The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated

Yes, it’s true. Senator John Kerry botched a joke. While the Republicans dance with glee over the election-eve verbal slip by a Democrat who’s not up for re-election, dwelling on the perceived “attack” on our troops, they continue to attack the troops in more covert and malicious ways. In the years since President Bush was first elected, they’ve revoked veteran’s benefits, have failed to provide them with the necessary armor or weapons, and have asked them to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save their own sorry hides. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow - as usual, focusing on local politics rather than providing the White House press corps with any real news - took a moment out of his usual spinning of President Bush's flubbed lines to mock Senator Kerry's flubbed line. Even the elusive Vice President, Dick Cheney, graced the country with a rare public appearance to mock Mr. Kerry. Meanwhile, October ended with the bleak news that US troops and Iraqis are dying faster than ever.

The Republicans are desperately reaching for some Democratic scandal – no matter how unscandalous the incident – that will overcome their own scandals: Iraq-gate, Foley-gate, Tom DeLay & Jack Abramoff, to name but a few. The immediate and all-too-earnest reaction by high-ranking officials in the party (the President, Vice President, and White House Press Secretary) who all took a strong stance against Mr. Kerry was bordering on embarrassing. The incident was a minor one, but as they all raced to mock Kerry’s misspoken line (as if President Bush has never slipped up during a public event), it exposed their fear. Fear that the public would pay attention to the real issues – the lack of direction in Iraq, the economic problems facing average Americans, gross problems with the state of healthcare and education, climate change, and the governmental corruption that exacerbates all of them.

All in all, it is highly unlikely that the now infamous “botched joke” will have any impact on the election outcome. The Republicans hackneyed strategy - politicians who've never served in the military attacking one who did - is ringing hollow. If the GOP sincerely thinks that it will get a last-minute boost from Kerry’s flubbed line, then they are truly beyond repair. The botched job they’ve done over the past few years has done more damage to America’s psyche than such a supposed slight could ever do.

In the meantime, here’s some real news from the front that should have gotten more press than it did:

Kevin Tillman contributed a strongly worded, passionate piece to Truthdig days before his late brother's birthday and the election.