Liberal Values Defending Liberty and Enlightened Thought

Now that the facts have come out on the latest smear on John Kerry the biggest question remaining is why this was ever a story to begin with.

Let’s look at the progression. Kerry makes comment. Right wingers distort comment to attack Kerry. Press repeats right wing attacks–so much for the myth of a liberal news media. I could see why journalists might take a look at this story. The manner in which Kerry went off script does leave open some question as to what he meant until clarified. On the other hand, those attacking him are basically the same people with a long track record of distorting Kerry’s statements to smear him. You’d think the reporters would learn by now (if they care).

If we had a news media which actually reported, rather than repeating what each side says, considering this to be balance, the matter could have been dispensed with quickly. If they weren’t sure what Kerry meant, they could have simply ask him. They’d quickly find it was just one of many jokes he’d been making about George Bush on the stump. John Kerry is a far more reliable source as to what he meant to say than right wing attackers.

If asking Kerry wasn’t enough to demonstrate that there was no story here, all they had to do was to look at the prepared text which said, “I can’t overstress the importance of a great education. Do you know where you end up if you don’t study, if you aren’t smart, if you’re intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush.”

There can be no doubt that this was a comment on George Bush, not the troops. It is so clear that the right wingers determined to continue to smear Kerry are now resorting to rather lame arguments such as that the reporters who reviewed the prepared text are lying. The right wingers are also twisting statements made by John Kerry in 1972 to be an explanation for this statement made in 2006!

Fortunately even some conservatives realize they have absolutely nothing on Kerry here and it is best to drop this attack. I previously quoted Bill O’Reilly as saying he doesn’t believe “believe John Kerry meant to demean any American military member.” National Review editor Jay Nordlinger disagrees with everything John Kerry says or thinks, is offended that he was insulting George Bush, but has “no doubt” that Kerry was referring to Bush and not the troops. Andrew Sullivan has “been thoroughly persuaded by John Derbyshire and Christopher Hitchens that John Kerry’s words were indeed a botched joke.” He was especially convinced by the prepared text as reported by Jon Stewart. While Stewart was certainly not the only one to report on the prepared text, once again fake reporter Stewart out-performed many real reporters.