From an edited transcript of Kerry's speech to the International Firefighters' Association in Boston at salon.com:
http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2004/08/19/firefighters/print.html“If he wants to have a debate about our service in Vietnam, here is my answer: 'Bring it on,'" declared Kerry to loud cheers.
I’m not going to let anyone question my commitment to defending America -- then, now, or ever. And I’m not going to let anyone attack the sacrifice and courage of the men who saw battle with me.
And let me make this commitment today: their lies about my record will not stop me from fighting for jobs, health care, and our security -- the issues that really matter to the American people.
The situation in Iraq is a mess. That is the President’s responsibility and he owes the American people an answer.
America is on track to lose more jobs than it’s gained under George Bush and he supports a tax code that rewards companies for shipping jobs overseas. He owes the American people an answer.
Health care costs have exploded out of control. The President has done nothing and he owes the American people an answer.
The middle class is paying a bigger share of America’s tax burden. The President needs to answer to the American people why that is fair.
Unfortunately, those in the White House are coming from a different place than you and I. They see things a little differently than you and I. They tell us that today, when it comes to the issues that matter most, we’re getting the job done.
Well, just saying the job is getting done doesn’t make it so. My friends, let me tell you when the job will be done.
The job will be done when every firehouse in America has the firefighters and the equipment they need to protect our communities. Right now, two-thirds of firehouses are understaffed, and we’re not spending one dime to fund the SAFER Act. The job will be done when all our firefighters have the resources to fight the war on terror here at home. Right now, in too many places, your budgets are being cut to cut taxes for the wealthiest Americans.
And, my friends, the job will be done when we stop opening firehouses in Baghdad while closing them down here in the United States of America.
For four years, we've heard a lot of talk about values. But values are not just words. They're what we live by. They're about the choices we make, the causes we champion, and the people we fight for.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
