"It's always easy to manipulate people's feelings"

That was Laura Bush on C-Span, talking about Michael J. Fox, Parkinson's disease and stemcell research.

But look at this heartbreaking photo and you'll see that the First Lady sure knows what she's talking about. Her husband is a pro at this. These guys probably enlisted to fight terrorism because this President asked them to. Now they are poking fun at a decorated war hero because this President is exploiting a bad joke for political capital. (Even Andy Card has said he doesn't think President Bush honestly thought Senator Kerry was attacking the troops.)

Gentlemen, John Kerry believes that "protest is patriotic." So knock yourselves out. He supports you, even when you don't support him. When you come home and find that your veteran's benefits have been slashed so that the wealthy can enjoy tax cuts, know that he will be one of the lawmakers on your side. After all he has been fighting for veterans for decades. (Remember Agent Orange?) When at night, alone with your thoughts and distant gunfire, and you wonder why you are fighting harder for the Iraqis than the Iraqis are, know that John Kerry wants to bring you home. Gentlemen, he supports you because he WAS you. Like you, he volunteered during a time of war when his country called. His father was a diplomat, his mother's maiden name was Forbes ... he certainly could have pulled strings to avoid service, to put his Yale degree to use like this President did in the long ago 1960s but no, he joined the Navy instead.

A very wise coworker once gave me this advice when it came to navigating office politics: "Don't listen to what they say, watch what they do."

The advice applies to many situations outside the workplace, too.

And, by the way, while I am disenchanted with this war, I remain in awe of everyone who puts on a uniform and puts themselves in harm's way on my behalf. So, Gentleman, thank you. Sincerely.

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/10/31/laura-bush-michael-j-fox/