Bush, campaigning in Georgia, said Kerry's statement was "insulting and it is shameful."

Kerry, who is considering another run for the White House in 2008, told a hastily called news conference, "I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy."

But he also said the comment was "a botched joke about the president and the president's people, not about the troops ... and they know that's what I was talking about."

A Kerry spokeswoman, Amy Brundage, said later that the senator's prepared text had called for him to say: "Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush."

The Bush-Kerry flare-up was becoming an issue in other races as well: In Washington state, Mike McGavick, a Republican trying to unseat Sen. Maria Cantwell charged that she was trying to avoid commenting on the issue.

"Sen. Cantwell is Sen. Kerry's host in our state," McGavick said in a statement. "She has evaded comment time and time again in this campaign. Not this time."

Sen. John McCain said Wednesday he wasn't sure "how you could construe" Kerry's comment as a joke. Calling Kerry "my friend," the Arizona Republican said, "I've found that if it is just a botched joke then apologize and move on."

"As it stands, he owes an apology to the men and women who are serving in Iraq out of patriotism and love of country, not because of any academic deficiencies," McCain said on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Unsubstantiated allegations about Kerry's Vietnam War heroism from a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth figured prominently in the 2004 Kerry-Bush race.

In Iowa, a spokesman for Democratic congressional candidate Bruce Braley said Braley had decided independently to cancel an event with Kerry scheduled for Thursday. Braley, who is running against Republican Mike Whalen in the state's 1st District, said in a statement that the White House and Kerry should stop bickering and focus on how to change course in Iraq.

In Minnesota, Meredith Salsbery, a spokeswoman for Tim Walz, the Democratic candidate in the 1st congressional district, said Kerry canceled an appearance with Walz slated for Wednesday in Mankato. "He wants to make sure the campaign is about the issues we've been talking about the last two years," she said of Kerry's decision. "It's important to him that we are able to do that."

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