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Kerry apologizes for 'misinterpreted' words

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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sen. John Kerry has apologized 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 in a statement Wednesday.

"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.

One Republican who blasted Kerry's remarks -- House Majority Leader John Boehner -- found himself the target of Democratic calls for an apology Wednesday after comments he made defending Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. (Full story)

"Let's not blame what's happening in Iraq on Rumsfeld," he said.

"The fact is, the generals on the ground are in charge, and he works closely with them and the president," Boehner replied.

Both Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid interpreted that exchange as an attempt to blame U.S. generals for failings in Iraq, and they quickly demanded an apology.

In response, Boehner's spokesman, Kevin Madden, said the Democrats' criticism was "an obvious and weak attempt" to deflect criticism from Kerry.

White House: Apology late but right

At a news conference Tuesday after the controversy arose, a defiant Kerry explained his mistake but did not offer an apology. Instead, he tried to turn the flap into a denunciation of Bush's Iraq policy.

"If anyone owes our troops in the fields an apology, it is the president," Kerry said.

However, after that appearance, three scheduled Kerry campaign appearances with candidates in next week's election were canceled, and a number of prominent Democrats offered blunt criticism of his remarks. Kerry told radio host Don Imus Wednesday morning: "Of course, I'm sorry about a botched joke."

And by late Wednesday afternoon, Kerry had issued his written statement of regret.

At the White House, spokeswoman Dana Perino said Kerry's apology "came late, but it was the right thing to do."

Speaking later in the day at a campaign rally in Montana, Vice President Dick Cheney said Kerry had "rightly" apologized, although he quipped that the senator "was for the joke before he was against it."

The controversy started Monday when Kerry, speaking at a rally for California gubernatorial candidate Phil Angelides at Pasadena City College, said: "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."

Afterward, a Kerry aide explained that the senator had "mangled" a prepared statement, which was actually supposed to be a barb at Bush: "Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq." (Watch Kerry's "botched joke'" that launched the political stink -- 1:50 )

Heat from own party

In the wake of the controversy, two Democratic Senate candidates in tight races -- John Tester in Montana and Harold Ford Jr. in Tennessee -- issued statements distancing themselves from Kerry's remarks and joining Bush's call for an apology.

"Sen. Kerry's remarks were poorly worded and just plain stupid," Tester said. "He owes our troops and their families an apology." (Watch what some Dems see as an unwelcome distraction -- 3:13 )

Ford said that whatever Kerry's intent, he "was wrong to say what he said. He needs to apologize to our troops."

"However, Senator Kerry's words don't alter the fact that the stay-the-course strategy pursued by President Bush and supported by Bob Corker isn't working," Ford said.

Corker, the mayor of Chattanooga, is Ford's Republican opponent in next week's vote.

Some Democrats in tight races who planned on appearing with Kerry changed those plans.

A Democratic official said Bob Casey, who is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Rick Santorum in Pennsylvania, canceled a scheduled appearance Wednesday night with Kerry in Philadelphia.

"I would be surprised if you see him welcome out there anywhere and certainly not in a race that is meaningful," the official said.

In Iowa, Bruce Braley, a Democratic House candidate, also announced Kerry would not be appearing with him as planned.

Kerry's office said House campaign appearances had canceled -- by mutual decision -- so as not to "allow the Republican hate machine to use Democratic candidates as their proxies in their distorted spin war in which once again they're willing to exploit brave American troops."

But Democrats in hot campaigns were clearly wary of their former standard-bearer. When a campaign aide to Sherrod Brown, who is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Mike DeWine in Ohio, was asked if Kerry was scheduled to be in the Buckeye State before election day, the response was, "Oh, God no."

Not all Democrats piled on. Dean dismissed the controversy, telling reporters in Vermont, "Kerry made a blooper. Bloopers happen," according to The Associated Press.

CNN's Bob Franken, John King, Suzanne Malveaux, Dugald McConnell, Mark Preston and Brian Todd contributed to this report.

Copyright 2006 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report.

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