A report of Kerry in Arlingon VA last Monday

[Mass]

Shprt, but this is the only thing I have found.

http://www.fcnp.com/533/barton.htm

Our Man in Arlington
Richard Barton

Several hundred Democrats gathered at the Arlington Arts Center Monday evening to hear John Kerry speak as he seldom spoke during the election campaign. It was all great political fun. We heard some deliciously barbed speeches and raised a good deal of money for Democratic candidates for Virginia ’s House of Delegates.

The money will go to Democrats in other parts of the state where there is hope that enough Republican delegates can be defeated to return the House of Delegates to the Democratic column. Most Democrats running in the close-in suburbs are either unopposed or strongly favored. The money is going where it will be most useful.
...

Finally – finally! – the main attraction spoke. Kerry started by saying, “ America doesn’t have an energy crisis. We have the Moran brothers!” He thanked Northern Virginia Democrats for their hard work in his campaign, citing his 70% margin in some jurisdictions (particularly Arlington ). He pointed out that he was the first Democratic presidential candidate to carry Fairfax County since Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. “You did everything you could do except move to Ohio ,” he shouted out to thunderous applause.

Referring to the unfortunate injection of narrow religious dogma into national politics, Kerry insisted that as “a good Christian and a good American,” he was disturbed by the failure of many to recognize the crucial value of encouraging diversity in American social and political life. When he reads the Bible, he can find nowhere where “Christ said you should let poor kids lack health care while the rich got tax breaks. Republicans do not know what ‘love thy neighbor as thyself’ means!”

...

[JI7]

1. i'm not sure if the whole religion talk is a good idea

i think it's better if he talks about where he stands on the issues and just says religion to him is a private thing.

[TayTay]

3. I disagree.

You can talk about religion and about *your* moral background without breaking the wall between Church and State. It can be brought up in context of who people are, what motivates them and where their passion and sense of moral outrage comes from. This is non-denominational.

[globalvillage]

5. I agree and disagree with both of you.

He really has to be careful with the religious references. He seems to be using them in his speeches more frequently. I agree that this is fairly general, but still, it's a pretty obvious attempt to counteract the RW attacks of last year. He should do that, BTW, but I think he's got to be a little more subtle, less preachy.
I know he believes what he's saying here, and so do I, but I hope he doesn't inject religion into every speech.
JMHO. I don't have a better answer to the problem. I know that his message is more in keeping with the tenents of Christianity than the so-called Christian right. I don't know a better way to reinforce that. Maybe this is what he needs to do to make that point.

[Island Blue]

2. Self Delete.

Three lashes with a wet noodle for me for not reading the link before posting.

[beachmom]

4. Thanks so much for posting this, Mass

This was the event I was invited to, but it was too far away. I received another e-mail from him where he said that 300 people showed up in Arlington. It sounds like it would have been a fun time, but 7 hours in the car round trip with the gas prices as they are was a bit too much.

Notice how he said that Kerry spoke unlike how he did in the campaign. I know many of you have mentioned that he in fact was quite charismatic in person, and that the news media kind of lied in their portrayal of him. But, on the other hand, maybe he is opening up more. I guess only time will tell . . .

Anyway, thanks again, Mass, for find this!