John Kerry and John Edwards dropped by a Wendy's to celebrate the Edwards' 27th wedding anniversary, campaign reporters in tow, and happened upon a group of Marines having lunch at the same time. Ever the pol, Kerry took the opportunity to chat up the Marines and get a couple of pictures taken with the young men. Unfortunately for Kerry, he left them unimpressed -- and willing to say so:

Kerry was treating running mate Sen. John Edwards and his wife, Elizabeth, to a Wendy's lunch in Newburgh, N.Y., for their 27th wedding anniversary — an Edwards family tradition — when the candidate approached four Marines and asked them questions.

The Marines — two in uniform and two off-duty — were polite but curt while chatting with Kerry, answering most of his questions with a "yes, sir" or "no, sir."

But they turned downright nasty after the Massachusetts senator thanked them "for their service" and left.

"He imposed on us and I disagree with him coming over here shaking our hands," one Marine said, adding, "I'm 100 percent against [him]."

A sergeant with 10 years of service under his belt said, "I speak for all of us. We think that we are doing the right thing in Iraq," before saying he is to be deployed there in a few weeks and is "eager" to go and serve.

Not exactly an auspicious start to the post-convention Kerry campaign. First he endorses the Johnnie Cochran approach to fighting terror, and now he antagonizes Marines who just wanted to have a bite to eat. The quartet of servicemen all opposed Kerry and resented his using them as a campaign prop, which just underscores his already-tarnished reputation among the vast majority of the people who have served in the military. While Kerry can make a mocking salute and report to duty to a group of people who are largely hostile to the military and get a cheer from that base, other bases around the world remember that Kerry stabbed his "band of brothers" in the back when he returned from his tour of duty and helped force the US to abandon its allies in Southeast Asia.

One of the more humorous assertions made at the Democratic convention was that Kerry could win a majority of votes from veterans and active-duty military. This episode belies that notion and shows that sticking one's hand to one's forehead and mouthing words that these men and women live every day does not give Kerry the credibility he lacks. (Via Marc from Cranial Cavity, and Bill at INDC Journal has a picture and more comments.)

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» Kerry's Marine Stumble from BitsBlog
So, why on earth not tell him this to his face? It's about time Americans got up to him, got in his face and told him what they really think of him... and leave the false politeness in the trash; the time for it is long past. It only serves to empowe... [Read More]

Tracked on July 31, 2004 12:18 PM

» Kerry and Edwards, Slumming with the Marines. from Suburban Sundries Shack
Captain Ed and Bill both have the story of John Kerry butonholing a quartet of Marines in a Wendy's restaurant for a quick photo op, and the Marine's displeasure and disapproval. They covered that angle with some very good commentary. Most everyon... [Read More]

Tracked on July 31, 2004 1:54 PM

» Position vs. Person from Whomping Willow
Now this is rich. From my ever-observant Marine boyfriend: Notice how the Marine who is not being directly addressed by Kerry is sitting down. That's the difference between respecting the position vs. respecting the person. If the President, or Cheney, [Read More]

Tracked on July 31, 2004 5:03 PM

» Kerry Photos - Caption Contest from The Politburo Diktat
And he thought the NASA bunny suit pictures were bad. Story in Houston Chronicle and NY Post. Obviously, the release of these photos is a "dirty trick" masterminded by Reactionary Karl Rove. Indeed, bringing a camera anywhere near Comrade Kerry may be... [Read More]

Tracked on July 31, 2004 6:08 PM

» Potemkin Cheeseburger from The Politburo Diktat
More fallout from the infamous Wendy's visit. (Comrade David is going to have me shot, I suspect.) While Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry and his running mate, John Edwards, and their families were having a “lite” lunch at Wendy’s in the Town... [Read More]

Tracked on August 1, 2004 10:24 PM