John Kerry said on Monday:

You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don’t, you get stuck in Iraq.

President Bush responed today:

The senator’s suggestion that the men and women of our military are somehow uneducated is insulting and shameful. The men and women who serve in our all-volunteer armed forces are plenty smart and are serving because they are patriots — and Senator Kerry owes them an apology.

Bush’s statement, along with the rather energetic responses of his allies, displays two significant things to me. The first is that Bush is more or less devoid of integrity or character. That this man, of all people on this planet, could go before the country and demand an apology on behalf of US soldiers is appalling. This man, who in his youth shamelessly dodged his commitment to fight in a war he supported. This man, who misdirected our national unity in the wake of 9/11 to pursue a totally aimless and completely ill-prepared millitary adventure. This man, who used the memory of 9/11 and the rage against Osama bin Ladin to swell the ranks of the military, but in his total indifference permitted bin Ladin to escape, and has allowed Afghanistan to teeter on the brink of becoming a failed state. This man, whose response to the carnage and chaos in Iraq is to wait it out until its the next guy’s problem. That THIS man could demand an apology is sickening.

The second thing is that Bush allies are becoming truly, deeply desperate if this is what they feel they need to do to try and take over the highground. I am not a big Kerry fan. I think he gave away the White House in 2004. But while this wasn’t the most elegantly worded statement, it’s pretty clear what Kerry actually meant, and that is that Bush is stuck in Iraq because he’s an idiot.

Let me conclude with a couple of choice quotes from Press Secretary Tony Snow:

This is an absolute insult. 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.

So John Kerry owes these families an apology, and not the person responsible for this fiasco?

If I say something stupid, I apologize as quickly as possible.

Feel free at any time, Mr. Snow.