Posted on 07/24/2004 10:00:35 AM PDT by NormsRevenge
Twelve-year-old Ilana Wexler was hanging out at home in Oakland's Rockridge district Wednesday when her friend called to invite her out next week. Her friend: Teresa Heinz Kerry, wife of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
The invitation: To address the Democratic National Convention -- and the nation -- during prime time Tuesday night.
"I was like, 'Oh, my God,'" she recalled Friday during a telephone interview from her grandmother's Brookline, Mass., home, where the national media were beating a path to her door. "I don't know what to think. I'm just totally blown away."
Ilana truly will have something special to say in her "How I Spent My Summer Vacation" essay when she starts seventh grade in fall at the Julia Morgan School for Girls. Not only has she landed a speaking engagement for which many career politicians gladly would surrender a limb, but she'll be following the Democratic ticket through swing states this summer, spreading her message that kids count.
She is the founder of KidsForKerry.org, an online community of children across the nation who are doing what they can to see that Kerry will be the next president of the United States. She also founded kids4change.com, a federal political action committee with the same goal.
"We know how to talk to our parents and get our way," kids4change.com says.
Indeed, Ilana speaks with self-assur ance and eloquence uncommon for her scant years, which should stand her in good stead as she speaks to millions of Americans next week.
"I'm speaking mainly about what I've been doing with Kids for Kerry," she said, "I'm talking to kids out there in the United States ... to tell them how to get involved."
This all began last year as Ilana, her little brother and their parents -- Jonathan, a CPA who now is helping his daughter with her political endeavors full time, and mother, Heidi, a drama therapist working with seniors with dementia -- toured Europe and Central America. She listened as locals talked with her parents about the U.S. war in Iraq: "I could see how it affected their countries, and it just made me so sad."
In December, her parents went to see Teresa Heinz Kerry speak in Oakland about her husband's then-struggling campaign; they came home and told Ilana how impressed they'd been. Then Ilana, who by then had taken the initiative to launch Kids for Kerry, met Heinz Kerry herself during a women's event in February in San Francisco; they hit it off well.
Days later, she met John Kerry, and the candidate told her his wife had spoken highly of her. Weeks later, Kids for Kerry had become a national phenomenon.
Her passion for the campaign is all-consuming; her birthday party in March became a door-to-door fund-raising effort in which she and her friends raised thousands of dollars for Kerry.
At the convention, she's scheduled to speak on the same night as Democratic Party luminaries such as Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, D-S.D.; former candidates Howard Dean, Dick Gephardt and Carol Moseley-Braun; U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass.; and her buddy, Teresa Heinz Kerry.
"I'm practicing like 24/7," she said Friday as she fielded countless interview requests. "I didn't expect all this press and everything."
But despite the media maelstrom, she's staying on message "to try to tell everybody to just go out and vote on Nov. 2," and "how John Kerry can become our next president," she said.
I wonder if she's any relation to that marxist congressman from Florida, Robert Wexler?
You have got to be kidding me? These kids need a military boot camp to set them in line quick!
That was my first thought too when I saw the last name.
Looks a lot like Chelsea did, doesn't she? And Amy Carter, for that matter.
Does anyone know how to see who actually owns the site, Kids4kerry.com?
Incidentally, what the frick is a drama therapist? Sounds like one of these perfectly useless jobs you see only in Marin County.
Did you also notice that accountant dad is now helping this girl with her political stuff "full time"? Must be nice not to have to work for a living (or maybe drama therapy just pays really really well so mom is carrying the burden). Maybe I'm just a grouch, but I really get tired of seeing the "kids as wise sages" schtick. Reminds me of Amy Carter coaching her dad on nuclear war.....
It looks like a Grudge Match Against America is going down this week in Boston.. regardless of the dems trying to say it will be a "positive" convention.
Yeah, Right!
Medea Benjamin puts tape across her mouth after talking with reporters in the protest zone outside the FleetCenter in Boston, Mass., on Saturday, July 24, 2004. Benjamin and others were discussing their civil rights and announced that they would march in the streets of Boston and not voice their protests of the Democratic National Convention in the official protest zones. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)
,p> Gael Murphy of Washington, D.C., stands in a large puddle of water left by a heavy downpour in the caged protest zone outside the Fleet Center in Boston, on Saturday, July 24, 2004. Murphy and others held a news conference to discuss their civil rights and announced that they would march in the streets of Boston and not voice their protests of the Democratic National Convention in the official protest zones. (AP Photo/Dave Martin) Sorry, kids4change.com. Kids4kerry.org is registered, but not operating.
Here's a photo of the little marxist with her "Real Hero".
KidsforKerry interview with John Kerry
The Taaa Rayyy Zaaa page with pics is titled FirstLadyPics btw.
These kids are real optimists, deluded and lied to from birth but.... lol
Except for Gephardt and Kennedy, little Ilana will be the tallest one of the bunch. I guess they didn't want to bring the stepladder to the speakers podium every night.
I find it so sad when ideologue parents use their kids as props.
And why does it always seem to be lefties who are the most egregious about it?
Teresa Heinz, wife of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), D-Mass., and her son Andre Heinz chat with members of the traveling press aboard Kerry's campaign plane before taking off from Denver International Airport in Denver, Colo. Saturday, July 24, 2004. They were heading for campaign stops in Sioux City, Iowa and Columbus Ohio. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
I realize this girl is twelve, but if I hear or see the phrase "I was like ..." , I'll be ready for Harry (Kari). I have overheard what would seem to be normal intelligent women carry on a conversation relating an earlier conversation. It will often go as follows:
"And I was like ... "
"He was like, well ... "
"But, I was like ..."
And it will go on and on LIKE that! Ladies, please develop a vocabulary.
What is wrong with that picture?
-- toured Europe and Central America. She listened as locals talked with her parents about the U.S. war in Iraq: "I could see how it affected their countries, and it just made me so sad."
Poor Europeans and Central American countries. Taking down Saddam must've hit them pretty hard. /sarcasm
Useful sheeple always take the bait. Bush/Cheney 2004
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