"We can do better," Kerry tells delegates

By Seattle Times news services

JUSTIN SULLIVAN / GETTY IMAGES John Kerry acknowledges the cheers of the crowd at the convention last night in Boston after accepting the Democratic Party's nomination for president.

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Kerry appealed for support in "the most important election of our lifetime," vowing to "restore trust and credibility to the White House" and improve the lives of middle-class Americans.

"We can do better, and we will," the Massachusetts senator told cheering delegates hungry to regain the presidency, which many Democrats believe was stolen from them four years ago. "We're the optimists. We just need to believe in ourselves — and we can do it again."

As his hometown's four-day celebration of his life and candidacy peaked, Kerry accepted the Democratic nomination in a high-stakes speech aimed at the small slice of undecided voters. He sought to increase awareness of his background and to challenge Bush's record on domestic and international issues.

Kerry framed his argument for ousting the incumbent with sharp criticism of Bush and his administration.

"I will be a commander in chief who will never mislead us into war," he said. "I will have a vice president who will not conduct secret meetings with polluters to rewrite our environmental laws. I will have a secretary of defense who will listen to the best advice of our military leaders. And I will appoint an attorney general who actually upholds the Constitution."

He also pledged to "not evade or equivocate" in taking steps to strengthen the nation's security against terrorists, adding that if elected, he would immediately adopt the recommendations of the commission that studied the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Bush, who initially opposed the panel's creation, is studying its proposals, aides say.

"Hard evidence"

	WILLIAM B. PLOWMAN / GETTY IMAGES As confetti and balloons rain down, delegates celebrate last night after Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's speech.

"As president, I will ask hard questions and demand hard evidence," Kerry said. "I will immediately reform the intelligence system — so policy is guided by facts, and facts are never distorted by politics. And as president, I will bring back this nation's time-honored tradition: The United States of America never goes to war because we want to, we only go to war because we have to."

That focus on national security was seen by Kerry backers as a way not only to highlight his military record as a decorated naval officer but also to show voters he can be trusted to lead the country during war, and to fend off Republican accusations that he has been inconsistent on Iraq.

He offered the framework of a plan to get U.S. forces out of Iraq.

"I know what we have to do in Iraq," Kerry said. "We need a president who has the credibility to bring our allies to our side and share the burden, reduce the cost to American taxpayers, reduce the risk to American soldiers. That's the right way to get the job done and bring our troops home."

Kerry's speech to a packed, placard-waving crowd at the FleetCenter climaxed a political gathering in which the Democrats demonstrated determination and unity behind Kerry and his running mate, Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina.

	KEVORK DJANSEZIAN / AP Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry hugs Vietnam swift-boat crewmate Drew Whitlow, of Huntsville, Ark., before addressing the delegates during the Democratic National Convention last night in Boston.

Edwards nominated

On a rousing voice vote without dissent, delegates took 20 minutes to formally nominate Edwards, who addressed them Wednesday night. "He appeals to our best hopes, not our worst fears," Harvey Gantt, former mayor of Charlotte, N.C., said in placing Edwards' name before the delegates.

As has been the case all week, last night's climactic proceedings stressed Kerry's background as a Vietnam veteran — a theme that helped elevate him from a once-crowded field of Democrats into the final three months of a razor-close election.

Actor Morgan Freeman narrated a nine-minute biographical movie that emphasized Kerry's military record. Filmmaker James Moll, 41, who won an Academy Award for "The Last Days," a 1998 documentary about five Hungarian Holocaust survivors, said director Steven Spielberg suggested him for the assignment. Spielberg consulted on the film.

The featured speakers included Navy crewmate Jim Rassmann, who credits Kerry with saving his life in Vietnam.

The retired federal worker, who volunteered to join the campaign just before the Iowa caucuses in January, said he did so "because I've seen John Kerry in action. I know his character. I've witnessed his bravery and leadership under fire. And I know he will be a great commander in chief."

To further underscore the point, the Democratic nominee was introduced by former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, who lost both legs and an arm in a grenade explosion in Vietnam.

"Since Vietnam, John Kerry's life has become an object lesson in what was once described as the true definition of patriotism — 'the long and steady dedication of a lifetime,' " Cleland said. "He is an authentic American hero."

	AMY SANCETTA / AP Democratic presidential nominee John Kerry gives a cheer of his own while recognizing supporters amid the throngs at the party's convention in Boston.

Protecting the nation

Kerry referred to his service in making clear his intention to do whatever was necessary to protect the nation.

"I defended this country as a young man, and I will defend it as president," he said. "I will never hesitate to use force when it is required. Any attack will be met with a swift and certain response. I will never give any nation or international institution a veto over our national security. And I will build a stronger American military."

Kerry appealed to Bush — and to voters turned off by bitter campaign tactics — for a fall race along the "high road" — which he said "may be harder, but it leads to a better place."

Kerry also challenged the Republican emphasis on family values with a definition that differed sharply from the GOP's on social issues such as abortion and gay marriage.

"For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values," he said. "But values spoken without actions taken are just slogans. Values are not just words. They're what we live by. They're about the causes we champion and the people we fight for. And it is time for those who talk about family values to start valuing families.

"We value jobs that pay you more, not less than you earned before. We value an America where the middle class is not being squeezed, but doing better."

He recalled the economic record of the 1990s, when Democrat Bill Clinton was in the White House.

"We balanced the budget. We paid down the debt. We created 23 million new jobs. We lifted millions out of poverty and we lifted the standard of living for the middle class. We just need to believe in ourselves — and we can do it again," Kerry said.

As for his often-complex views: "Some issues just aren't that simple," he said. "Saying there are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq doesn't make it so. Saying we can fight a war on the cheap doesn't make it so. And proclaiming 'mission accomplished' certainly doesn't make it so."

The speech was deeply biographical, a style in keeping with the tradition of recent acceptance speeches but also one with a special purpose for Kerry, who according to polls and his own strategists has not yet established a personal connection with Americans.

He began it with a salute and the words, "I'm John Kerry and I'm reporting for duty," a departure from his prepared text.

After speaking for 46 minutes, Kerry concluded with a call to look beyond the horizon.

"For America," he said, "the hope is there. The sun is rising. Our best days are still to come."

And so, as 100,000 red, white and blue balloons floated through the FleetCenter, came the end of a Democratic festival that was, at least in its public presentation, harmonious.

Compiled from reports by The Dallas Morning News, Knight Ridder Newspapers, The Washington Post and the Chicago Tribune.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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