Posted on 07/28/2004 2:50:43 AM PDT by mgist
BOSTON (CP) - Teresa Heinz Kerry remained true to her direct style Tuesday, saying it's time women's voices are at last respected so they'll be called "smart and well-informed, just like men," instead of "opinionated."
Canadian Press Photo
Heinz Kerry, whose blunt comments have caused concern among some Democrats fighting to put John Kerry (news - web sites) in the White House, set tongues wagging at the party's four-day political convention after she told a journalist to "shove it." Some party officials were probably holding their breath during her prime-time slot, where she emphasized Kerry's Vietnam service and called him a courageous fighter who believes in a bright future.
"Am I allowed to have a mind? To have a voice? To be what some call opinionated? It is a right I profoundly cherish," said Heinz Kerry, who is Portuguese, speaks five languages and was born and raised in Mozambique.
She charmed the crowd and earned a clamorous standing ovation, joining a long list of party favourites who insisted Kerry can make the United States safe, while bluntly attacking President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s service record and decision to invade Iraq (news - web sites).
"(John) earned his medals the old-fashioned way, by putting his life on the line for his country," said Heinz Kerry, adding true U.S. patriots are "those who dare speak truth to power."
Most speakers were clearly mindful of opinion polls suggesting Bush is favoured by Americans when it comes to his tough anti-terrorism stand.
But Bush is vulnerable on Iraq. Non-stop bloodshed, the prisoner abuse scandal and discredited intelligence used to justify the war have lowered his approval rating and helped create a tight race with Kerry, who will officially accept the nomination Thursday.What the . . .
Yet it's a tough issue for Kerry, who voted for Bush's war resolution. It's a matter best left to others.
"No one will defend this nation more vigorously than he will and he will always be first in the line of fire," Heinz Kerry said of her husband in remarks at the arena packed with thousands of fervent supporters.
"But he also knows the importance of getting it right. For him, the names of too many friends inscribed in the cold stone of the Vietnam Memorial testify to the awful toll exacted by leaders who mistake stubbornness for strength."
Heinz Kerry lightly veiled her references to Bush's sketchy military service and decision to invade Iraq.
But elder statesman Ted Kennedy didn't bother, despite a party push to avoid personal attacks on Bush and run a positive campaign for the Nov. 2 election.
"How could any president have possibly squandered the enormous goodwill that flowed to America from across the world after Sept. 11?," the senator asked the appreciative crowd.
"The only thing we have to fear is four more years of George Bush."
Howard Dean (news - web sites), a fiery former Kerry rival who received a long standing ovation from Democrats who credit him with re-energizing the party, said Kerry's foreign policy will rely on "telling the truth to the American people before we send our brave American soldiers to fight in foreign lands."
Another former Democratic candidate, Dick Gephardt (news - web sites), also hammered the Iraq theme.
"He will never pursue a go-it-alone policy . . . that hinders the hunt for our enemies," Gephardt said of Kerry.
"He put himself in personal peril to save the lives of his crewmen," Gephardt said in reference to Kerry's Vietnam war record.
"We know he won't take matters of war and peace lightly."
Barack Obama, a candidate for Illinois senator, in an electric speech that brought Democrats to their feet time and again, said Kerry has often made "tough choices when easier ones were available."
"When we send our young men and women into harm's way, we have a solemn obligation not to fudge the numbers or shade the truth about why they're going."
In a political coup, the son of a Republican president addressed the crowd to push for more stem-cell research to help fatal and debilitating diseases.
Ron Reagan said he wasn't making a political speech.
Still, he urged Americans to vote for Democrats on Nov. 2 because, unlike Bush's socially conservative base, they support more U.S. government research money.
"We have a chance to take a great stride forward for the good of all humanity," said Reagan, whose father died in June after a decade-long battle with Alzheimer's.
"We can chose between the future and the past, between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology. This is our moment and we must not falter."
On Day One of the convention, political luminaries like former presidents Bill Clinton (news - web sites) and Jimmy Carter also offered stinging rebukes of Bush's policies while praising Kerry and his running mate John Edwards (news - web sites).
The stage-managed hoopla is important to both men. Opinion polls suggest many Americans still don't know much about the two men or what they'd do in power.
Democrats are trying to provide a clear alternative to Republicans by emphasizing fewer tax perks for the wealthy and a stronger middle class with better health coverage and education. Amazing . . .
Surveys have long suggested a tight race between Kerry and Bush this fall and the country is highly polarized between the two parties. Only an estimated 10 per cent of American voters aren't aligned with a party.
I didn't see it, but that explains why we are getting these ridiculous "Love Teresa Heinz" press releases coming out as news articles. I would bet my left pinky somebody is paying a pretty penny to the presstitutes for this. Unbelievable!
Terroriza makes Mad How look like the sane one.
Not money, just flattery. It's all in the family, after all . . .
I honestly think she is on medication. Something about the way she moves her mouth and the look in her eyes. I also saw her slightly salivating from the corner of her mouth in an interview. It wasn't disgustingly obvious but it wasn't normal. I do like the fact that she can't stand Ted Keddedy and she was once a Republican.
LOL! "Direct style"? Godzilla has a "direct style," too.
If the GOP can force her out into the open then that is it. I imagine we will see much more of Laura Bush now (which would be a good thin anyway.)
Again, it was a truly strange display. I cannot imagine what they are thinking. What a whoot. I almost felt sorry for her and the whole lot of them. What contempt they hve for all of us, trotting out a creature like this as a presumtive first lady.
It was syrupy, rambling, nonsensical and BORING, delivered in near monotone...the only interesting thing was her using her 5 languages to try and impress people of how smart SHE was. The majority of her screed was about non issues not about her hubby...his being in Vietnam was about the only mention of his accomplishments. To many greenie enviro whacko stuff was in her speech.
Is there a pharmacy database with her scripts in it?....or is she using European doctors?
A blood sample should be in order from all candidates and first lady wannabes...heck even
postal employees have to give up 'samples'..for just handling or delivering Wallmart flyers.
Here's an opinion for you, TeRAYYYYYYY-ZAH! I have a voice - the voice of thousands of young men who went off to war in a small southeast asian country, served their country well, performed their duties honorably and with pride and returned home to derision, lies, attacks on their character, closed employment office doors and closed American minds. That, TeRAYYYYYYY-ZAH, is your husband John's war record. He, more than any other event, more than any other single individual, came back from Vietnam and told outrageous lies about the conduct of that war that never happened. He fabricated it - ALL of it - in the name of political aspirations. He obtained his political position on the backs of thousands of innocent young American men whose only "crime" on this earth was to serve their country in Vietnam; men he betrayed with his outrageous lies and fabrications; men, many of whose lives were permanently destroyed by his despicable gross character assassinations.
I'm one of those men, TeRAYYYYYYY-ZAH! I survived being denied jobs and treated as a pariah by my country for going to war and serving it because of what your husband did - because of the lies he told to every reporter, Congressman and Senator who would listen. I overcame the stigma of being a Vietnam War veteran by sweeping my military service under the rug and denying it. It took years, TeRAYYYYYYY-ZAH, years to overcome the damage that your husband did to so many thousands of young men. Is that the "war record" of which you so proudly spoke at the convention? A record of lies and betrayal? Because, if it wasn't, then you told as big a lie as your husband, the president wannabee.
Good post
I am a strong believer in Karma. You are rewarded in kind, for everything you do, both good and bad. When I see posts like yours, I think that Kerry will get his just rewards for what he did to Vietnam vets. It was his vanity, and selfishness, that caused damage to a lot of people. If he doesn't win, it will be primarily because of his actions in Vietnam.
When she mentioned the thousands of names on the Viet Nam memorial wall, my first thought was, 'Yeah, and you husband helped put them there'.
The good new is that a CSI rerun got more viewers the first night than di this dem"lovefest. Nobody cares.
I saw her whole performance last night. It was fantastic. Fantastic for us & horrible for kerry. The crowed cheered loud when she came out but as she got into her speach the applause died down & people began to ignore her. I am embarrased for her. It was GREAT! I'll bet the dim leadership was going crazy. LOL
Thank you for your post--and your service.
I've been wondering if she's drugged, too. She's just so WEIRD - rambling, slurring words, comes across as a real spaceshot.
Can you see her hosting a state dinner? I sure can't, it's a scary thought.
LQ
I finally got to see the rerun last night and while Teresa is a taco short of a platter I have to disagree that she has sunk Kerry. She, to me it seemed, was warm, full of feeling and seemed like an okay woman. I didn't agree with her, know her content was off putting, but as a human being she was okay to me. She has an angry edge but I don't find that horrid, lots of people I like have angry edges. In short, I think she is neutral for Kerry. But that is my opinion, not dogma.
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