Using blue language in a political campaign, is this ever acceptable?

The following article was submitted to bring further context to our discussion of the political campaign.  This incident happened in December of 2003 when kerry was considered a long-shot in his bid for the White House and no single vote had been cast in any primary for any candidate.
 
The New York Post reports that Kerry, who voted for the Iraqi war resolution, used unprecedented foul language in the interview to describe President Bush's handling of the war.
"I voted for what I thought was best for the country," Kerry told the Rolling Stone interviewer. "Did I expect Howard Dean to go off to the left and say, 'I'm against everything?' Sure. Did I expect George Bush to f--k it up as badly as he did? I don't think anybody did."
Brookings Institution presidential scholar Stephen Hess said he could not ever recall any other candidate using such language to attack a president in a public interview.
"It's so unnecessary," Hess told the Post. "In a way it's a kind of pandering to a group he sees as hip. I think John Kerry is going to regret saying this."
Kerry spokesman David Wade confirmed to the Post that the quote was accurate, saying that Kerry's use of the "f" word reflects the fact that Bush's Iraq policy "makes John Kerry's blood boil."
The latest polls among New Hampshire Democrats show Dean crushing Kerry three-to-one.
Copyright © 2003 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
 
I think the assessment of Stephen Hess is pretty accurate.    As  I recall this incident when It happened, I didn't really care- Kerry wouldn't have been my first choice and I beleived, like so many others, that he would be irrelevent.
 
So now we have context for three uses of foul language or gestures by high ranking officials.
Kerry said during an interview about Bush: 
"Did I expect George Bush to f--k it up as badly as he did?..."
 
Cheney said to Leahy during a photo op on the senate floor:  "Go f--k yourself."
 
And GW Bush gave the finger to young protesters ( I think in Michigan) during a political rally.

Certainly the behavior is boarish by all concerned.  But my concern about Kerry would have begun with his choice to do an interview for "Rolling Stone" and continued with his choice of words in that interview.
 
My concern about Cheney is that he got caught with his pants down infront of the cameras as it were.  Of course he feels that way, wouldn't we all?  But to say that at all, let alone within earshot of the media  "bigtime" screw-up.
 
And the one-finger-wave from the president, during an election rally, that's just stupid, and therefore funny.
 
Bottom line,  if you are going to put yourself out there for public scrutiny don't get worked up when people notice what you are doing.