The speech, blog away

[TayTay]

I love the remarks about the hotel strike. So true, so Dem.

[whometense]

1. What a heartwarming

reception!!!

[TayTay]

2. Loved the line

"I want you to know, according to the exit polls there are 2 million people in this room." LOL!

[whometense]

13. Yeah

I loved that one too.

All I can say is, :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: :loveya:

I didn't even realize how much I missed him.

[TayTay]

3. Another good one

We shouldn't have to rely on faith-based health care.

[JI7]

4. he looks great

reminds me of those campaign days when i would watch him regularly on cspan.

[TayTay]

5. Seems a little hoarse

Maybe a cold.

The speech is strong, and it is like a campaign speech. Wow! Strange and great!

[angrydemocrat]

6. WOW!! POWERFUL!!

He is great! The president's proposal is a phony! I like how he laid it all out on the line. This man is great but we already knew that. GO JOHN GO!

[TayTay]

7. Another nice line

If no child is left behind in the Doctor's waiting room, then no child will be left behind in the schools of America.

[karynnj]

8. Great speech

In election reform, may be we should have video of the 2 candidates alternate as they wait in line - just joking, but how did people vote against this?

[TayTay]

9. The language is so much better

Down to earth, but not condescending at all. Not too much info. Just great. Obviously, the lessons of the campaign have stuck.

[angrydemocrat]

10. Excellent!

John keeps this up he is going to be a powerful force!

[TayTay]

12. And surrounded by women again.

Why am I not surprised!

[JI7]

11. look at all those women trying to get with him

i don't blame them.

[TayTay]

14. Here is the official text

http://kerry.senate.gov/high/record.cfm?id=231047

From the Senate site.

Nice speech. Great language, great quote lines, given with clarity and passion. I am impressed.

[elshiva]

23. Thanks for the transcript, TayTay

A great bit of liberal Christianity picking up from the third presidential debate:
"And in a city where politicians like to use the word "values," insuring kids is a test of who just talks about family values and who really values families. In the Book of James we are taught: "It is not enough, my brother to say you have faith when there are no deeds...Faith without works is dead." For me, that means having and holding to a vision of a society of the common good, where individual rights and freedoms are connected to our responsibility to others. It means understanding that the authentic role of leadership is to advance the good that can come to all of us, when we work together as one united community. That means health care for every child in America, and if anyone in Washington wants to have a debate about values, let's have at it. So here's my message to you and to all who will hear of this initiative through your voices in the days ahead. It's long since time to keep our promise to give every child a healthy start in life. We don't need to expand government; we simply need to fulfill commitments we have already made. We don't need more bureaucracy to cover all kids; we actually need less. We don't need Washington to do more than it should; we simply ask Washington to do its fair share in partnership with the states and with parents.

What we offer here are new opportunities as bold and innovative as the latest medical breakthroughs, and what we call upon are mutual obligations as old and as unchanging as the Scriptures. The best way to create a genuine "responsibility era"--a genuine commitment to families and to the values they reflect--is to begin with those to whom we owe the greatest responsibility--those whom we most value--our kids. Let's not just talk about it--let's put kids first."
Amen.

[ginnyinWI]

15. great speech--here's a summary (I took notes!)

He's still got to the fire he had in 1971--speaking clearly about what's important.
--40 million don't have health care in this country
--11 million uninsured children
-- 7 million are eligible but people need incentives to insure them
--the WH plan weakens coverage overall, and pushes the responsibility onto the states
--the WH is hyping a phony social security crisis
--this is the first step in his plan. We can afford it, it will reduce costs in the long run.
--to pay for it without adding to the (children's) debt--roll back a small portion of the tax cuts going to the rich
--he underlines values of less gov't, fiscal responsibility, unity and commitment to the nation's most deserving group, its children

People afterward were telling him to "run again" and giving him a warm reception. He was dynamite.

[Sydnie]

16. Some one actually asked him that question

If he was going to run again and he said it was too early to think about it.

But, I say he wants to run again. That speech was the kick off for him I think and a message to us to get ready.

The next 2 years are going to be great. He has to hit the floor running now and make every word count in the next two years.

Go John Go! You have filled me with hope and pride again.

[JI7]

17. yeah, there is no question he wants to run and how much he wants

to be President.

but he is also realistic and his final decision to run will be based on what he thinks his chances are of winning. he will only run if he thinks he can win. he considered running in 2000 also but decided not to because he thought he probably wouldn't be able to beat al gore in the primary.

even if he doesn't run for President again i'm sure he wants to make a name for himself in the Senate instead of being just seen as the jr senator which he has been for 20 years. and he will probably want to be more out in the open and more active role in things rather than just being in ted kennedy's shadow. ted kennedy will run for re-election in 2006 and will likely retire after serving that term. if Kerry is still in the Senate , he will be in a more powerful position then, especially if Democrats can take back the Senate by then.

so i see a better future for him to do the things for the people whether he is President or Senator.

[Sydnie]

18. I have my cap set on him being my president before I die

I just can't get the image out of my head and I refuse to settle for less. I think he has that same fire in his belly too. If he works his usual magic in the next two years, I think he will be ready to secure another nomination. He's a good man and I BELIEVE!

[ginnyinWI]

19. I think so too

He wants to, but is realistic at the same time. I think he probably left 2000 to Gore because Gore was the VP and it was sort of his right to run after Clinton. And he did win, after all. Seems like the best the GOP can hope to do is fool up to half of the voting population, doesn't it.

But right now Kerry has to know what a lot of political power he has, and is beginning to use it. It's win-win: if he doesn't run for president again, there are other things--like work in the U.N. maybe, or a cabinet post, or who knows.

He sure seemed like a rock star at that luncheon today!

[TayTay]

21. It's such an unusual situation

We have become used to failed Presidential candidates walking away and being out of the political wars in DC. Kerry ain't going anywhere. If today's speech is any indication, he is going to stay and use whatever political capital he accumulated in the last election cycle to push his programs. And he is going to do so in as politic as way as possible. He did schedule this speech for the exact same time as when * was speaking in Ohio on health care.

I only saw the speech on the C-Span realtime feed. From my teeny-weeny screen, Kerry appeared to look good. He was relaxed, he spoke in non-Senate sentences and had some great lines. (I am a sucker for that line where it's not family values, but how we value families. Sigh! Now that's a President, not that douchebag who occupies the place.)

I still can't get over all the women who swarmed around looking for some Kerry-hugs after the speech. You would have thought it was a meeting attended by a lot of us. Sigh!

Great speech! :loveya: :loveya: :loveya: Big Guy!

[ginnyinWI]

20. Cspan to air a repeat of the luncheon

It will be on Cspan-1 at 10:15 Eastern. :)

[ginnyinWI]

22. Woohoo--The speech is already archived on cspan's site

For your listening pleasure...

http://www.cspan.org/