Today is the Senator's birthday, and although we were able to spend a bit of time celebrating with him on his last two birthdays, this year we aren't so lucky. Or maybe we are, as the Senator has chosen to spend his big day debriefing his colleagues and the press on his trip to the UNFCCC conference in Bali. Not as much fun as partying with friends, but probably a lot more important.
Happy Birthday Senator Kerry, and to answer Sir Paul's question somewhat out of context, yes, we still need you when you're 64. Actually, 'still' isn't quite right. "Desperately" might be more accurate, in light of what's happening to our country under the current administration. No pressure, though. It's your birthday, and unfortunately, President Bush will still be shredding the Constitution tomorrow.
Although the US television media has covered very little of the Bali conference, there was quite a bit on Sen. Kerry's visit to Bali in print and some televised coverage from foreign new sources, including this bit of video.
Kerry sells Democrats' green message in Bali
10 Dec 2007 12:38:18 GMT
Source: ReutersBy David Fogarty
NUSA DUA, Indonesia, Dec 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Senator John Kerry swept into climate talks in Bali on Monday saying an administration run by the Democrats would mean the difference between night and day on policies to fight global warming.
Kerry said the Democrats want to do everything President George W. Bush doesn't to fight climate change, namely back mandatory emissions targets and pass a bill to create a cap-and-trade system for carbon dioxide emissions.
"I am convinced the politics of 2009 in the United States are going to be just night and day, different from where we have been before," he told a news conference.
Republican Bush's falling approval rating with voters and a Democratic victory in midterm elections last year have given the Democrats high hopes of recapturing the White House in the November 2008 presidential poll. Kerry himself ran for the presidency in 2004.
"On behalf of us in the Senate and Congress who have been pushing for action on climate change, we believe that it is critical here in Bali to have a roadmap that has a strong mandate, based on science, which sets a date," he said.
more here.
- - - - - - - - -
graphics credit: cybergifs
Comments (4)
Posted by Karynnj | December 11, 2007 9:35 AM
I hope he has a Happy birthday as well. He has certainly earned it with 40 hours of travel, that excellent press conference and the talks he had with others! (Not to mention the million other things he has done.)
The Reuters article was great and it suggests a tide has turned. It is great that his comments are reported without snark and the Bush administration is defending their relevance at the bottom of the article. My question on the Bush comment is that it is very strange to speak of "undermining" a policy of doing nothing. Not to mention that Congress IS a co-equal part of our government, whether the Bush administration likes it or not.
Posted by Anonymous | December 11, 2007 7:30 PM
Happy Birthday Senator Kerry!
Posted by Connie | December 11, 2007 9:01 PM
Happy Birthday, Senator!
Thanks for letting the rest of the world know that America will do its part to heal this planet, just as soon as we get the republicans out of office. It's nice to know that we have a statesman whose words and ideas are respected by world leaders, and whose word is taken seriously. I hope this special day brings much happiness and joy to our good senator, wherever he is celebating.
Posted by ProSesne | December 11, 2007 10:34 PM
Excellent post. I was thrilled that Senator Kerry was able to represent us in Bali. The foreign press coverage was wonderful. His message was heard and respected, a big plus for the U.S. Thanks for providing strong leadership on this and other issues. Happy Birthday Senator Kerry!