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Edited on Sun Aug-22-04 08:52 PM by Southern Patriot
Sen. Kerry should forget about "calling on President Bush" denounce the Swift Boat smear. Sen. Kerry should go over George W. Bush's head to his bosses--- the American people.
Sen. Kerry should say something like the following:
Today, our country is in crisis. We have soldiers dying daily in a war that the current administration entered recklessly and failed to plan for winning the peace. We are being bled white both in blood and treasure by mistakes that could have been avoided--- mistakes like the unwillingness of the administration to recognize that in a time when America has been attacked by terrorists killing thousands of Americans that we simply must have a better economic plan than giving the richest one percent of taxpayers a break while our troops lack adequate equipment and we're putting our children into mountainous debt.
Yes, America faces a crisis with many faces but the real crisis is a crisis of leadership. This president has made many mistakes and miscalculations. He's human and we may forgive him for human limitations. We must, however, hold him accountable for putting his own political ambitions above the welfare of the nation. We must hold him accountable for failing to show leadership when people in his campaign mislead and slander on his behalf.
The crisis that America faces is a crisis in leadership. Every effective leader must be personally disciplined and willing to enforce discipline even when it may not directly benefit him. The current president has failed to discipline the group of his supporters who attack not only my military record but the legitimacy of all military commendations. The current president has bowed to the demands of supporters throughout his administration. He's placed special interests above the interests of the American people from enshrining the wishes of the oil companies in legislation to benefiting the pharmaceutical companies at the expense of our elders.
He has failed a crucial test of leadership: lead your greatest supporters. Don't let them--- or your personal ambition--- dictate your actions.
My goal is to restore America's place of leadership in the world and our economic welfare at home. I've made difficult decisions before. When I returned from Vietnam, I decided that the war must be ended and the erroneous military policies must be exposed. This was certainly not in the best interest of some grand political scheme. I made that decision for the same reason that I volunteered twice for duty in Vietnam: I thought that it was for the best interests of the people of the United States.
I still think that but the wisdom of age and years of hindsight show me that my words cut to the core the very people that I was attempting to help most: the Vietnam veterans and their military comrades. I regret the pain that my words caused. I do not regret the effort to save more men and women from death and injury in a mistaken war.
Leaders who can not recognize mistakes and remedy them fail the people as much as leaders who don't avoid mistakes. The current administration is guilty on both accounts. My record shows that I can make decisions--- correct the mistaken ones and stick with the difficult ones.
I think that that's the kind of leadership that Americans need and deserve in this time of crisis. I respectfully ask that you give me the opportunity to lead America to a greater, safer and more prosperous new era.
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