Was I the only one who got Kerry's joke?

I'm suprised no one's posted this. Kerry was speaking to a student audience, encouraging them to get good grades, otherwise, they would, "get stuck in Iraq." I thought this was an obvious jab at Bush and his "C" student remarks,

but then the next day I saw the eruptions that made Kerry's comments= People in the military are stupid. At first Kerry said he wouldn't apologize to anyone, but alas he has come out with an apology after the public outcry.

This is a perfect example of rhetoric manipulation. This is a case in which the artist, and those that back him/her with money, have the ability to literally flip how a communication is decoded by an audience.

The artists that control social action like Kerry have probably been reminded that they are still servant to the giant of public sentiment. It's just a race to see who can prod them in what direction