UPDATE: Apparently somebody showed some sense (probably the military not the media, but still) and did not let this story get out until the matter was already resolved. The incident, per the current CNN story happened at 8:30 EST this morning. They were picked up, motored into Kabul, and winging off to Turkey before the story hit the wires. Everything else I said still applies though.

This is shaping up to be a fucking movie plot. I hope. That would be the best outcome anyway. Headline banner at CNN:

Snowstorm forces helicopter carrying U.S. Sens. Joe Biden, Chuck Hagel and John Kerry to make an emergency landing in Afghanistan.

Offices (Kerry’s anyway) say that this “forced landing” was indeed due to weather, all aboard are safe and cozy, no gunfire involved, etc.

Guys, guys, guys.  Read more 

More than 2000 Americans died after Bush flubbed his little joke, and the American people voted him back into office. But somehow Kerry’s remarks are on a par with child molestation or apostasy. This, in itself, seems a meta-joke so monstrous that it almost makes you believe there’s a God. Funny folks, you fellow Americans of mine.

UPDATE: For some reason the video above won’t open on this website, so click here. Thanks to Music for America for the video.

“Education — if you make the most of it and you study hard and you do your homework, and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well,” said Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat. “If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.”

To quote our whimsical Secretary of Defense, “Oh, Henny-Penny, the sky is falling!” Somebody told the truth. It’s too bad Kerry left out the punch line: “Just ask President Bush.”

So now it’s dogpile-on-Kerry time again:

Some Democrats defended the senator, but others privately cringed. An unnamed Democratic congressman told ABC News: “I guess Kerry wasn’t content blowing 2004, now he wants to blow 2006, too.”

Oh, bravo, sir! Displacement is so much more constructive than confronting the source of the problem.

So, keeping alive a completely meaningless cockfight, CNN wants to know “who should apologize” over the artificial horror engendered by John Kerry’s clumsy comment on why kids should do well in school:

President Bush has called Kerry’s comments “insulting” and “shameful” and said the Democrat from Massachusetts owes an apology to the U.S. military. Kerry said the president owes the troops an apology for misleading the country into the war in Iraq. What do you think? Does Kerry owe the nation’s military an apology, or does Bush?

Rather beside the point now, since Kerry already apologized. We truly are a nation of fainting goats.

Here’s what I told them:  Read more 

I can post this kind of thing. I know, it’s just a report from someone on the ground with legal training and election experience talking to those who actually saw the tampering that was going on, so we shouldn’t pay any attention to it at all. Kennedy was wrong about thimerisol* after all, so who cares?  Read more 

You’re not surprised. Hat tip to Blondesense, for making me get pissed as I pack.  Read more 

I was at the Kerry event mentioned here by Lambert. My review of the speech, and the event, is below.

I like Kerry a lot more now than I did before, I will say that.

(warning: this is kind of an epic entry, with lengthy transcriptions.)

The speech itself—as prepared in the written remarks—was essentially an exhortation for a return to traditional policies of war as a last resort, multilateral diplomacy with Iran, and the need for a return to the bargaining table in Iraq beteen Sunni and Shia elements, as well as the need to establish a deadline for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.  Read more 

Alert reader Steve Audio, in comments, mentions that:

Several of us LA-based bloggers met with the guy who was screwed by all this crap, Sen. John Kerry (D-Winner) yesterday.

Posts are up at:

SteveAudio.blogspot.com
DemocraticDaily.com
Martini Republic.com

Thanks.  Read more