Hi from Faneuil Hall

[TayTay]

We have a connection, and soon, liftoff.

I am here with Whome and LevensonK. We have an advanced copy of the speech from www.taylormarsh.com and it is a real barn-burner. (Ahm, we were right, that is one ticked off Senator.)

Things are going well. The line to get in was around the block. This joint should be rocking soon.

The first speaker will give a blessing and prayer. The second speaker is the widower of a p/11 victim and then Sen. Kerry will speak.

Wish us luck and the DKos post will be up momentarily.

[Blaukraut]

1. Hi everyone!

We have two connections andholding - so far! As Tay said; wish us luck. This will be a barnburner of a speech :-)

[fedupinBushcountry]

2. Hi TayTay, LevonsonK and Whome

Been having problems all week with my PC and luckily after cries to my husband to get it fixed by today I am back on.

So who is the 9/11 widow? I love the way he includes people who are so involved with each of his speeches.

[TayTay]

7. Sorry, widower

Mass resident Michale Casey who lost his wife Nellie in the crash of flight 11 on Sept. 11th. (Two of those planes left from Logan Airport in Boston and the majority of passengers were from this area.)

[whometense]

41. And now happily remarried

for a year. Just FYI - after all the horror and sadness he had to endure five years ago, it was nice to know that his life is back on track. And that Kerry did so much to help him get there.

[wisteria]

3. Alright! Good luck !(I'm ready for a "blast off"of a speech)! n/t

[TayTay]

4. Here's the post

Please recommend and comment.

Any comment will do. "How's the weather?"

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/9/9/104253/0341

[ProSense]

5. Hi All! This is wonderful!

Good luck, and thanks!

[Blaukraut]

6. Quite a crowd so far, and a LOT of press!

The hall has filled up and it looks filled to the brim! JK's sister Diana is here already. The atmosphere is full of anticipation. People definitely have a serious interest in what JK has to say today. Now we're waiting for the man himself, and Teresa, of course, to come up on stage!

[fedupinBushcountry]

8. Do you have a post in GD or GD-P ? n/t

[wisteria]

11. I just posted a connection to Kos in LB. n/t

I added GD-P.

[Blaukraut]

9. They have come into the room!

John Kerry, Teresa Heinz Kerry, Gary Hart, Michael Casey! JK is looking very good today - what am I saying, they all do!!!
Reverend Stephanie Spellers speaking now.

[YvonneCa]

10. Good Morning...

...and thank you for keeping us connected. I appreciate that SO MUCH.

[babylonsister]

12. So cool, thank you all! I feel like I'm there, too!

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[Blaukraut]

13. Reverend Spellers saying a prayer

Calling for remembrance of those we lost 5 years ago, and calling on us to have hope - for those we love, and those we remember.

Michael Casey up now.

Monday another anniversary of 9/11. A day we will never forget. A day that changed us as individuals, Americans. Wife was killed that day. Was determined not to let the day define him and his daughter. Was fortunate in having assistance from friends, family, government. During this time, got to know Senator Kerry. Right after 9/11 JK reached out to him and offered his help. Attended the funeral service, and has been by Michael's side ever since.

Got married again a little over a year ago, and his daughter - then 6 months old, has grown into a happy little girl, too. Had real fear about new terrorist attacks. New enemy we face is slippery, and protection is needed and has been given, but is it enough?
Curious to know and understand what happened in goverment to allow this to happen.
Was told to use sheets of plastic and duct tape on windows for protection. Not enough.
We're not safer now. actions since 9/11 have made us less safe. Soldiers are in harm's way for no good reason.

Believes that JK has experience and knowledge to change that - make us safe.

[Blaukraut]

14. Gary Hart up

Quote by Louis Brandeis about the value of liberty as secret of happiness.
Edmund Burke; people never give up their liberties but under delusion. This government has raised delusion to a high art. Left things unfinished and unnecessary invasion of Iraq. We produced constitutional crisis by instilling fear and giving up liberties.
Are we safer? No. Jihadists have proven to be patient and Katrina has proven the incompetence of our security response.
Need leaders to step forward who understand link between energy independence and secrity and repsect constitution. Who do not substitute delusion for courage.
John Kerry is among those. We watched a young lieutenant go to war, return and speak out against that war. Now a widely respected figure across the world stage.
Has served among great Senators; Muskie, etc. among few surviving, Ted Kennedy is one. As is John Kerry. JK puts national interest above all else. Rises above ideological meanness.
If we are to regain respect of the world, we must pin our hope on the few leaders like JK that remain.
Nobody has struggled more effectively in National Security than JK. We must hope that his struggle will continue. That he will not falter or fail. Voice of conviction, courage, conscience, will not diminish, but prevail.
Ladies and gentlemen; Senator John Kerry

[Blaukraut]

15. John Kerry up

Thanks everyone, thanks Gary Hart. Says that he was one of the first on NS. Worked with Rudman - ahould have been heeded before 9/11.
Is grateful to Gary Hart.
Thanking Michael Case. REmembers funeral, remembers 9/11
Fateful contest between forces of evil and hate and the defenders of progress and hope.
Outcome will determine whether our children will live in freedom or fear. Clash between humanity's best ideals and the darkness of superstition and oppression.

In war on terror there is no substitute for victory.

As we remember 9/11 we will commemorate our largest loss of civilian life on a single day in Am. history.

[Blaukraut]

16. Kicking Rummy's ass now

Rumsfeld, man who should have been fired long ago recently gave a low and ugly speech in which he smeared those who dissent from catastrophic policy. Spoke of moral confusion.
Certainly is a lot of moral confusion.
Immoral to send young Americans to fight and die in conflict without strategy that canwork. A mission that has worsened terrorism
Immoral to treat 9/11 as a political pawn and to continue to excuse invasion of Iraq by exploiting the 3000 people who were lost on that day. They were attacked by bin laden, not hussein.

[ProSense]

19. This kind of talk about Rummy

warms my heart!

[Democrafty]

27. I wish you'd meant that literally. n/t

[ProSense]

17. I posted the links in an

open thread at the DNC site:

http://www.democrats.org/a/2006/09/late_night_open_5.php?comments=1#c214700

[ProSense]

35. A comment from the DNC website:

...the speech kerry is going to give in boston today is a humdinger. here it is:

kerry breaks it down

link

[Blaukraut]

18. he is taking this admin to task

for their failure to keep us safe, for allowing the war on terror to be sidetracked by Iraq.
Calls them on their politicizing 9/11.
Al Quaeda has grown in size because admin dropped the ball in Afghanistan. Only Cheney could call that a success.
Taliban now controls entire portions of southern Afg. and Pakistan is just one coup away from becoming radical jihadhist state with full nuclear weapon capability. Only Rumsfeld could proclaim this a victory.
Midle East is more unstable than it has been in decades. Israel is surrounded by emboldened enemies. Hezbollah flies flags from rooftops in slums of Sadr City and Iran is rebuilding Southern Lebanon. Only an administration trapped in its own falsehoods could say we're making progress in Middle East.

North Korea has quadroupled its nuclear weapons capability and is testing missiles that could reach our shores. Iran moving toward membership in nuclear club, has expanded its terrorist clientele from hezbollah to hamas, etc. Only George Bush could declare this mission accomplished.

[Blaukraut]

20. five principal priorities tha demand action

redeploy from Iraq
recommit to Afghanistan
reduce dependence on foreign oil
reinforce homeland defense
restore America's moral leadership on world

This is the opposite of this admin.s stand still and lose strategy. A clear alternative of 'more of the same'

Iraqis must want democracy for themselves as much as we want to bring it to them.
Long overdue for pres to realize that no American soldier should be sacrificed because Iraqi factions can't solve their ethnic rivalries.

Iraqi leadership has only responded to deadlines. So we must set another deadline of July 2007 to exit our troops and set Iraq on its own two feet

[TayTay]

21. Lovely blue tie! n/t

[kerrygoddess]

39. Blue

Good I heard I wanted to know.

Glad it was a success.

[Blaukraut]

22. ending the empire of oil

America needs a national policy that understands we are not just threatened by gun barrels but by oil barrels. Greatest treasury of jihadist terrorism is mideast oil. We fund both sides of the war on terror every time we fill up the gas tank. We must liberate the middle east itself, not just us, from the tyranny of dependence on petroleum so that the region no longer feeds restive and rising polulations of unemployed young people a diet of illusions and rationalizations paid for by our oil money.

Need energy independence to not be used as a mere slogan, but a solution.
New policies to promote alternative fuel.
Essential to reverse global climate change
develop clean energy
liberate our country from the bondage to tyrannical hostile and unstable regimes.

(reiterating his energy independence plan from June)

WE must reinforce homeland defense - start with fully implementing the 9/11 commission's recommendations

Bush said last week that bin laden and the terrorists plan to target America's weak points. Our weak points - borders, chem plants, railways. are weak because this admin has the wrong priorities.
Taxcuts for the wealthiest Americans are taking from homeland security. What we have today from this WH is a pretense of national security on the cheap, and it must end.

[Blaukraut]

23. about strengthening international institutions

build alliances that amplify our power and extend the reach of our influence, and remember that even the most powerful nation on the face of the earth needs friends
Leadership means talking with countries who aren't our friends. means engaging directly when our vital national security interests are at stake.
As John Kennedy once said; we must never negotiate out of fear, but we must never fear to negotiate.
If nixon could send kissinger to china, surely bush can send a team to north korea. if reagan could talk to the evil empire, surely we can talk with iran or syria

[Blaukraut]

24. and finally

let the president give his speeches attacking the patriotism of his fellow americans. let him play the politics of fear. as democrats, we choose to offer a real plan to attack the terrorists and free americans from fear.
and then let the people decide.

the end :-)

[wisteria]

25. Bravo!!! Love how he ended it!!! n/t

[Blaukraut]

26. I'm sorry for not getting it word by word

but the speech will be televised tomorrow anyway. These were the most salient points :-)

[wisteria]

28. You did a great job! n/t

[fedupinBushcountry]

29. Whats happening now n/t

[Blaukraut]

30. JK and Teresa making their way through the crowd

signing programs, stopping to talk. ppl leaving now. TayTay got a couple of close-up pics :-) gotta unplug now. talk soon!!

[YvonneCa]

33. You did an EXCELLENT job...

...and it is greatly appreciated. Thank you SO MUCH for doing this. Sometimes those of us in California feel very far away from what our Senator is doing...but you and TayTay help to make that better! ;)

[ProSense]

31. Beautiful!

Thank you LevensonK and Tay!

[karynnj]

40. Wow, you and Tay Tay did great jobs getting all this detail

What an incredible speech. The other line I liked was that Kerry attacked Bush saying it was wrong for the President to have been for torture, before he was against it. (huge grin from Kerry when this line got a standing ovation.) (I'll try to post some photos tomorrow - we're still in Boston.

[TayTay]

32. We have to go, they are shutting down the show here,

We will have pics in a little bit.

More to come.


BTW, there were 15 media outlets here and 8 camera crews. It was heavily press attended.

(We just saw Roger Fisk. Those who were in Boston last year remember Roger very well. He waved at us and said, "How are my ladies doing." Real good now Roger, you sweetheart.

[partisan]

34. Anyone know if this will be on his podcast? n/t

[Blaukraut]

36. Hi partisan!

You can catch the speech in its entirety tomorrow evening at 6.30 PM and 9 PM Eastern at CSPAN on their 'Road to the White House' series :-)

[partisan]

38. Thank you!!! n/t

[MH1]

37. Wonderful job by all of you

I have had a busy day of local politics and more to come tomorrow. I just got to sit down at the pc and have been enjoying reading this thread and the one at dailykos.

JK's speech sounds like it was as excellent as expected. I'm looking forward to taping RTWH tomorrow!

Thanks for all the hard work! You guys rock!

[whometense]

42. See this comment by Taylor Marsh?

http://www.taylormarsh.com/comments.php?postID=24487#1165

Yep, Jerome & Kos were right, which makes it all the sadder what might have been. Kerry is also turning out to be right on so many fronts. It makes you believe he deserves another try at it, frankly.

[Blaukraut]

43. That's a pretty positive comment

And a pretty clear endorsement, too. Is Taylor Marsh usually positive towards Kerry?

[whometense]

44. I'd say she is a fan,

though trying to maintain her reporter's objectivity.

[Blaukraut]

46. Ah, you mean unlike other self-professed reporters

and journalists. Sounds like the woman still has some journalistic integrity. I do like her comments, though :-)

[whometense]

48. She's smart -

and aggressive. Seems like we as a country could do with a lot more of that kind of aggressiveness from all reporters.

[TayTay]

45. When she thinks he deserves it, yes

She is very open to the Senator's idears and says so when she feels it's a good thing to do.

[Blaukraut]

47. I finally got to read her blog entry you showed me earlier

That was pretty good, actually!