As desculpas do Sen. John Kerry

Sen. John Kerry is the subject of fierce criticism after telling college students they'd get "stuck in Iraq" if they didn't study. He later apologized.

WASHINGTON (CNN) - Sen. John Kerry apologized Wednesday for a "poorly stated joke," which the Massachusetts senator said was aimed at the president but was widely perceived as a slam on U.S. troops.

"I sincerely regret that my words were misinterpreted to wrongly imply anything negative about those in uniform, and I personally apologize to any service member, family member or American who was offended," Kerry said.

"As a combat veteran, I want to make it clear to anyone in uniform and to their loved ones: My poorly stated joke at a rally was not about, and [was] never intended to refer to any troop," he said.

In the statement, the four-term senator continued to assert that the GOP was using the gaffe to distract voters from its own shortcomings.

"It is clear the Republican Party would rather talk about anything but their failed security policy," he said. "I don't want my verbal slip to be a diversion from the real issues. I will continue to fight for a change of course to provide real security for our country, and a winning strategy for our troops."

President Bush and other Republicans had been calling on Kerry, the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, to apologize to U.S. troops for telling college students in California Monday that if they didn't get an education, they would end up "stuck in Iraq." (Watch Kerry's falling star -- 1:53 )

The president denounced Kerry's remarks as "insulting" and "shameful" to U.S. service members. But Kerry insisted that his comment was actually a "botched" joke aimed at Bush, and he accused the White House and Republicans of trying to "distort" what he said for political advantage in next week's midterm elections." [...]

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Obs: lembram-se quando um ministro do Ambiente de Cavaco contou uma anedota sobre alentejanos e teve de se demitir de seguida... Pergunto-me, no caso do sr. Al berto joão - porque razão é que este ainda não foi demitido, tanto mais que é a personificação da anedota em pessoa. Mas por enquanto ainda não é um caso de segurança nacional. Mas pode tornar-se quando fizer o favor de declarar a Independência da Madeira. Que favor fazia ele ao "Contnente". Estamos mesmo convencidos de que isso seria o 1º passo para o take-of da economia lusa. O ministro das Finanças que pense nisso, que engendre uma boa anedota para pôr Al berto a ferver e levá-lo a declarar-se (in)dependente.