Senator John Kerry announced Wednesday that he was withdrawing from campaign appearances before the upcoming midterm elections, saying his continued presence was becoming a distraction following a controversy over comments he made to students in Seattle on Monday.
Kerry had suggested that Americans who do not pursue their education risk ending up serving in Iraq. He maintained that the remark was a failed attempt at humor aimed at President George W. Bush, not at US troops, and declined to issue a formal apology.
Republican leaders moved quickly to turn the episode to their advantage. Bush, who defeated Kerry in the 2004 presidential race, called the comments an insult to the roughly 150,000 American service members deployed in Iraq. Speaking at a rally in Georgia on Tuesday, Bush said Kerry owed the troops an apology, calling them both smart and brave.
The controversy gave Republicans an opportunity to press their argument that Democrats lack the judgment and sensitivity needed to handle military and national security issues, particularly regarding the ongoing conflict in Iraq.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.