Sheesh! I almost feel sorry for Senator Kerry. Heck I'm a surly Republican and I could do a better job than his PR people are doing. Maybe he's just ignoring their advice.
From the Houston Chronicle:
Kerry joined them [Senator and Mrs. Edwards] inside [a Wendy's Hamburger franchise] and spied a table of Marines. But when he struck up a conversation, the Marines answered tersely and expressed irritation.
"He imposed on us and I disagree with him coming over here to shake our hands," said one, who did not give his name.Apparently, the senator hasn’t had much exposure to military personnel in the interval between the end of his Navy service and the beginning of his presidential campaign. If he had, he would remember some of the basic rules for interaction with this august group.
1. Never get between a GI and his/her food.
2. Never get between a GI and his/her food when the GI is obviously on his/her lunch break and has to get back to duty at a specific time.
3. Never get between a GI and his/her food in order to score a photo op.
4. Never get between a GI and his/her food when you don’t know for whom he/she is voting.
5. Never get between a GI and his/her food (it bears repeating).
6. Never point at a GI.
Actually, in the house I grew up in, it was considered rude to interrupt any sit-down meal, outside of emergencies and it was considered rude to point. I guess there is a different etiquette play-book on Senator Kerry’s level.
(Okay, I feel better today.)
AFTERTHOUGHT:
7. Never point at a GI while getting between said GI and his/her food, especially if the GI is a Marine. Marines aren’t that picky about what they eat.
