But, of course, Kerry didn’t contain his criticisms to the Iraqi election. He had some interesting things to say about the American election, too.

Specifically, he said that Americans voted for President Bush because Osama bin Laden scared them into it. You’ll all remember that B. La (kind of like J. Lo — work with me, folks) released a tape the weekend before the election — urging Americans to vote for John Kerry, and seemingly implying that blue states would be safe and red states not.

Here’s Russert’s question, and Kerry’s answer:

MR. RUSSERT: At the Clinton Library dedication on November 18, a few weeks after the election, you were quoted as saying, “It was the Osama bin Laden tape. It scared the voters,” the tape that appeared just a day before the election here. Do you believe that tape is the reason you lost the race?

SEN. KERRY: I believe that 9/11 was the central deciding issue in this race. And the tape–we were rising in the polls up until the last day when the tape appeared. We flat-lined the day the tape appeared and went down on Monday. I think it had an impact.

So, let me get this straight. Bin Laden offered Americans a truce, essentially saying that those who chose to throw out President Bush — and thus end America’s aggressive War on Terror — would be safe. But Americans, cowards that they are, were scared into voting for President Bush, for seeing through the war in Iraq and for aggressively pursuing terrorists wherever they find purchase.

That’s just really… interesting.

I’m sorry. Stupid is the word I’m looking for.

And then, Kerry added insult to injury by flip-flopping again:

MR. RUSSERT: Ten seconds. The most important thing you learned running for president?

SEN. KERRY: How great, how unbelievable the American people themselves are. They are just–the courage of the American people day to day blew me away.

It did that, Johnny. It blew you right back to your job in the Senate.