Charlie Rangel has apologized for his slur against Mississippi:

There is no excuse for my having said that. I am fully aware that every American loves their respective state and city, and I'm afraid that my love and affection for New York got in the way of my common sense and judgment, and for that I sincerely apologize.

Well done.

It's a good think that he didn't get advice from Kerry. It probably would have come out something like this:

I'm sorry that the people of Mississippi are too stupid and crazy to realize the inherent and nuanced truth of my statement, when I asked who would want to live there. Of course, it hadn't occurred to me, or any other well-bred, educated people, that the place is full of ignorant inbred rednecks who probably love the place.

I've always found Rep. Rangel someone that I typically disagree but easy to respect.

Charlie Rangel actually slurred Mississippi. John Kerry never slurred the troops.

Big difference.

Sandy-

I disagree. He may not have meant to slur the troops, but that was the furror. Once that became the furror, he had an opportunity to shut it down with a good apology and he didn't.

Sandy,

John Kerry might have flubbed a joke in such a way that it sounded like a slur, but he left no doubt when he responded to the first request for an apology with, "I apologize to no one." For those who serve and know Kerry's record, they certainly recognize that Kerry seems to have no problem apologizing for others, if not himself.

"He may not have meant to slur the troops, "

Given the passionate contempt and condescention he has displayed in the past, it's hard to imagine him not meaning precisely what he said. Or it could be a reflex action from his Vietnam protest days. Either way...

Charlie Rangel actually slurred Mississippi. John Kerry never slurred the troops.

Wrong, Sandy. I don't care what he says he meant to say. What he actually said was highly offensive and ignorant to boot. It isn't hard to imagine what would've happened had a Republican said something that came out as a racial slur. Just look back a few years to the "Trent Lott" incident. He was forced to give up his leadership position (and I'm sorry that he got it back yesterday) over less of a slur than what Kerry said. However, Kerry being a Democrat, he won't be held responsible for his actions.

Larry: "However, Kerry being a Democrat, he won't be held responsible for his actions."

Ain't that the truth.

Hey Sandy,
This is EXACTLY what Kerry said:

"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. And if you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

It does not matter what he now claims he meant, nor does it matter what others say he meant. The above quote is what he said, word for word. It is a direct slur to the men and women who are fighting in Iraq. Any other analysis is simply spin. Judge people by their words and actions, not what you think they meant to say or do.

Judge people by their words and actions, not what you think they meant to say or do.

Tall order, there, Tom. You're asking the Left to abandon the entire moral basis of their worldview, i.e., that what actually happens is way less important than what you intended to happen.