John Kerry's message Friday 11/19/04

[Fla Dem]

rec'd from JK


I want to thank you personally for what you did in the election -- you rewrote the book on grassroots politics, taking control of campaigns away from big donors. No campaign will ever be the same.

You moved voters, helped hold George Bush accountable, and countered the attacks from big news organizations such as Fox, Sinclair Broadcasting, and conservative talk radio.

And your efforts count now more than ever. Despite the words of cooperation and moderate sounding promises, this administration is planning a right wing assault on values and ideals we hold most deeply. Healthy debate and diverse opinion are being eliminated from the State Department and CIA, and the cabinet is being remade to rubber stamp policies that will undermine Social Security, balloon the deficit, avoid real reforms in health care and education, weaken homeland security, and walk away from critical allies around the world.

Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted -- and they will be counted -- we will continue to challenge this administration. This is not a time for Democrats to retreat and accommodate extremists on critical principles -- it is a time to stand firm.

I will fight for a national standard for federal elections that has both transparency and accountability in our voting system. It's unacceptable in the United States that people still don't have full confidence in the integrity of the voting process.

I ask you to join me in this cause.

And we must fight not only against George Bush's extreme policies -- we must also uphold our own values. This is why on the first day Congress is in session next year, I will introduce a bill to provide every child in America with health insurance. And, with your help, that legislation will be accompanied by the support of hundreds of thousands of Americans.

There are more than eight million uninsured children in our nation.

That's eight million reasons for us to stay together and fight for a new direction. It is a disgrace that in the wealthiest nation on earth, eight million children go without health insurance.

Normally, a member of the Senate will first approach other senators and ask them to co-sponsor a bill before it is introduced -- instead, I am turning to you. Imagine the power of a bill co-sponsored by hundreds of thousands of Americans being presented on the floor of the United States Senate. You can make it happen. Sign our "Every Child Protected" pledge today and forward it to your family, friends, and neighbors:

http://johnkerry.com/EveryChild

This is the beginning of a second term effort to hold the Bush administration accountable and to stand up and fight for our principles and our values. They want you to disappear; they are counting on that. I'm confident you will prove them wrong, and you will rewrite history again.

Here is what I want you to know. I understand the strength, commitment, and passion that are at the core of what we built together -- and I am determined to make our collective energy and organization a force to be reckoned with in the weeks and months ahead.

Let's roll up our sleeves and get back to work for our country.

Thank you,

John Kerry


link will take you to view video of messsage.

http://johnkerry.com/EveryChild

[Fabio]

1. Great to hear from him.

Election reform and children's healthcare. Great issues and real need. I hope he can use his new voice to make them happen.

[cornermouse]

2. Too little, too late.

If he was serious, he'd have waited till the votes were counted. As it is, he's lost his credibility.

[Kolesar]

18. malaise.

[Fla Dem]

29. Maybe for you, but not for a lot of us. n/t

[seito]

41. I disagree

He is playing this smart. Had he challenged the count Nov 3rd, without evidence in hand, the media and repuke attack dogs would have made any investigations much more difficult.

We, the people, are doing now what needs to be done to save our democracy. He is sending a clear message that he has our back on this one.

[tk2kewl]

3. Go Johnny, Go!

[lovedems]

4. Kerry *KNOWS* buyers remorse will be setting in soon and there isn't

a doubt in my mind he will step up to the plate and Bush voters will suddenly start to realize "we should have voted for that". He won't let us down.

[greenbriar]

5. The fat lady hasn't sung yet...he hasn't given up

Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted -- and they will be counted -- we will continue to challenge this administration. This is not a time for Democrats to retreat and accommodate extremists on critical principles -- it is a time to stand firm.

[GetTheRightVote]

8. Hey you took my line,

Yes, the fat lady must sign first and that will never happen unless justice is served up to us.

[Skidmore]

6. We need this and we need several other major bill proposals

signed by the people, since the phone calls don't appear to get attention. Let's use this avenue.

[juliagoolia]

7. KIck

WE need to take action here. He is bringing it to US!

Thank GOD.. someone is!!!!!!!!!

[Options Remain]

10. weeks and months

"and I am determined to make our collective energy and organization a force to be reckoned with in the weeks and months ahead."

note the conspicuous absence of the word YEARS. John's still fighting.

TearForger

[evilqueen]

24. Exactly. He is bypassing DLC party leadership and coming to US instead.

n/t

[InvisibleTouch]

9. This part is most interesting to me:

"Regardless of the outcome of this election, once all the votes are counted -- and they will be counted -- we will continue to challenge this administration. ... I will fight for a national standard for federal elections that has both transparency and accountability in our voting system. It's unacceptable in the United States that people still don't have full confidence in the integrity of the voting process."

This sounds to me like he very well knows the election was rigged and he was cheated, but the difficulty is in proving it. It also sounds like (still a glimmer of wishful thinking here) that the outcome hasn't been absolutely determined yet.

I'm also glad to see this line:

"This is not a time for Democrats to retreat and accommodate extremists on critical principles -- it is a time to stand firm."

None of this "unity" garbage. I never did believe he meant "unity with the rethugs" in his concession speech, anyway - he meant unity among ourselves. Time to stand firm, indeed.

[TheDonkey]

15. Exactly, dirty deals are going on in our voting process

but proving it is near impossible without having a tin-foil cap glued onto your head.

He's fighting.

[pantouflard]

11. Great video - good to see him speak again. n/t

[d_b]

12. I missed hearing his calls to action.

[TheDonkey]

13. Excellent, he's still fighting! Isn't willing to go into

hiding licking his wounds.

I'm a proud Kerry supporter, this man want's to make a difference. The votes are still being counted!

[4democracy]

14. This has made my day! It is wonderful to hear directly from John Kerry

that he is still fighting the *shrub*. Like he said in the video no matter the outcome of the election, we can still use the grassroots movement we have built, to help control the damage this administration can do.
We can get behind Kerry and other reasonable representatives and fight for the things that can help the country. We can insist the reps from our individual states be held accountable.
I am NOT giving up on Kerry winning this election. I am just saying if worse comes to worse, we can still fight the policies of this administration, because together WE are a powerful voice.
I am also glad Kerry has taken notice of all the outcry for fair and transparent elections, I know we can all rally behind him on that subject!

[zulchzulu]

16. If anyone thinks he's going to just fade away, they are wrong

I see a few naysayers have responded. Good.

We don't need you. Go play in the sandbox. Let the adults continue the battle.

There is plenty to do and John is willing to take it to the Bush adminnistration.

[rndmprsn]

28. agreed!

lets stand for something...or fall for nothing

[Still_Loves_John]

17. It's great to hear from him

One of the things I've missed most was hearing him give speeches everyday. He's so inspiring.

[Miami Liberal]

19. I like the fact

that he included FOX news with the likes of Sinclair Broadcasting and conservative talk radio.

[noamnety]

20. I'm so glad to see this

and looking forward to more of these.

That's what democracy should be, people like JK as leaders, but people like us doing the work, sponsoring bills, waging our own war on election fraud. Government of the people, by the people, for the people.

[meow2u3]

23. I think JK is the Barry Goldwater of our time

Just like Goldwater, Kerry "lost" because of relentless negative advertising and libelous sneak attacks, not to mention fraud. He's suing the Swift Boat Liar in chief (he couldn't, for practical purposes, sue during the campaign; it would have distracted Kerry's attention from the campaign having his attention divided). He made it clear he's not taking any more shit from the Rethugs.
If he's successful in his suit, he could kill the Rethugs politically.

[TheDonkey]

25. That would be great if he sued those liars

[IndianaGreen]

34. No, far from it!

Since his winning was the sole and entire raison d’être for Mr. Kerry’s candidacy, his losing has left Democrats and their fellow travelers with a hole in the ground, with nothing. John Kerry was not the champion of a cause which orators can say will go on after him. His cause was beating George Bush and so making sure a clump of hideous, faith-based horrors do not take over the Supreme Court. Duh? This is not a Democratic version of the famous 1964 Goldwater campaign, in which the Republican candidate got skunked but left the G.O.P. with a cause, a goal and a high purpose which would animate hundreds of thousands for years and victories to come. Not the Kerry campaign: It has left us with the hole in the doughnut.

http://www.commondreams.org/views04/1117-28.htm

[LittleClarkie]

35. Indiana

Get your own damn words at least. It seems like you've spent the last two days cutting and pasting from the same article. It's only one guy's opinion, not the freakin' Gospel according to Nicholas Von Hoffman.

[IndianaGreen]

36. Remember Goldwater's 1964 campaign slogan?

A Choice, Not An Echo!

[ZombieNixon]

40. I disagree.

Kerry has left us with a cause. You actually said it yourself.

>>making sure a clump of hideous, faith-based horrors do not take over

Only now, it's in a different incarnation. Once the clump of hideous, faith-based horrors do take over, our cause is to nullify whatever they do. Kerry is the Dem Goldwater, because his "loss" is the catalyst we need to take a step back and reexamine where our party is going. We do not need to move to the right. If anything, we need to move back left, but the most important thing is to reframe our message and speak about it in a way that connect to people. We need to return to the roots of the Democratic party: economic populism.

[ZombieNixon]

37. Yeah, but Goldwater actually lost legitimately.

Kerry "lost" with quotes.

[babylonsister]

38. Just like Ann Richards.

Saw her interviewed right before this election. She said she was crucified left, right, and center by BushCo during the race for gov'r of TX, her reputation sullied in churches all around Austin and apparently the state of TX. Flyers were sent out far and wide spreading untruths, and the hordes bought it.

[Plausible]

21. How can we get on his mailing list?

I haven't received the email altho in the past received email from JK and others during the campaign.

BTW, thanks for posting the message here.

[Fla Dem]

27. Not sure how you an now. I contributed and worked on the campaign. Try

going to Johnkerry.com.

[sandnsea]

30. sign the petition

That will probably put you on a mailing list, although I'm not sure.

http://johnkerry.com/EveryChild

[d_b]

22. This should be posted on the home page

[noamnety]

26. I'm getting questions about this bill

I'd like to give some good answers.

How is it funded (rolling back tax cuts to the elite? and is that how we're framing it?)

Does it cover US citizens only or also aliens, illegal aliens?

[sandnsea]

31. Who is asking?

They care about how this bill is being paid for but don't give a shit about how we're going to pay for hundreds of billions for the Iraq war? They don't care about tax free dividends and stockholder income being proposed by Bush, but they care about this??? Hypocritical braindead bushbots. To hell with them.

[noamnety]

32. Questions are coming from another forum

I posted it elsewhere, and some signed it - I figured the mandaters would give me grief, but it's mostly a liberal board, and I knew a lot would wander over to sign it, so it's all good.

But since they asked the question, I figured I'd look for an answer if anyone has it. So, yes, pathetic that they don't ask this about the $5+ billion a month we're spending to kill Iraqis.

But all the same, I know during the campaign, the idea was to roll back the tax cuts to those making over $200k, does anyone know if this is essentially the same plan - if that's rolled into this bill or not? Also, my framing question still is out there, it's not a "new tax" - it's rolling back the tax cut for the elite, are there other ways we are phrasing that currently?

Come on, give me a talking point or two here!

[sandnsea]

33. It hasn't been introduced

So I don't know. But I would still call them on their hypocrisy. If they don't care about where the money is coming from for the war or Bush's new complete and total tax free dividends, capital gains, and interest; don't come whining to me with "how we gonna pay for it" bullshit. These people have got to start thinking and we have to force them to do it. We always play defense instead of offense.

[politicasista]

39. Ya'll sure are negative today.

:-(

[robbedvoter]

42. New e-mail harvesting gimmick....sorry, John, we accomplished much

but you squandered it. Enjoy the Senate kabuky theatre, we'll deal with the dictatorship that you enabled usher....
http://robbedvoter.forclark.com/story/2004/11/19/125843/98
P.S. Does this mean that on THIS bill, you'll actually bother to vote?
Because you told people you voted against the medicare BS bill - but you did not. How are things between God and you, John?

[LittleClarkie]

44. Yah, we get it. You don't support him. Alrighty then.

Urm, by the way, this was sent the supporters with email. I imagine he doesn't need to harvest those.

What is the number of the Medicare bill. Do you know it, by chance. I want to go look in the archives on Thomas.gov

[Vincardog]

43. So sign the thing anyway I did

<http://johnkerry.com/EveryChild>

[Kellis]

45. kicking for those that may have missed this

:kick: