Life imitates art

As avid AR reader Art pointed out this afternoon, something sounded strangely familiar about Sen. John Kerry’s comments about how if you don’t do well in school you’re going to end up in Iraq. On Monday, Kerry said:

"You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."

I must admit I haven’t caught the Simpsons in some time, but the following exchange is from a recent, George W. Bush-era episode where Bart is apparently kicked out of Springfield Elementary following a prank:

Marge: Bart, I love you, but sometimes I don’t love your choices. (sigh) Now we have to find another school for you.

Homer: Yeah, and if you get kicked out of that one you’re going straight in the army where you’ll be sent straight to America’s latest military quagmire. Where will it be? North Korea? Iran? Anything’s possible with Commander Cuckoo-Bananas in charge.

During the statement flurry that followed, Kerry said he misspoke—it was obviously meant to be a swipe at the administration, not the US armed forces—and even stood up to White House spokesperson Tony Snow, saying: "I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed-suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium or doughy Rush Limbaugh."

Which leaves a lot of Democrats shaking their heads and wondering: Where was this guy two years ago today?