1. The current situation on everyone's minds is
the Middle East. What are your thoughts?
First, we need to focus on the greater Middle East
and the U.S. must look beyond stability alone as
the linchpin of our relationships. We must place
increased focus on the development of democratic
values and human rights as the keys to long-term
security. If we learned anything from our failure
in Vietnam it is that regimes removed from the
people cannot permanently endure. They must reform
or they will finally
crumble, despite the efforts of the United States.
We must side with and strengthen the aspirations
of those seeking positive change. America needs to
be on the side of the people, not the regimes that
keep them down. We as Americans must be agents of
hope as well as enemies of
terrorism. We must help bring modernity to the
greater Middle East. We must make significant
investments in the education and human
infrastructure in developing countries. The
globalization of the last decade taught us that
simple measures like buying books and family
planning can expose, rebut, isolate and defeat the
apostles of hate so that children are no longer
brainwashed into becoming suicide bombers and
terrorists are deprived the ideological breeding
grounds. I believe we must reform and increase our
global aid to strengthen our focus on the missions
of education and health --of freedom for women --
and economic development for all. The U.S. should
take a page from our Cold Warplaybook. No one
expected communism to fall as suddenly as it did.
But that didn't prevent us from expanding
society-to-society aid to support human rights
groups, independent media and labor unions and
other groups dedicated to building a democratic
culture from the ground up. Democracy won't come
to the greater Middle East overnight, but the U.S.
should start by supporting the region's democrats
in their struggles against repressive regimes or
by working with those which take genuine steps
towards change.
And we must have a new vision and a renewed
engagement to reinvigorate the Mideast peace
process. This Administration made a grave error
when it disregarded almost seventy years of
American friendship and leadership in the Middle
East and the efforts of every President of the
last 30 years. A great nation like ours should not
be dragged kicking and resisting - should not have
to be pressured to the task of making peace. A
great nation like ours should be leading the
effort to make peace or we risk encouraging
through our inaction the worst instincts of an
already troubled region. Israel is our ally, the
only true democracy in this troubled region, and
we know that Israel as a partner is fundamental to
our security. From Truman through Clinton, America
has always been committed to Israel's independence
and survival - we will never waver. Israel's
security will be best assured over the long term
if real and lasting peace can be brought to the
Middle East. I know from my own trips to Israel
that the majority of the Israeli people understand
and expect that one day there will be a
Palestinian state. Their frustration
is that they do not see a committed partner in
peace on the Palestinian side. Palestinians must
stop the violence - this is the fundamental
building block of the peace process. The
Palestinian leadership must be reformed, not only
for the future of the Palestinian people but also
for the sake of peace. I believe Israel would
respond to this new partner
after all, Israel has already indicated its
willingness to freeze settlements and to move
toward the establishment of a Palestinian state as
part of a comprehensive peace process. Without
demanding unilateral concessions, the United
States must mediate
a series of confidence building steps which start
down the road to peace. Both parties must walk
this path together - simultaneously. And the world
can help them do it. While maintaining our long
term commitment to Israel's existence and
security, the United States must work to keep both
sides focused on the end game of peace. Extremists
must not be allowed to control this process.
American engagement and successful mediation are
not only essential to peace in this war-torn area
but also critical to the success of our own
efforts in the war against terrorism. When I
visited the region last year, in meetings with
King Abdullah of Jordan, President Mubarak of
Egypt, and Crown Prince
Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, it became clear that
September 11th had changed the imperatives of
these countries. The Bush Administration has
missed an opportunity to enlist much greater
support in the peace process and needs to focus on
this urgent priority- now. The transformation of
the Middle East which can come from these efforts
will determine much of our own security.
2. With your experience on
the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. How
has this shaped your paradigm of the conflict in
the Middle East, North
Korea?
I have been really lucky to have had a lot of
experiences which impressed upon me how important
foreign policy is to people's lives and how it
takes such up at dawn, personal effort to make it
work. It was seared into me early as a foreign
service brat moving around and living all over the
place. When I was a little kid, I remember walking
on the
beaches of Normandy where thousands of young
Americans died fighting for freedom. It was a few
years after the war and my father was serving
abroad in the foreign service. As we walked and my
father pointed out burnt-out bunkers, exploded
shells, and the skeletons of landing vehicles - I
came face to face - at a young age - with the
meaning of
our nation's sacrifices. I think that beach -
where thousands died for a freedom we defend today
- symbolizes how my father and his generation -
known as the greatest generation - answered the
questions of their time. They had the courage to
win the war, but they didn't stop there - they
went farther and secured the peace - rebuilding
Europe and setting the stage to win the Cold War.
These were the kinds of lessons I was taught and
which I brought to my work in the Senate and which
I want to bring
to the White House.
3. How do you feel your
time serving in the Navy will help you if elected
president?
I think it's been invaluable. I will bring the
perspective to foreign policy and national
security not just of the situation room but of the
frontlines. These questions are important to me
because I've seen what happens when soldiers'
lives are put on the line. You better have a smart
foreign policy to back them up. The Presidency has
three key job descriptions: chief executive of the
fiscal and domestic policies of the United States
- head of state and therefore the nation's
chief diplomat - and Commander in Chief of the
Nation's military forces. I think my experience in
the Navy helped teach me something about two
thirds of that job and I'm lucky to have had that
experience and training.
4. What do you feel is
the most important issue in this campaign?
Leadership to make America stronger - on all the
issues. I really believe if we had leadership that
dared to tell the truth and help Americans make
tough choices we'd be better on almost every issue
- the economy, health care, national security, you
name it. I can't wait to remind this President
that landing on an aircraft carrier does not make
up for a failed economic policy.
5. You have been in the
Senate for almost 20 years. When looking
back, what do you think was the moment when you
feel you truly made a difference? What are some of
the issues and constituent concerns you worked
with that you would like to bring to the White
House?
You get a chance to make a difference every day in
the Senate, sometimes in small ways, sometimes in
bigger ways. As a Senator I went to Harlem to
visit a program called Youthbuild where kids from
court diversion programs and drop-outs were being
trained in construction and getting their GED. It
was incredible. With tough love, opportunity and
responsibility, these kids were turning their
lives around. So I went back to the Senate and we
made Youthbuild a national program. Today it's in,
I think, about 70 cities with thousands of
graduates - - that is just one of the things you
can do to take your vision of how the country
ought to work and take it nationwide. It's such a
rewarding feeling.
6. How do you view your
political philosophy? How does it compare to
other Democratic candidates?
I don't compare myself to other candidates, I
think that's a huge mistake. Political pundits
make small fortunes offering commentary on
politicians, I think if you're running for
President you should just tell people where you
stand and let them make judgments about what that
means. I don't like political labels, I'd much
rather talk issues. I believe in just going out
and talking common sense, and that's worked pretty
well for me.
7. What do you remember
most from working for Vietnam veterans in
Washington? When Sen. Pell told you that you might
become a member of
Congress yourself, did you ever expect it to
happen?
Those were tough times in America, and I remember
still how much it was vets fighting for vets that
really made the difference. We believed in each
other. It was so hard to get politicians to
listen, but we raised our voices and we knocked on
doors and we fought with our heads and our gut. I
still remember with pride at the outcome - that
for our
generation of Veterans the war did not end when we
came home. For us the fight continued - the
recognition honoring our deeds came when Veterans
pushed for it - Agent Orange, outreach centers,
extension of the GI Bill - increased funding for
Veterans Affairs , these all happened because
Veterans remembered their brothers and sisters and
never stopped fighting to keep faith with the
promise to veterans. We had a sense of special
responsibility to those who weren't lucky enough
to make it
home.
8. Why should people
vote for you in the upcoming election?
Because it is time we had a President who is on
the side of the many, not the few - a President
with a real economic strategy to get this nation
moving again. That means investing in people; it
means restoring fiscal discipline, and it means
that when an Enron bilks the retirement savings of
ordinary investors and shatters consumer
confidence, those greedy few at the top are going
to go to jail.
9. If you could seek
advice from three people (alive or dead) during
your run for the White House who would they be and
why?
My parents, because they
really understood what patriotism and service
are all about and this would've been a very
special journey for them.
Kerry Photo Gallery:
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8,
9,
10,
11,
12,
13,
14
Massachusetts HQ:
John Kerry for President, Inc.
197 Portland Street, 3rd Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Tel: 617.367.1551
Fax: 617.523.2033
Website
Campaign Email Address:
info@johnkerry.com
Election
2004
