Posted on 06/01/2002 3:28:54 PM PDT by Tony Niar Brain
WORCESTER - His eye on the White House, Sen. John F. Kerry set a sharp partisan tone as he kicked off the state Democratic convention last night, blasting the GOP as anti-union and weak on issues like education.
In his most stinging jab, Kerry scolded Republicans for pursuing anti-union policies - even as they lauded the police and fire heroes of the Sept. 11 attacks.
``It's time we reminded our Republican friends that the firefighters and police officers they are so quick to make speeches about - the ones who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center to put their lives on the line so that others might live - they were all members of a union,'' he said.
The junior Massachusetts senator - striking vintage Democratic themes to rally delegates - assailed the GOP for paying lip service to bread-and-butter issues such as education, health care and the environment.
``The Republicans like to talk about leaving no child behind,'' said Kerry. ``But because the President won't live up to his commitments, Boston will spend half of its $600 million education budget just to make up for broken promises.''
Added Kerry: ``I say it's time to make clear to the Republicans that we will not let them make a mockery of the phrase `Leave no child behind.' ''
In a thinly veiled shot at recent Republican governors such as Paul Cellucci and William F. Weld, who left office abruptly before their terms ended to pursue ambassadorships, Kerry taunted: ``It's time to elect a governor who really wants to be governor - it's time to elect a Democrat the next governor of Massachusetts.''
In his keynote address at the Worcester Centrum where Democrats gathered this weekend, Kerry said, ``It's been too long since Ted Kennedy and I had a Corner Office partner in our efforts to serve our citizens' needs.''
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) introduced Kerry to the crowd, vowing a clean Democratic sweep of statewide and congressional offices.
``The smell of victory is in the air,'' said Kennedy. ``This is going to be a memorable year . . . it's the year that we'll win a clean sweep in November from the State House to the Congress.''
Kerry's national ambitions, meanwhile, were clearly on display. Kerry's 10-minute video - produced with the 2004 White House race in mind and featuring muscular rhetoric about character and courage - cast Kerry as a national leader on education and the environment.
Kerry must boost his national profile and dispel notions he is an old-style Massachusetts liberal in the coming months as he lays the groundwork for an expected White House bid. The video sought to blend Kerry's political and personal story.
The film also provided some lighter moments, including when his wife Teresa Heinz jokingly complains about having to listen to Kerry trying to learn the guitar.
``And now, of course, to my great chagrin, he learned the guitar . . . and it's hard to hear,'' she said. ``You can forgive your child for learning the violin and getting flat notes, and you know a mother has to cope with that . . . but have your husband pick a tune, it's really tough.''
Heinz also seeks to give her husband an edgy, athletic image, saying, ``If it flies and moves fast and has a little bit of an edge, he'll do it.''
Kerry is expected to cruise to a fourth term this fall. He has faced no serious opposition since defeating Weld in their intense 1996 fight.
Last night's speech was a prelude to Kerry's upcoming travels in key presidential primary states. Kerry will visit the leadoff caucus state, Iowa, later this month.
Didn't Kerry once take a pledge to limit the amount he would spend in one of his campaigns and then broke that pledge because it was too tempting to spend his wife's money? Please refresh me on that incident.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.