Invoking His Past, Kerry Vows to Command 'a Nation at War'-& NYT other col

[papau]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30campaign.final.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1091157468-7ZKHLqh4q72gC9ayzh8Zgw

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30watch.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30video.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30scene.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30protest.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30policy.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30points.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30freedom.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30cong.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30campaign.final.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/30/politics/campaign/30asses.html?n=Top%2fNews%2fWashington%2fCampaign%202004%2fCandidates%2fJohn%20F%20Kerry

Invoking His Past, Kerry Vows to Command 'a Nation at War'
By ADAM NAGOURNEY

Published: July 30, 2004


OSTON, July 29 - John Forbes Kerry accepted the Democratic presidential nomination on Thursday night, pledging to "restore trust and credibility to the White House" as he accused President Bush of misleading the nation into war and pursuing policies that he described as a threat to the economy, the Constitution and the nation's standing in the world.

Mr. Kerry, speaking in a convention hall that was packed shoulder-to-shoulder with delegates and other Democrats two and a half hours before he strode in, promised to take charge of "a nation at war.'' He invoked his service in Vietnam 35 years ago as he vowed to protect Americans from terrorism in the 21st century.

"I defended this country as a young man and I will defend it as president," Mr. Kerry said. "Let there be no mistake: I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and a certain response."

But more than reinforcing his own credentials as a wartime president, Mr. Kerry used this speech on Thursday - to what was certainly the largest audience the four-term senator from Massachusetts has ever faced - to offer a blistering critique of Mr. Bush's 42 months in office, going so far as to echo one of the signature attacks Mr. Bush used against Bill Clinton when he ran in 2000 by challenging Mr. Bush's honesty.<snip>