John Kerry: U.S. Soldiers Not 'Smart'

Since 11-01-06

Tuesday, Oct. 31, 2006

http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2006/10/31/135841.shtml?s=al&promo_code=27C7-1

Sen. John Kerry has sparked outrage by suggesting that U.S. troops in Iraq are uneducated and not "smart.”

At a campaign event for California gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides at Pasadena City College on Monday, the Massachusetts Democrat and Vietnam veteran said: "You know, education, if you make the most of it, if you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, uh, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

Kerry’s troop-bashing remarks belie the truth about the educational level of U.S. troops. According to figures readily available on the Internet, 99.9 percent of the enlisted forces have at least a high school education, 73.3 percent have some college, 16.2 percent have an associate’s degree or equivalent semester hours, and 4.7 have a bachelor’s degree.

What’s more, over 85 percent of field grade officers have advanced degrees – 70.7 percent have master’s degrees, 12.1 percent have professional degrees and 2.5 percent have doctorate degrees.

"Senator Kerry not only owes an apology to those who are serving, but also to the families of those who’ve given their lives in this,” White House press secretary Tony Snow said regarding Kerry’s remarks.

"This is an absolute insult.”

Sen. John McCain, another Vietnam veteran, also called on Kerry to apologize, saying: "The suggestion that only the least educated Americans would agree to serve in the military and fight in Iraq is an insult to every soldier serving in combat.”

Kerry on Tuesday tried to deflect the criticism by issuing a statement accusing Snow and "assorted right-wing nut-jobs” of distorting the remarks "to divert attention from their disastrous record.”

He added, in a seeming non sequitur: "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.”

Critics like Vietnam veteran John McCain, Mister Senator?