(VIA DRUDGE) WHO SAYS OUR WARRIORS DON’T HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR?

Rest assured that the above picture will be the most displayed picture on the internet by the end of the day.

Also, the MSM is in full feeding frenzy on the story. That’s right. Six days before the election and what is the media reporting? Bush’s failure in Iraq? Incompetence in government? Republican turpitude?

Nope. The mainstream press (despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth on the left) is wondering if, how, when, and why not John Kerry is apologizing for his “botched joke” on the President that turned into an unintentional smear against the troops.

Kerry doesn’t get it. Most of the left certainly doesn’t get it. Many Democrats don’t get it either. It doesn’t matter what you meant when you said it. The fact that you said it and haven’t acknowledged the words themselves as a mistake, a verbal burp, is not only extremely impolite but also crass, arrogant, and has the super-rich Senator from Massachusetts appearing to be above the ordinary niceties that allow for the smooth functioning of a civil society.

In short, it makes him look petty and small. And the longer he goes without apologizing or acknowledging the fact that he unintentionally slimed the troops in Iraq, the less forgiving the American people will be towards him and his party.

Despite the unbelievable corruption and incompetence of the Republicans, the American people have made it absolutely plain that they will hand power to the Democrats only with the greatest reluctance. And the longer this matter continues to fog up TV screens and until the blood in the water has fully dissipated, the voters are going to be reminded exactly why they approach voting for Democrats with such trepidation. Kerry’s self-inflicted gaffe has actually come along at a perfect time for Republicans - almost as if Evil Karl had scripted the entire scenario himself. As recently as early this morning, I was predicting that the story wouldn’t amount to much, especially if Kerry apologized promptly.

But since then, the press has gone nuts with the story. It’s all over the nets and occupying almost 8 minutes of every hour’s broadcast on the cable news outlets. Not saturation coverage but give it time. Another 48 hours and we’ll have Wolf Blitzer and the rest of the press camped out in front of Kerry’s house holding vigil for word on when the “apology” will be forthcoming.

An exaggeration? Probably. But think about the poor Democratic challengers, heading down the homestretch of their historic run for a majority, not being able to make points with the voters about incompetent George or dirty, rotten Republicans, but instead having to answer questions about John Kerry. Think about that brand, spanking new GOP attack ad calling on Kerry to apologize airing in Virginia, Missouri, Montana, and Ohio. And think about all the other Democrats standing by and watching as their former standard bearer, war hero, and leading liberal light takes them closer to defeat than they thought possible even a week ago.

Kerry will be forced to acknowledge his mistake and make contrition to the troops for unintentionally smearing them because if he doesn’t, he can almost certainly kiss 2008 goodbye. And because this lickspittle of a man - this cold and calculating political beast of a man - does nothing better than looking out for his own political hide, I fully expect some statement in the next 24 hours that will be passed off as an apology even though it will almost certainly fall far short of any such thing.

If he doesn’t? I’ll let you in a my inner thinking today. I’ve been thinking about Al Michaels historic call at the end of the USA-USSR Olympic hockey game in 1980 when a bunch of college kids beat the greatest hockey team in history…

“Do you believe in miracles…YES!

UPDATE

Bird Dog at Maggie’s Farm has a superior piece about Kerry (and perhaps the ugliest picture of Kerry as a young man I have ever seen). BD thinks that Kerry meant what he said about the troops. I have to give the guy the benefit of the doubt but BD makes a fairly convincing case.

Also, Michelle got a hold of the picture above even before Drudge and has some excerpts from a conversation the President had with Rush Limbaugh about the troops and about Kerry and the Democrats.