A number of news sources are reporting on John Kerry’s speech yesterday at Grinnell College in Iowa. The resounding message of Kerry’s speech, as I noted here last night, is that students, American’s need to “speak out” and “demand leadership.”

The Des Moines Register reports that Kerry visited the “Iowa college town Saturday as part of a nationwide speaking tour,” and he told “nearly 1,000 supporters that Americans have a “right and an obligation” to criticize the Bush administration for the way it is handling the Iraq occupation.”

Doug Wells/The Register

Put on the spot by one student during a quick question-and-answer session, Kerry said his biggest regret of recent years was voting in favor of the use of force in Iraq.

“Because of the experience we had in Vietnam and (former Secretary of State) Colin Powell, whom I trusted, I trusted the administration on that, and it was an enormous error,” he said.

“But I am not going to stand idly by and compound that mistake by not speaking out when I see things the way they are.”

The Register also reports on the usual ’08 question, noting that “Kerry said before his speech Saturday that “it is way too early” to begin talking about a presidential run in 2008.”

For the meantime, he said, he is focusing on building momentum for Democrats in 2006 congressional races, for which he has donated approximately $7.5 million.

Betty Haviland of Ames, a 2004 Kerry supporter, said she was impressed with the senator’s delivery Saturday, but she said “it’s too soon” to say whether she will support him if he runs in 2008.

“He’s got a big constituency here,” Haviland said. “I think it’s going to be a Democratic year.”

Melvin Bobo, a mental-health therapist who drove from Des Moines to hear the speech, said Kerry is “the right man at the right time.”

“The thing is, right now this country is sliding so far downhill. We really need him to stop the sliding,” Bobo said.

Talk of ’08 aside, Kerry’s message yesterday to the students and supporters at Grinnell College is one that American’s need to get. We need to “speak out” to end this war in Iraq, and we need to “demand new leadership” at the polls in November. For all the cries from the left-wing bloggers to end the war in Iraq, I question the where the calls are for support of Kerry’s plan. As one of my readers noted last week in a discussion here after the anti-war protest in N.Y. last week, it’s as though people want to hold on to their “issue” rather than support a plan a to get out of Iraq.

John Kerry said in his speech yesterday, “Dismissing dissent is not only wrong, but dangerous when America’s leadership is unwilling to admit mistakes, unwilling to engage in honest discussion, and unwilling to hold itself accountable for the consequences of decisions made without genuine disclosure, or genuine debate.”

Kerry’s challenge to speak out on not just Iraq, but other issues, is one that should be echoed across the liberal blogosphere. Why? Here’s the answer…

“Rarely has there been a moment more urgent for all Americans to step up and define our country again.

Some people suggest we don’t have any ideas. You know, I have to laugh at that.

If by ideas they mean running the debt up to nine trillion dollars, losing America’s manufacturing base, denying children after-school programs, cutting kids from Medicaid, and privatizing Social Security; if by ideas they mean violating the law, ignoring international treaties and forgetting diplomacy; if by ideas they mean filling the trough of the special interests’ pig pen – giving the money changers their bankruptcy bill, giving the oil industry their energy bill, and giving the big pharmaceutical companies their prescription drug bill — then they’re right: those are bad ideas being shoved down the throats of the American people by a Washington of bankrupt values and I’m proud we stood up and said no to them every step of the way.

We don’t have a selfish agenda masquerading as ideas and facilitated by those who refuse to hold them accountable and speak the truth.

In fact, the Administration’s agenda of the last years has so distorted America’s politics that now, straightforward, little ideas have become big ones.

So what do we say yes to? What are our ideas?

How about starting with this: tell the American people the truth!

Then, full-on fire the incompetents!

Make America secure with energy independence.

Value work, not wealth, and make our tax code fair for the middle class and people struggling to join it.

Export products, not jobs.

Make health care accessible and affordable for all Americans.

Do something about global warming and, while we’re at it, clean up our lakes and rivers so people can fish and swim in the United States.

Set a deadline for Iraqis to run Iraq and bring our troops home.

Filed under: Bush Admin, In The News, Iraq, John Kerry, Politics, Republicans | Get Permalink or trackback |