The View from Down Under

Sometimes it takes an Australian to see through the fog of American political controversies. Tim Blair, regarding John Kerry's excuse that he "botched a joke" in his comments about the uneducated getting stuck in Iraq:

Kerry's excuse is breathtaking:

Mr. Kerry said that he botched a joke that his aides said had been prepared as follows: "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. Just ask President Bush."

That joke was prepared and Kerry still managed to ruin it? Wasn't he meant to be the smart guy all loaded with nuancy prowess? How "intellectually lazy" is it to forget a lame punchline?