Presidential contender and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry railed against the Bush administration's foreign policy and stressed the importance of grassroots activism to a crammed and enthusiastic Rockefeller Center crowd Friday evening.
A leader in the fight for the 2004 Democratic nomination, Kerry appeared at ease relaying the points of his campaign through lengthy personal and historical anecdotes. The gangly senator, often dismissed as unapproachable and awkward, meandered the stage and rattled off jokes, garnering laughs and applause during the 100 minute-long event.
International affairs was one of several points Kerry discussed during his speech. Calling North Korean-U.S. tensions "a trumped up, contrived crisis," he said that President George W. Bush's advisers failed in ignoring North Korea's desires to hold negotiations in the past.
"We have the right to drive a very tough bargain ... but we have to be there talking with them." Kerry said. "This is not going to be war."
Iraq poses a greater dilemma, Kerry argued, although the threat of Saddam Hussein intentionally launching a preemptive war against the U.S. is not imminent.
"[Saddam] has an extraordinary capacity for miscalculation," Kerry said, stressing the need for the U.S. to work with the United Nations to acquire military intelligence. "I think I bring a capacity to stand up to the President and I'm not going to allow the President to bamboozle people on that issue."
The senator proceeded to lambast Bush's "unilateral" decisions in foreign policy, global warming and nuclear proliferation.
The government's failure to provide universal health care coverage is also deplorable, Kerry said.
And on AIDS, he pledged to write a bill for $2.5 billion for global support and prevention following a question from an audience member, revising an earlier statement to commit to only $1.2 billion.
Kerry blamed large corporations for stymieing important legislation, especially dealing with the energy and the environment.
"Special interests are stealing your democracy," he said, exhorting the crowd to participate in grassroots efforts to effect change on important issues.
Kerry's comments on same-sex marriage drew a more surprised response from students.
While in support of civil unions, Kerry's religious convictions prevent him from supporting gay marriages, he said.
"That's my belief," Kerry said. "Maybe over time it will change -- I don't know."
He described the contentious issue of abortion as "the greatest civil rights challenge in this country -- to preserve the right for women to choose."
Kerry also drew on his military experience -- he won several prestigious awards for his service in the Vietnam War -- during the event. None of his Democratic rivals have ever served in combat.
On often-made comparisons to former President John F. Kennedy -- Kerry too comes from an aristocratic, Catholic Boston family, loves history and bears the initials "JFK" -- he said, "You can't replicate someone. The minute you try, it's pathetic, and you're not who you are."
Kerry added that his status as a senator from a traditionally liberal state will not dissuade voters.
"I'm for trade. I've locked people up for the rest of their lives. I'm a gun owner and a hunter, but I vote for common sense," he said, noting his support from prominent Democrats in the more conservative South.
The Kerry campaign will also place emphasis on encouraging minorities to increase their voter turnout, he said. "[Minorities are] going to be the new majority in America, and we've got to make sure that we're just not talking about them."
