Kerry: 'I'm Running for President Because ....'

[AmyStrange]

Kerry: 'I'm Running for President Because ....'
Tue Jun 15, 3:18 PM ET
By Patricia Wilson

FROM: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=1963&e=8&u=/nm/20040615/pl_nm/campaign_kerry_dc_10&sid=96378800
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (Reuters) - Armed with a five-word refrain, Democrat John Kerry (news - web sites) on Tuesday fought back against the perception that many voters don't know what he stands for or why he is challenging President Bush (news - web sites).

"I'm running for president because ...." the White House hopeful, longtime senator from Massachusetts and decorated Vietnam War veteran explained again and again during a campaign swing through New Jersey and Ohio.

Although Kerry leads Bush in some opinion polls and has raised more money than the Republican president in the past couple of months, some critics say he has fallen short when it comes to clearly articulating why he wants the job and what he would do with it.

"I'm running for president because I want an economy that strengthens and expands the middle class, not one that squeezes it," the presumptive Democratic nominee told a labor conference in Atlantic City.

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[PurityOfEssence]

1. How's this for a line? "I'm gonna raise MY taxes, not YOURS."

That is, unless you're quite well-off too. This country has been very good to me, and I just feel that I and people of similar means should pitch in a little more to help the system that benefits us so much.

We get more from this system than the poor and middle-class, so we should support it a little more. Rich people aren't overtaxed, we've been under-billed. And it's not gonna hurt us, either; we'll still be rich. At least we won't have huge deficits, a crumbling infrastructure and wasted potential of individuals who have to spend every waking minute just trying to survive.

[JI7]

2. he has said it before at times, he mentions his wife also

talks about how they don't need the tax cut but the others who are working and struggling. bill clinton says the same thing.

but i do think one good thing about kerry is he doesn't try to act like he is one of the regular working class people and he admits he has had things given to him most don't have. i think next time the right wing or anyone else attacks him for talking about the working people while being a rich guy himself he needs to respond by saying that being rich is not an excuse to not care about others who are hurting and need help. he also needs to point out that bush was given things also.

[AP]

3. This was a great speech. If he's been holding this back, and if this

is what he's loading the barrel with for the rest of the campaign, this race is gonna be sweet. Super sweet.