Senator John Kerry Quotes

America has not led but fled on the issue of global warming.

The truth is, President Bush provides the right rhetoric, but then pursues all the wrong policies.

The responsible choice would be to honor those who have worn our nation`s uniform, but the administration made a different choice. They`re raising veterans` health care fees by $250 a year while cutting taxes for millionaires.

The world today has a strong democratic core shaped by American ingenuity, sacrifice, and spirit. But on the periphery are many unstable and dangerous places, where terrorists seek to impose a medieval dark age. As we learned so brutally and so personally, we do face a new threat. But we also face a renewed choice - between isolation in a perilous world, which I believe is impossible in any event, and engagement to shape a safer world which is the urgent imperative of our time.

It's hard to believe that in the greatest democracy in the world, we need legislation to prevent the government from writing and paying for the news.

Where are they now that we, the men whom they sent off to war, have returned? These are commanders who have deserted their troops, and there is no more serious crime in the law of war. The Army says they never leave their wounded. The Marines say they never leave even their dead. These men have left all the casualties and retreated behind a pious shield of public rectitude. They have left the real stuff of their reputation bleaching behind them in the sun in this country.

Our Founding Fathers would shudder to see how easily forces outside the mainstream now seem to effortlessly push some Senate leaders toward conduct the American people don`t want from their elected leaders: Abusing power. Inserting the government into our private lives. Injecting religion into debates about public policy. Jumping through hoops to ingratiate themselves to their party's base, while step by step, day by day, real problems that keep American families up at night fall by the wayside here in Washington.

And I'll tell you, few things make me more angry than some out of touch Washington politician saying that Head Start doesn't work. That's a flat out lie and it's disrespectful to you and the tens of thousands of Americans who make this program work for children every single day.

We owe our troops the opportunity to serve in the best-planned, best-equipped, and best-led military force in the world, and we owe them the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they and their families will be taken care of if they sacrifice life, limb or the ability to sleep without war`s nightmares. We owe them not just thanks and best wishes, but action, and action in our nation`s capital.

A lot of Americans think they got a tax cut, and they didn`t because their local property tax went up, their excise tax went up, their sales tax went up, and their prices went up and everything else, because we failed to invest in some of these other things we ought to be doing. ... We are squeezing the middle class, we are losing the middle class, and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is growing wider and wider, not closing as it used to be.

The American people deserve to know that they`re not just watching the administration`s spin on their local newscasts -- they`re paying for it, too.

The Administration's willingness to consistently abandon the truth has done great damage. Americans are less willing to listen '“ less likely to trust or take anything that is said in Washington seriously.

I defended him (John McCain) in those hearings when some stupid-ass right-wing idiot accused him of being the Manchurian Candidate, that somehow the Vietnamese had brainwashed him. This is the most unbelievably callous, degrading, nonsensical piece of crap I`ve ever heard in my life, coming from some chicken hawk out there, to hurl at somebody who spent as long as he did being tortured and standing up for his country, and caring about it as much as he did. It`s incredible that people would behave like that, absolutely stunning.

There is a direct link between the federal tax cut of 2001 and state tax increases in 2003. When the federal government`s mistakes force states to raise their taxes, it not only robs Peter to pay Paul, but it hurts hard-working families and it undermines our economy`s strength.

Our military deserves leadership that matches their service and patriotism. Getting our troops the pay raise they deserve is the very least we can do to show how much we value everything they do for us.

We`re in a battle for our lives for things that really matter to us. There`s a shell game going on like I`ve never seen before.

Our purpose now is to reclaim democracy itself. We are here to affirm that when Americans stand up and speak their minds and say America can do better, that is not a challenge to patriotism; it is the heart and soul of patriotism.

In 22 states parents can't take kids fishing and eat the fish if they're lucky enough to catch anything because of mercury. Think about that. In 44% of all river bodies and streams it's not safe to fish or swim. And yet industrial polluters continue to block legislation that would prevent mercury and MTBE from polluting our water supplies and leaving children with debilitating diseases.

We must retool our nation to prepare for the challenge we already face to maintain our position in the global economy. And this much is certain: America will not have national security without economic security.

I saw how different life was on different sides of the same city. I saw the fear in the eyes of people who were not free. I saw the gratitude of people toward the United States for all that we had done. I felt goosebumps as I got off a military train and heard the Army band strike up "Stars and Stripes Forever."

It is time, as a matter of pride, as well as a matter of national security, for the United States of America to lead the world in the energy revolution, and not lag behind Japan or Germany

Someone has to die so that President Nixon won`t be, and these are his words, `the first President to lose a war.

It's a sorry statement about how broken Washington is that we could not take advantage of this unique and sad moment in history and enact serious lobbying reform. We owed it to the people who sent us to Washington to root out corruption, and the Senate turned its back on a golden opportunity today.

Still, year after year strong mercury rules fail in Washington under pressure from corporate interests. Why? Not because the risks of mercury poisoning aren't real. No, lobbyists for the big industries just say they can't afford to make changes.

We can no longer allow America's dependence on foreign oil to compromise our energy security. Instead, we must invest in inventing new ways to power our cars and our economy. I'll put my faith in American science and ingenuity any day before I depend on Saudi Arabia.

It would be hard to blame you for having trouble taking much of what is said in Washington seriously. You heard about the Medicare actuary who was forced to fudge the numbers and lie to Congress to keep his job. You heard the falsified numbers in Iraq on everything from the cost of the war to the number of trained Iraqi troops to a slam dunk case for weapons of mass destruction. You heard about the administration sponsored fake newscasts to mislead people all across America.

Just to make certain that I wasn`t missing anything, as we see a lot of people running around talking about the basis for all these values, I went back and reread the New Testament the other day, from one side to the other, and make certain that I hadn`t missed anything. You know what? In the three years of Jesus Christ`s mission, of his ministry, there is no mention whatsoever '” or even a hint '” that you ought to be taking health care or educational opportunity away from children in order to give to the richest people in the world. None whatsoever.

Martin Luther King challenged the conscience of my generation, and his words and his legacy continue to move generations to action today at home and around the world. His love and faith is alive in millions of Americans who volunteer each day in soup kitchens or in schools, or who refused to ignore the suffering of millions they`d never met in far-away places when a tsunami brought unthinkable destruction. His vision and his passion is alive in churches and on campuses when millions stand up against the injustice of discrimination anywhere, or the indifference that leaves too many behind.

The best way to create a genuine "responsibility era" -- a genuine commitment to families and to the values they reflect -- is to begin with those to whom we owe the greatest responsibility -- those whom we most value -- our kids. Let`s not just talk about it -- let`s put kids first.

America now stands as the world`s foremost power. We should be proud: Not since the age of the Romans have one people achieved such preeminence. But we are not Romans; we do not seek an empire. We are Americans, trustees of a vision and a heritage that commit us to the values of democracy and the universal cause of human rights.

We're busy exporting Democracy abroad to Afghanistan and Iraq, which is fine, but what we really need to do is a better job at making our Democracy work right here at home.

We believe that what matters most is not narrow appeals masquerading as values, but the shared values that show the true face of America; not narrow values that divide us, but the shared values that unite us: family, faith, hard work, opportunity and responsibility for all, so that every child, every adult, every parent, every worker in America has an equal shot at living up to their God-given potential. That is the American dream and the American value.

Our government has a simple task: recognize our nation's real problems, and address them in a manner that reflects the priorities of the American people. It sounds simple, but it's not happening today, and I know you're as frustrated with Washington as I am

The American spirit wears no political label. In service to others and yes, in sacrifice for our country, there are no Republicans; there are no Democrats; there are only Americans.

There can never be any excuse for sacrificing our children's futures to keep corporate tax loopholes and tax giveaways to millionaires. If we can't put our children first, who can we put first? If we can't put our kids first, what does it say about our nation?

I believe that when you know something`s going wrong, you make it right. That`s what I learned in Vietnam. When I came back from that war I saw that it was wrong. Some people don`t like the fact that I stood up to say no, but I did

When you see Washington consistently turning a blind eye to suffering, don't sit back and apathetically blame indifference. The loudest voices may be delivering the worst messages today, but history shows that grass-roots energy has the power to change anything when that energy is focused toward justice

The courage and bravery of our young men and women fighting overseas continues to inspire all of us, and indeed inspire the free world and those yearning for freedom.

This budget is like an Enron budget -- smoke the numbers, cook the books, hide the truth and hope no one finds out.

The Senate and the country need Senators of courage who are prepared to make their mark on history by standing with past profiles in courage, and defending not party, not partisanship, but defending principle and democracy itself.

I don`t know what compassionate conservative means. Does it mean cutting kids out of after school programs, Does it mean drilling in the arctic wildlife refuge? Does it mean sending kids to Iraq without body armor that`s state of the art?

I refuse to stand by while our democracy is trampled by politicians more concerned about amassing power than helping the people who sent them to Washington in the first place.

By refusing to implement the women's contracting program and repeatedly failing to meet required contracting goals, this administration is undermining virtually every existing opportunity for women business owners to break into the the good ol' boy network of federal contracting

History will judge the invasion of Iraq one of the greatest foreign policy misadventures of all time.

Fixing our healthcare system as a whole is our primary challenge, and to make it happen you need to get engaged '“ to pound the pavement, get your hands dirty, endure real sacrifice, take on antiquated thinking and help lead the public debate.

Climate change is real. The science is compelling. And the longer we wait, the harder the problem will be to solve.

If America can go to the moon, then in the decades to come we should not ever have to have young Americans sent to any part of the world to defend and die for America`s gluttony on fossil fuel.

In this remarkable time for the world, I refuse to believe it`s time to stop believing in the possibilities of our remarkable country. I refuse to accept the downsizing of the American Dream. I refuse to bet against American entrepreneurial spirit and American ingenuity.

So much promise stretches before us. Americans have always reached for the impossible, looked to the next horizon and asked, "What if?"

There is no greater breach of the public trust than knowingly misleading the country into war. In a democracy, we simply cannot tolerate the abuse of this trust by the government.

But I can tell you what I believe: When tens of thousands of innocent souls have perished in Darfur-when 11 million children are without health insurance-when our colossal debt subjects our economic future to the whims of Asian bankers-no one can tell me that faith demands this Senate spend its time arguing over a handful of judges. No one with those priorities can use my faith to intimidate me.

It's time we framed every question - every issue -- not in terms of what's in it for '˜me,' but what's in it for all of us? And when you ask that simple question - what's in it for all of us? - the direction not taken in America could not be more clear or compelling.

Great physicians and nurses, skilled, caring and unparalleled in their training, intervened in my life and probably saved it. I was lucky but other Americans are not. It is time to speak again and stand again for the ideal that in the richest nation ever on this planet, it is wrong for 41 million Americans, most of them in working families, to worry at night and wake up in the morning without the basic protection of health insurance.

There the Bush Administration has offered only a merry go-round policy. They got up on their high horse, whooped and hollered, rode around in circles, and ended right back where they`d started.

Too many people in America believe that if you are pro-choice that means pro-abortion. It doesn`t. I don`t want abortion. Abortion should be the rarest thing in the world. I am actually personally opposed to abortion. But I don`t believe that I have a right to take what is an article of faith to me and legislate it to other people. That`s not how it works in America.

Not to wax nostalgic about the 1970's, but back then people got upset when they saw injustice. They got tired of seeing our air, land and water polluted. They were shocked when the Cuyahoga River in Ohio was polluted so badly it caught fire. And on one great day 20 million Americans marched all across this land. Politicians had no choice but to take notice.

Well, you know, when I talked about the $87 billion, I made a mistake in how I talk about the war. But the president made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is worse?

I still believe America's destiny is to become a living testament to what free human beings can accomplish by acting in unity.

And lo and behold, people were amazed: Washington was amazed. The country was amazed. And I was amazed that everybody was amazed. Because what is going on that a senator doesn`t act according to script, acts according to conscience, and everybody is taken aback?

Social Security is truly a test of our values as Americans. Social Security is a fundamental promise that lifts half of our seniors out of poverty and helps millions of disabled Americans, widows and orphans. We owe Americans a better debate than we`re having today. It`s about time we do everything we can to keep the promise of Social Security.

The country and the Congress were misled into war. I regret that we were not given the truth; as I said more than a year ago, knowing what we know now, I would not have gone to war in Iraq. And knowing now the full measure of the Bush Administration's duplicity and incompetence, I doubt there are many members of Congress who would give them the authority they abused so badly. I know I would not.

If anything prepares you to be president, it`s being a Red Sox fan.