What do John Kerry, Republicans, and now the U.S. military have in common? They are all ticked off and pointing fingers just in time to heat things up for an election year that is likely to see higher than average voter turnout. Yes, the Iraq War is front stage and the political mudsligging is dirtier than ever.

If John Kerry is seeking his party’s nomination for another shot at claiming presidential glory, he may want a reality check. Although I agree with him on many issues, there remains an underlying discomfort. In his 2004 bid for president I felt that he did not fight hard enough for what he believes. The Swift Boaters took a cheap shot at the military platform and service Kerry was running on and he did not respond back. Furthermore, his debates and speeches were presidential in appearance, but lacked the charisma and personal draw we all look for in a candidate running for office.

After a disappointing 2004 campaign run, I am sure Kerry believes that he has learned many lessons and deserves another shot. That was until he completely botched a joke about the president, just days before Democrats were to push hard in gaining branches of government to provide healthy checks and balances for a president gone wild. This misstep dashed any chance of future political success Kerry had left and may have proved to be a rallying point for Republicans who are dying for positive news and a chance to once again blame the Liberals for all the problems in Iraq.

Whether you agree that Kerry misread his text or not, you have to realize that this man has taken a beating from the right and wants to prove that he can be a fighter too. The problem here is that Kerry may have chosen the wrong battle at the wrong time.

John Kerry served in Vietnam unlike our current president or the rest of the chicken-hawk administration. I can not fathom the horrors Kerry saw in that disturbing conflict. For him to come back to the United States and protest was the patriotic thing to do. He wanted to see a U.S. military and campaign that was fulfilling a righteous cause and not an imperialistic one. He knows that we are to set an example for the rest of the world and rally other nations if we are to truly be called the world’s respected leader.

If his statements were in any way geared towards the military then he should apologize. His comments do not speak for me or the Democratic Party that I support. I believe in our military and that those who serve are very intelligent and capable people. In fact, my parents served as E-7 registered nurses in the United States Army during the first Iraq War and I love and respect them very much. My father treated patients just inside the Iraq border and my mother was stationed in Walter Reed hospital, Maryland. Now, both are extremely critical of the current situation and want change.

The first Iraqi War to me was moral and justified. We prevented an invading army from bullying and taking vital resources from its neighboring country, Kuwait. In addition, we had the financial and military support from countries all over the world that make the coalition forces of today look like a joke. Then we got the hell out of there and focused on strengthening our country here at home. These were proud times to be an American indeed. I long for those days once again. Hopefully, this conflict and the bitter partisanship will soon melt away with time as it is time that heals all wounds.