Bob Casey doesn't get it

Will Bob Casey Jr.'s Senate campaign suffer for his defense of Kerry? With many Democrats calling for Kerry to apologize, Casey isn't one of them.

"John Kerry is not only a great leader for the Democratic party and a great U.S. senator, but he's a patriot," Casey said after a morning political rally in Allentown. "He said he botched a joke and I think that is the beginning and the end of it. He was talking about the president and I think he has every right to criticize this president."

Casey's comments came just hours before the Democratic candidate was scheduled to appear at a rally with Kerry in Philadelphia. Kerry canceled that appearance this morning. Kerry spokesman David Wade said in a statement that Kerry didn't want to "allow the Republican hate machine to use Democratic candidates as proxies is the distorted spin war." . . . .

John O'Neil sees it this way:

Bob Casey’s decision to stand with John Kerry and attempt to explain away this appalling statement represents a disgraceful disregard for our troops and their families. Not only should Mr. Casey apologize for his blind partisanship, he should forcefully repudiate John Kerry’s remarks and issue a statement of support to our men and women in uniform who are bravely serving in Harm’s Way.” . . . .