Kerry responds – does not apologize. Makes Charlie Rangel look sane in comparison (VIDEO ADDED)

Rangel’s got some competition today on the “lost it” front. Check out Kerry’s response to the outrage over his remarks about our troops (emphasis added for full effect):

Washington Γ’β‚¬β€œ Senator John Kerry issued the following statement in response to White House Press Secretary Tony Snow, assorted right wing nut-jobs, and right wing talk show hosts desperately distorting Kerry’s comments about President Bush to divert attention from their disastrous record:

“If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they’re crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did.

I’m not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox’s Parkinson’s disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq. It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have.

The people who owe our troops an apology are George W. Bush and Dick Cheney who misled America into war and have given us a Katrina foreign policy that has betrayed our ideals, killed and maimed our soldiers, and widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it. These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they’re afraid to debate real men. And this time it won’t work because we’re going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions. No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq.”

Translation: I said nothing wrong, refuse to apologize, and if you’re a chickenhawk, how DARE you criticize someone who served! How DARE you even question me!

This is the typical elitist “I won’t be held accountable for what I say” bullsh!t we’ve come to expect from an arrogant, out of touch Massachusetts Senator who thought eating at Wendy’s would be enough to persuade middle class America back in 2004 that he was/is a “man of the people.”

Newflash, pal: You got away with disparaging US troops once before, but you aren’t going to get away with it this time around.

That’s why he’s become unhinged over this. The truth hurts, doesn’t it Senator?

Update I: Allah’s following the backlash from Kerry’s remarks and will soon have video of Senator McCain’s second call for Kerry to apologize.

Update II: Rep. John Murtha’s opponent Diana Irey wants to know if Murtha will condemn Kerry’s remarks:

MONONGAHELA, October 31) — Washington County Commissioner and Pennsylvania 12th district Republican Congressional nominee Diana Irey — responding to remarks by U.S. Senator John Kerry (the most recent presidential nominee of the political party to which Jack Murtha owes his allegiance), who yesterday declared before a gathering of students that, “You know education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. And if you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq” — today released this statement:

“Will Jack Murtha stand with the men and women of the American military and TODAY demand an apology on their behalf from his good friend Senator John Kerry? Or will Jack Murtha continue his cut-and-run campaign and refuse to take a stand on this matter of honor and respect?

“Senator Kerry’s comments suggesting that only the less-educated and less-smart ‘end up in Iraq’ are insulting in the extreme to every man and woman who has worn our nation’s colors in Iraq — and, frankly, they are insulting in the extreme to every man and woman who has EVER worn our nation’s colors, period.

“Insulting, yes. Surprising, no. Given the records of men like John Kerry and Jack Murtha — both of whom claim that their prior records of military service give them license to say whatever they wish about the men and women now serving in our armed forces — it’s not surprising at all that John Kerry would insult our armed forces.

“Jack Murtha, after all, declared in May that U.S. Marines in Haditha had ‘killed innocent civilians in cold blood’ before the first Marine was charged, before the first court-martial was convened, before the first Marine was convicted.

“And Jack Murtha said last year that ‘the military is broken,’ and said he would not join today’s military.

“Today’s question for voters in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District is simple — what will we learn today about Jack Murtha? Will he stand up for the men and women of our armed forces by demanding that his good friend John Kerry withdraw his offensive statement and apologize? Or will Jack Murtha continue to turn his back on his constituents, and continue to curry favor with the ultraliberals who now run the national Democratic Party?

“The choice is up to Jack, and that choice comes today. VOTERS here in southwestern Pennsylvania, on the other hand, will get to make THEIR choice one week from today.”

What say ye, Rep. Murtha?

Update III: The MSM is finally picking up on this story. Also, I just went to lunch and flipped on the radio to Rush and he said essentially the same thing I did in my last post on this, and that is that he bets the media is going to try to find a way to say that Kerry was right. In the meantime, Malkin notes the AP angle to this story. Surprise surprise.

Upate IV: LOLOL :)

Update V: Here’s Senator Bill Frist’s response to Kerry’s insult to the troops. Also, here are video lowlights from Kerry’s press conference on the controversy. I can’t watch it at the moment, but Ian at Hot Air says that Kerry still would not apologize.

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