John Kerry Bombs With Sarah Palin Joke

Speaking before a group of business and civic leaders in Boston on Tuesday, Sen. John Kerry let fly with an ill-advised attempt at humor. The butt of the joke, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is not likely to be amused. In a reference to South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who was, at the time the joke was told, believed to be talking a prolonged, solitary hike on the Appalachian Trail, the Massachusetts Democrat told the crowd:

"Too bad," Kerry said, "if a governor had to go missing it couldn't have been the governor of Alaska. You know, Sarah Palin."

The fact that Kerry, like the rest of us, did not know that Sanford was really down in Argentina with the woman with whom he's been having an extramarital affair is beside the point. This joke is simply awful. A) Hoping for a person's disappearance, even in jest, and even if she is a political enemy, is just not nice. B) Sanford and Palin are on virtually equal footing in terms of their political leanings. Both are far-right, Christian conservatives. So why single Palin out in such a crass way?

Perhaps Kerry should consider leaving the comedy routines to the likes of David Letterman... oh, wait. On second thought...


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