do well, but if they did not "you get stuck in Iraq." His office said he misread his text, and he intended to say "You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush." Kerry later said his remarks were aimed at President George W. Bush and his Iraq policies, not the military. Republicans, who had blanketed Kerry with criticism for the past 36 hours, accepted his apology. "Senator Kerry's apology to the troops for his insulting comments came late but it was the right thing to do," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio said the matter was closed. "We asked him to apologize to the troops that we believe that he offended and I believe that he has," Boehner said on CNN. The flap was likely to hurt any potential 2008 presidential prospects for Kerry, a decorated Vietnam veteran who lost the 2004 White House race to Bush but did not face re-election this year. With debate over the Iraq war dominating the congressional election campaigns, Bush and Republicans had jumped on the remarks as an illustration of why Democrats could not be trusted with national security. Kerry said Bush and Republicans were trying to distract Americans from the president's mistakes. "It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy. I don't want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues," he said. CAMPAIGN-TRAIL FODDER Polls ahead of Tuesday's congressional elections show Democrats positioned to win power in the House of Representatives for the first time since 1994 and threatening Republican control of the Senate. Democrats must pick up 15 House seats and six Senate seats to gain control of both chambers. A series of Reuters/Zogby polls released on Wednesday showed Democrats leading in 12 of 15 key Republican-held House districts polled. Democrats are favored in several other races not polled. Another three dozen House races are considered competitive. Kerry's comments quickly became campaign-trail fodder, and he tried unsuccessfully to end the controversy with a radio appearance on Wedneday morning. He said on the "Imus in the Morning" radio show on MSNBC that he was sorry for "a botched joke" about Bush's policies. "I said it was a botched joke. Of course, I'm sorry about a botched joke," said Kerry, who refused to apologize on Tuesday. But Bush, in an interview with news agencies, said, "It didn't sound like a joke to me. More importantly it didn't sound like a joke to the troops." Several Democrats distanced themselves from Kerry, who canceled campaign appearances in Iowa, Minnesota and Pennsylvania. Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York said the comments were "inappropriate." "Senator Kerry's remarks were poorly worded and just plain stupid," said Democrat Jon Tester, in a tight Senate race in Montana. Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr., embroiled in a close Tennessee Senate race with Republican Bob Corker, also called for a Kerry apology. "Whatever the intent, Senator Kerry was wrong to say what he said," Ford said in a statement. (Additional reporting by Thomas Ferraro)
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