The Kerry Speech

I didn't watch one single minute of the DNC. I did listen to Neal Boortz broadcasting from the convention. Since I was at work, I couldn't devote my full attention (for some reason they expect me to work and pay attention to my job! What a concept!) to Neal's show. When I was able to listen to Neal's conversations with various attendees, I was not surprised that they could not articulate what was good about the Kerry campaign. It was all about what was wrong with the Bush Administration.

I did read the transcript, however, so I know what was said. Just a few thoughts on Kerry's speech:

I'm John Kerry, and I'm reporting for duty.

So where have you been? I guess this is a reference to both his acceptance of the nomination and to his Vietnam service. You did know he served in Vietnam, didn't you? It was for something like four months 35 years ago, but it must have been the highlight of his life since he has to constantly remind everyone.

I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war.

A noble thought. I would hope that each candidate hopes to never lead our country into war, misled or not.

I will have a Vice President who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws.

Aren't all laws, environmental included voted on by congress? Where was Kerry? Oh...I forgot. He missed 80% of the votes in the last year.

I will have a Secretary of Defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders.

And, I hope, takes that advice and gives his best advice to the President.

And I will appoint an Attorney General who actually upholds the Constitution of the United States.

Isn't that what the AG is supposed to do?

As president, that is my first pledge to you tonight: As president, I will restore trust and credibility to the White House.

I thought that was what Bush had done after the Clinton's vacated the White House.

Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so.

But Mr. Kerry, you said there were WMD's in Iraq. And so did both Clintons, Al Gore, John Edwards, and both the French and German governments.

Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so.

Didn't you vote against supplying the troops with body armor and tanks and other equipment?

To give him credit, he did say a few things I agree with:

We are here tonight because we love our country. We're proud of what America is and what it can become.

My mother was the rock of our family, as so many mothers are.

So was my mother.

(About his father) He lived out the responsibilities and the sacrifices of the greatest generation to whom we owe so much.

Mine too.

Mine were Greatest Generation parents. And as I thank them, we all join together to thank a whole generation for making America strong, for winning World War II, winning the Cold War and for the great gift of service which brought America 50 years of peace and prosperity.

Both my parents enlisted in the Army in WWII. And, they had the honor of being the first WAC and soldier to be married. At least, according to the national newspapers at the time.

We have it in our power to change the world, but only if we're true to our ideals. And that starts by telling the truth to the American people.

There is nothing more pessimistic than saying that America can't do better.

We're the optimists. For us, this is a country of the future. We're the can-do people.

Remember the hours after September 11th when we came together as one to answer the attack against our homeland. We drew strength when our firefighters ran up stairs and risked their lives so that others might live; when rescuers rushed into smoke and fire at the Pentagon; when the men and women of Flight 93 sacrificed themselves to save our nation's Capitol; when flags were hanging from front porches all across America, and strangers became friends. It was the worst day we have ever seen, but it brought out the best in all of us.

We are here to affirm that when Americans stand up and speak their minds and say America can do better, that is not a challenge to patriotism; it is the heart and soul of patriotism.

That's enough for now.

There were only three sentences about what he did while in the Senate:

When I came to the Senate, I broke with many in my own party to vote for a balanced budget, because I thought it was the right thing to do.

I fought to put 100,000 police officers on the streets of America.

And then I reached out across the aisle with John McCain to work to find the truth about our

POWs and missing in action and to finally make peace in Vietnam.

After twenty-some years in the Senate, there were only three things he could point to.