Finally ... a politician who says it like it is! Hurray for John F. Kerry !!!

My brother from Connecticut might possibly say that both John Kerry and I are way outta line as regards what's permissible in the realm of the politically correct, I'm sure. [And in truth, Richard would be right, of course, if he thinks that; however, the message, in this case, is in neither the medium nor the messenger, but in the mess in Iraq!]

In any event, whether politically correct or not, Kerry's warning to students to study or "if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq" is one that I can state for certain is used by teachers and college professors throughout America. He started the statement to the students with, "Education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, and you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well ..."

Well, he was hammered hard by a couple of intellectual midgets that aren't even decent talking heads (Rush Limbaugh, et al) and the White House (through its spokesman, Tony Snow -- Bush's latest paid mouthpiece) has asked that Kerry apologize to those who are serving and dying in Iraq ... and their families. [A reminder: Kerry served in Vietnam and earned multiple purple hearts for his wounds.] He is being accused of dissing our troops in Iraq through his warning to the students.

Well I happen to agree wholeheartedly with John Kerry that it's George Bush and his neocon handlers -- in particular, Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney -- who owe our troops in Iraq the apology. But let me quote John Kerry's own statement:

Kerry stated, "If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq," and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy.

"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.

"I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium [clearly referring to Tony Snow], or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq.

"It disgusts me that these Republican hacks, who have never worn the uniform of our country lie and distort so blatantly and carelessly about those who have."

John Kerry, like me, believes that it is the President and Vice President Cheney who owe troops an apology for accidentally [I'm being kind here, in light of the money flowing into no-bid contractors tied to Dick Cheney, in particular] taking the nation into war, stating that they have "widened the terrorist threat instead of defeating it."

"These Republicans are afraid to debate veterans who live and breathe the concerns of our troops, not the empty slogans of an Administration that sent our brave troops to war without body armor.

"Bottom line, these Republicans want to debate straw men because they're afraid to debate real men. And this time it won't work because we're going to stay in their face with the truth and deny them even a sliver of light for their distortions."

He finished his statement with, "No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut and run policy in Afghanistan and a stand still and lose strategy in Iraq."

I wonder how long the White House can hide behind the almost forgotten mistakes (or were they lies?) that got the American people behind Bush when he decided to invade Iraq ... or how long before the American people will really read that National Intelligence Estimate that stated that the war in Iraq has actually increased our terror threats in America ... or takes a good look at the numbers -- nearly 3000 American soldiers dead and more than 650,000 Iraqi civilians dead ... for what? The pleasure of hearing a "guilty" verdict handed down to Saddam Hussein on the day before the Midterm Elections?

Does Mr. Bush really believe that our heads are in the sand?

It may have taken the entire month, but the "October Surprise" finally came ... a Democrat stood up, shoved political correctness aside ... and told it like it is!

[For the record ... in particular, for those of you around the world who may not know ... John Kerry is not currently running for any elective office this year.]