Kennedy now on CNN: "We Need John Kerry"

[Raya]

Ted Kennedy just on CNN strongly backing Kerry and once again dismissing any suggestion that Kerry’s IWR vote meant Kerry wanted war.

“I know John very well” said Kennedy. “I met him on the capitol steps when he came back from Vietnam as a young war hero and testified against the war.”

“I have worked with him for 18 years on the Foreign Relations Committee.” Kennedy insisted Kerry is the most knowledgeable and solid of the presidential candidate. “In these times we need a steady hand at the helm. We need John Kerry.”

Smiling at the good new re IOWA polls, Kennedy beamed “We are on fire in IOWA. I am looking forward to getting back there!”

- - - - - -

In the mean time Kerry, rallying his fellow war veterans reaffirms is his peace Activist spirit declaring “There is no glory in war.”

I have noticed that the book on Kerry “Tour of Duty” is by noted historian Douglas Brinkley, and the Movie on Kerry “Brothers in Arms” is a new PBS documentary.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a candidate with truly legitimate life of courage and preparedness to lead to run against Bush.

I think only Kerry or Clark meets that standard. I wish all the other candidates would take Carol's lead for the sake of the country.


Article:


Kerry rallies veterans in Waterloo
By ANELIA K. DIMITROVA
Register Staff Writer
01/14/2004
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Waterloo, Ia. –
…..

Backed by four Texas brothers who fought in Vietnam and his former gunner, Gene Thorson of Ames, the senator looked to history for solutions to the problems he said plague the United States today.

Kerry spoke for 15 minutes after a 15-minute clip was shown from the PBS documentary "Brothers in Arms," which features Kerry and other Vietnam soldiers.

Citing his combat experience and the lessons he and the nation learned in Vietnam and other wars, Kerry said the Bush administration has ignored the wisdom of the past and lost its legitimacy in the eyes of the American public and the world.

"We are at war again in ways that defy the lessons of Vietnam," Kerry said.

…….. . . . . . . . . . .

He said, if elected, he will exhaust all diplomatic options before committing American troops overseas.

"There is no glory in war," he said.

In the rare instances when such commitment of troops is imperative, said Kerry, he will make sure that U.S. forces have the support of the world community.

Kerry said the presidential race is about leadership, keeping faith in those who fought, and sustaining the soul of the nation. He contended that Bush has failed all three counts.

. . . . . . . . . . . . .


http://desmoinesregister.com/news/stories/c4789004/23252504.html

[molly]

1. We certainly do need John Kerry

thankyou Ted Kennedy!

[PATRICK]

3. In my opinion

he is the best man prepared for the job. If only he could prove he could get the job and function against the Republicans. It's a screwy system and I hope we have the luxury of sanity again. He seems acting under a self-inflicted fate or what Edgar Poe would call an "Imp of the Perverse". That and harshly competitive political realities beyond other qualifications.

There's no glory in this war either.

[nightperson]

2. Thanks, Ted!

"On fire"!!! Fan the flames!:evilgrin: :smoke: :mad: :grr: :nuke: :nuke:

[realdem]

4. Kennedy Nailed on Kerry Endorsement

CNN nailed him. Essentially, nice speech yesterday so why is it totally inconsistant with supporting a pro-war Dem?

[blm]

5. Kerry was proresolution to hold Saddam accountable.

It was Bush who chose to bypass the tenets of the resolution and choose use of force.

The resolution was right. Bush was wrong to bypass its guidelines.

[cjbuchanan]

6. Not to start the re-hash, but...

The resolution did not require Bush to come back to congress before he started his war. This is what Kerry and others voted for.

For the resolution to be right, IMHO, it should have required Bush to come back to congress before bombing.


However, that being stated, Kennedy's speech the other day talked about Iraq being a political move from the very beginning. He also said that it had distracted us from the real fight against terrorism. Kerry has defended, and still does defend, the war (even if Bush went about it in the wrong way). To me this seems very different from what Kennedy is saying.

Still, if Kennedy sees no problem with it, good for him and good for Kerry.

[Raya]

7. Never heard Kerry defend the war. Only the threat to force inspections.

Kerry and Clark have repeatedly said that war should be the last
resort after every option had been exhausted. Kerry defend his vote. Not the war. He has repeatedly said that all-out war could have been avoided with the backing of the full U.N.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

9. Thank you Raya

you're fair. Kerry's been pretty darn consistent throughout this nightmare of Bush's devising.

[blm]

8. Neither did Biden-Lugar but that doesn't stop Dean

from claiming to be antiwar does it?

[beaconess]

10. I guess for the same reason that some "pro-war" Washington Insiders

have endorsed Howard Dean...

[WiseMen]

16. Kennedy just brushed it aside. Has say he shares Kerry's view w/dif method

[beaconess]

11. Yeah, but he's a Washington Insider, so what does he know?

[Monte Carlo]

12. Lots. He's an insider in a good sense.

As in someone who knows how the system works and can get things done despite it. Not everyone in Washington is a bad guy.

[beaconess]

14. I was being sarcastic. :-)

[blm]

18. heh...we Kerry supporters have battled a LONG time here.

Forgive us if we assume the worst. ;)

[sandnsea]

13. His is absolutely the only choice

He knows how to be tough in foreign policy without being beligerent and threatening. He knows what needs to be done for the planet and the people and has always worked hard for the little guy. He also knows how the economy really works and will invest in the right ways to really get people back to work. No person was ever more ready to lead the country than John Kerry.

[blm]

17. Both Alec Baldwin and Al Franken said the same thing.

So did Gary Hart, Rand Beers, Joe Wilson, Max Cleland, Gen. Claudia Kennedy, and Gen. William Perry.

[Kukla]

15. John Kerry is an excellent choice for president

He has all of the right credentials. He's strong on defense.

I could get behind him as a nominee.