After Kennedy and Reid spoke, DeMint was the first Republican to speak. Before speaking on what he intended to speak on, he said that he too was honored to serve with Senator Kerry and noted that he appreciated the comments made.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I know how difficult of a decision this is for Senator Kerry to make. And today, I say to the people of the country how proud all of us in Massachusetts are of JOHN KERRY, and his outstanding service in the United States Senate for our State and for our country. Throughout his career, he has been a true hero in every sense of the word.
He has been my colleague since 1984, and I have deeply valued the opportunity to work side-by-side with him, but most of all I'm proud to call him my friend. Over the years, Vicki and I have grown so close to JOHN and his wonderful wife Teresa and his loving daughters Vanessa and Alexandra. They are a special family, and their friendship is one we cherish.
We heard just a few moments ago why he was able to galvanize the country, and earn such tremendous support, in the 2004 Presidential campaign. The eloquence, the passion, the insight, the knowledge of history, and awareness of public events--these qualities we saw on display just moments ago in this Chamber--these are the qualities that characterize and define the career of JOHN KERRY.
Now JOHN has decided to continue to devote his passion, his interest, and his energies toward bringing our troops home from Iraq safely, and how fortunate they are to know that he will devote all of his energies to that cause over the next months--hopefully not years. All of us in Massachusetts look forward to his continued service in the United States Senate for years to come and to his voice and his vote working here for the working people of Massachusetts, for their jobs, for their health care, for the education of their children, for the betterment of their environment, and for their hope for a better quality of life. He's been there for us in the past on so many of these critical concerns, and we take comfort in knowing he'll be there for all of us in the future as well.
I know this has been a difficult time for JOHN. I congratulate him on an outstanding presentation this afternoon, and for his courage and determination. I congratulate him for continuing to want to make a very important difference on the overarching and overriding issue of our time, and that is how we can remedy this catastrophic mistake of Iraq and bring our servicemen home safely.
I'm grateful to be able to call JOHN KERRY my colleague and friend, and look forward to working with him for years to come.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.
Mr. REID. Mr. President, I have had the good fortune in my lifetime, my adult life, to see people for whom I have developed a tremendous respect and admiration, and certainly one of those people is JOHN KERRY. Why? Why would I say that about JOHN KERRY? Why would I say that as I have traveled through life he is one of those people who has meant so much to me in being a role model for the things that I do and the things that I think the American people should focus on?
He has a tremendous educational background--Yale, Boston College. He was a prosecutor. He was a war hero. A war hero--multiple awards, fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, for heroism. We saw someone last night stand in the House Chamber whom the President directed, who received the Silver Star, and that is wonderful.
We all looked at him with admiration. John Kerry has had a Silver Star, multiple Purple Hearts--I repeat, multiple awards for bravery. He is a political activist, someone who at great sacrifice decided to do gallant things after his heroic efforts in Vietnam. He came home and continued being a hero politically. The people of Massachusetts elected him to Lieutenant Governor, a job I also had,
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and I have some understanding about that job. He came to Congress the year I did. In 1982, we both came here. He is a cancer survivor. His wife is one of the most remarkable people I have ever met. Teresa Heinz is a real fighter in her own way. I knew her before the Presidential election, but I got to know her very well during the Presidential election, and I like her so much.
John Kerry was my nominee for President of the United States. I worked hard for John Kerry. I believed in John Kerry. I believed John Kerry would change the direction of this country and the world. I still believe that. John Kerry came within a few votes of being President of the United States in one of the dirtiest, most negative, unfair campaigns I have ever witnessed. I am not going to go into all the things they did to John Kerry other than to say that to try to take away from this man, his gallantry as a warfighter, was beyond the pale, but they did it.
John Kerry and I have shared heartache together. We have done it recently. I will always have admiration and respect for John Kerry. The mere fact that he announced he is not running for President speaks well of this gallant man, this heroic man, because he could run for President. He has money in the bank, so to speak. He knows people all over America. He has the best e-mail addresses in the country. He has chosen that this is not the time. But I will continue to look to John Kerry for his leadership in foreign affairs. He is a man who knows this world. Listen to the speech he just gave on the conflict in Iraq , a textbook address about the ills of the present status of what we are doing in Iraq . He will approach whatever he does with a sense of morality. He will proceed to be one of the leaders, as he has been for decades, on the environment. He has a book coming out soon with his wife, and I am sure it will lay out things he has believed in for so long, such as health care. He is the chairman of the Small Business Committee.
So I say to John Kerry: I love you, John Kerry. I am so sorry things didn't work out for our country, but that doesn't take away from the fact that I will always care about you greatly and remember the times we have spent together. We have a lot more to do for Massachusetts, Nevada, and the country.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina is recognized.
Mr. DeMINT. Mr. President, before I engage in my business, I also would like to say to Senator Kerry that I, too, am honored to serve with you, and I appreciate the remarks that have been made about you today.
So, unlike any of the cases mentioned, though we all know how sickening the media frenzy was and how much it likely hurt Senator Kerry and his family, Kerry had strong support from his peers. The words of Kennedy and Reid - two men who were the Democratic leaders in the Senate in different ways - show respect for him as a leader and as a person.