We went WAY over our usual 5 minute time limit for the newsreel this week, but JK was busy, what with the Senate hearings in Finance and Foreign Relations, advising Obama before the big debate, and Sunday's post-debate analysis on Fox News where he totally destroyed Lindsey Graham (there's video at kos). Besides, we have two Kerrys making news this week, and we don't want to short-change either one. We also had to work in video of the Senator using the phrase 'swiss cheesy' in a SFRC hearing. Really, how can you pass that up?

Ladies first.

Teresa held her second annual Women's Health and the Environment conference in Pittsburgh on Thursday, and will sponsor her 13th in Boston at the end of October. Except for learning of the disgusting attack on THK and her philanthropic work by Sen. Jim Inhofe on the day of the Pittsburgh conference, it was a fantastic event.

Teresa's husband had a busy week as well, traveling to Oxford, MS to advise Obama for the debate (NECN video) in addition to his Senate work and home state obligations.

Sen. Kerry announced over 100K for farmers markets in MA, passage of some of his provisions in the tax bill, $3 mil for veteranss shelters, $11.5 mil in heating assistance, a ban on drilling in Georges Bank introduced legislation to help small businesses, and loans for disaster victims, and called out Republicans for blocking a stimulus package.

It's also been reported that JK has money. Who knew?

You'll be pleased to know the Senator's kicking Jeff Beatty's butt in the polls, so he can devote more time to helping out Obama and our soon-to-be much bluer Congress.

There's some good new video of JK at JK Media Source, too. Check it out.

Kerry v Graham rematch

Lindsey just doesn't learn, does he? After the drubbing he took in his last two match-ups with JK, he's back for more, this time on Fox News Sunday.

From the Fox News website:

Following the much anticipated first presidential debate, we'll look at who won and who lost. Did Senators McCain and Obama meet, miss or exceed expectations? Did Obama appear presidential? And did McCain shore up his standing on the economy issue?

Plus, the financial crisis and presidential politics collide this week as Senator McCain suspends his campaign and both candidates returned to Washington for bailout negotiations with the president. Did McCain's gamble pay off? Or did Obama come out on top?

We'll get answers from top advisers of both campaigns: Senator McCain's closest ally in the Senate, Senator Lindsey Graham and a veteran of the presidential debates, Obama supporter Senator John Kerry — only on "FOX News Sunday."

So, how will Lindsey try to spin McCain's bit of political theater -- 'suspending' his campaign to swoop into 'Warshington' to sabotage negotiations on the financial crisis, threatening to ditch the debates, then missing Saturday's Defense Authorization Bill vote despite the fact that he was in DC at the time? Will he offer an excuse for McCain's protracted absence from the Senate? Will JK call McCain on his debate claim of supporting the troops, despite McCain's miserable record on veterans' issues? Will either mention McCain's weird lack of eye contact during the debate, his inability to pronounce Ahmadinejad or why his running mate didn't bother to show up for the post-debate wrap? Or will they just talk about how Presidential Obama was?

My guess is that they'll focus mostly on the economy and the bailout. I'd really like to hear some details on how that all played out, and both Sen. Kerry and Sen. Graham's thoughts on what they expect. I saw that an agreement was reached in Congress late yesterday, but I don't believe they've released any details.

Whatever the topic, we'll be here to chat about it live at 10:00 eastern on Sunday morning. You can find your local Fox affiliate here. Check local listings for broadcast times.

The numbers are interesting.

If you're paying attention to the post-debate analysis, the numbers are pretty clear. Barack Obama bested John McCain in nearly every category. Obama doesn't score high on the question of 'Which is more likely to yell at you to get off his lawn?', but I think McCain has that one firmly in his column so Obama should probably concede that up front. As for the rest, though, Barack seems to have proven to the American people that he's the guy who can lead this country.

Steve Benen has a good wrap up with some of the key stats from the polls, and cites the CNN numbers in particular.

CNN appears to have released the longest and most detailed of the debate-related polls. TPM reported:

Regardless of which candidate you happen to support, who do you think did the best job in the debate -- Barack Obama or John McCain? Obama 51% McCain 38%

Did _______ do a better or worse job than you expected?
Obama: Better 57%, Worse 20%, Same 23%
McCain: Better 60%, Worse 20%, Same 18%

Next, regardless of which presidential candidate you support, please tell me if you think Barack Obama or John McCain would better handle each of the following issues:

* The war in Iraq: Obama 52%, McCain 47%
* Terrorism: McCain 49%, Obama 45%
* The economy: Obama 58%, McCain 37%
* The current financial crisis: Obama 54%, McCain 36%

The respondents to the CNN poll also found Obama to be "more intelligent," more eloquent, more sincere, more likable, more in touch with the needs of regular people, and someone who seems like a "strong leader." McCain had a huge edge when it came to which candidate "spent more time attacking his opponent."

Nate Silver of TNR has another important statistic from the polls:

Specifically, by a 62-32 margin, voters thought that Obama was “more in touch with the needs and problems of people like you”

But the number that the new Obama ad points to isn't one from the polls.

ZERO

As the ad highlights, zero was the number of times John McCain spoke of the needs of the middle class. It was also the number of times McCain's running mate showed up to provide some post-debate analysis. I hear she was in a bar in Philly, which is where I might be spending a lot of my time if I were her. Joe Biden, of course, was on every channel to give his impression and take questions from the pundits.

Video Credit: armyveteran101st

Zero was also the number of times, I think, that McCain actually looked at his debate opponent, which was pretty weird. As the numbers show, people aren't comfortable with a President who won't look his rival in the eye. I mean, if he can't look at Obama, how's he going to talk to Putin, Ahmadinejad or Kim Jong Il?

Clearly, Barack Obama was the big winner in last night's debate, not only because he spoke to the issues and to the needs of the American people, but because he showed that he has the presence that people are looking for in a leader. After eight years of George Bush, people are ready for a President who is Presidential. Someone who can restore our moral authority and show the rest of the world that we can lead, not a cranky old man who is more focused on tearing down his opponent than lifting up the country.

In a pre-debate interview with NECN, Sen. Kerry expected Barack to come across as 'confident and capable'.

I think he got that one 100% right.

Sen. Kerry is scheduled to be on Fox News Sunday tomorrow at 10:00 eastern (check local listing) on your local Fox affiliate for more post-debate analysis, so stop by and watch with us.

There are so many things wrong with Sen. James Inhofe's floor speech from yesterday, I hardly know where to start, but I'll try. Sen. Inhofe took to the Senate floor yesterday to attack environmental groups and their donors for supporting ... wait for it ... ENVIRONMENTAL CANDIDATES.

OMG. Environmentalists donate to environmental groups who give their endorsements and spend money to elect candidates who are friendly to the environment. Who knew?

Of course, one of the environmentalists who gives a whole lot of money to these worthy organizations is none other than our very own Teresa Heinz. So he attacked her, too.

First, what kind of boorish oaf attacks a colleague's wife at work? I can't imagine a circumstance where someone would get up in the middle of a meeting and start trashing a coworker's spouse for her charitable work. I thought the Senate was a little better than that, but apparently not. Inhofe's bit of classless, tasteless behavior aside, how stupid does this low-life neanderthal think people are that we don't realize environmental groups like the LCV and the Sierra Club endorse candidates for office that vote in the interest of the environment?

IT'S WHAT THEY DO.

They're trying to keep the planet from bursting into a lifeless ball of flame, and when you have to fight against climate change deniers like Inhofe, it takes a bit of cash. And they give money and more endorsements to Democrats for one simple reason.

Democrats are better on environmental issues. In fact, a lot of Republicans really suck when it comes to the environment. They have a VP candidate who pays people to shoot animals from low flying aircraft, and is suing the federal government to take polar bears off the protected list. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out. Environmental groups will back candidates who care about the environment, and people who care about leaving a healthy planet for our children will continue to support them.

The day the Sierra Club endorses Inhofe and Palin is the day I stop sending them my hard earned money. This guy has to be either the most dense member of the Senate, or he thinks we're all just a bunch of idiots who don't know why we're sending them money.

Here's a hint.

TO GET RID OF JIM INHOFE.

Watch the clip, then I'll get to the really good part.

As it happens, at the same time Sen. Inhofe was trashing our girl on the floor of the Senate for funding environmental organizations, I was at a conference that Teresa sponsored on Women's Health and the Environment, listening to her speak to a nonpartisan group (although clearly Obama friendly from the purse pins and bumper stickers on the cars in the lot) about - you guessed it - the environment. Gasp. Teresa holds this free conference every year for as many people who can fit into the convention center here in Pittsburgh and in Boston, and has medical experts and environmental scholars from around the country speak on, oddly enough, Women's Health and the Environment. She buys us breakfast and lunch - all 2,000 of us - and sponsors an amazing day of speakers and discussion panels. This year's speakers were a 'Who's Who' of experts, which we'll get to in a day or so, once I get over my rage and get the video put together. And that may take a while. What I have to post now, though, is THK's reaction to Sen. Inhofe's attack.

Good thing she can keep her sense of humor about it. We'll post more on the conference soon, but for now, here are a few photos to give you an idea. There's also a good post at Momocrats that you should check out.

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There are a lot of qualities that are important to look for when you're voting for someone to become President of the United States. Obviously, intelligence, honesty, and patriotism are pretty key, and since we blew it the last two elections, I think we'd better pay closer attention this time around. Now, I'm not going to question John McCain's patriotism, but he's proven pretty weak on the rest of the list. In addition to the standard stuff, one critical criteria in choosing a President, as with all good executive hires, is the ability to multi-task, and although John McCain can't seem to do his job as a Senator and still run a campaign, Barack Obama can.

Video Credit: BarackObamadotcom

In response to McCain's call to cancel Friday's debate, Sen. Obama explained that now is exactly the time that the candidates need to speak to the American people about how they will handle the economic crisis. Sen. McCain apparently doesn't think it's important that we understand these things, and (although he hasn't been in Washington to vote on legislation since April 8th, missing more votes than the guy who had a brain hemmorage, and missing 117 more votes than his opponent who had a protracted primary battle) he's got it in his head that the Senate is going to need him for some reason on Friday night at 9 (check local listings), the precise hour of the scheduled Presidential debate.

On it's face, the argument for canceling the debate is pretty lame, and an obvious pander, until you dive in a little deeper and discover there's another reason the McCain camp is proposing a delay -- to postpone the VP debate until a time TBD (read 'never'). I'm not sure how many people McCain thought he could bamboozle with that sorry attempt to keep his running mate from facing the cameras, but it turns out it was not many, with 71% in a CNN online poll calling McCain's campaign suspension a 'political gimmick'. In addition to the continued cover for Palin, there are some other things Sen. McCain might not want to discuss in a debate, including his long history of pushing deregulation, his role in the Keating Five scandal, and the fact that it's been less than a week since he proclaimed the economy was strong, before he said it wasn't, and was against an AIG bailout before he was for it.

"Cut and Run" McCain wasn't satisfied with ditching the debate with Obama, now we find out that he blew off an appearance with Letterman as well, claiming a need to return to 'Warshington' (although he was still in NY last night), and was quickly caught in a flat out lie when Letterman discovered him taping an interview with Katie Couric at the very time he was scheduled to be taping Letterman's show.

Video Credit: 1970oaktree

McCain may not be able to walk and chew gum at the same time, but he's pretty good at talking out of both sides of his mouth.

Did I mention one of those critical qualities is honesty?

Yeterday, Karen wrote about the fiscal responsibility and the importance of paying our way and not leaving the burden of our excesses to our children. Yesterday, the Senate passed legislation that seeks to impart some fairness to our tax code, and included provisions written by Sen. Kerry to shift the weight away from working Americans, and force the wealthy and corporations to pay their fair share. Economist Brad Delong has some very interesting charts that point out how much better the Democrats have been at managing our nation's finances than Republicans despite their claims to the contrary. Although Republicans are fond of the term 'tax and spend' when referring to Democrats, the reality is that the current administration and Bush's Republican friends in Congress have become the party of 'borrow and spend', and their economic policies favoring corporate interests and the wealthy have driven us into a ditch. The founders would not have been pleased.

"Another means of silently lessening the inequality of property is to exempt all from taxation below a certain point, and to tax the higher portions of property in geometrical progression as they rise." --Thomas Jefferson to James Madison, 1785.

Under a Democratic administration, and with a larger majority of Democrats in Congress, we can reverse the inequities of the Bush administration. Senator Obama's tax plan will put more money in the pockets of average Americans and boost the economy by strengthening its foundation, while McCain's sends us further into debt.

Sen. Kerry spoke at Faneuil Hall last October on the topic of revising the tax code to impart some fairness, and two of his provisions were included in yesterday's passage of the tax relief bill.

Video Credit: bowes3

Here's yesterday's press release on what happened.

Kerry Provisions Close Tax Loopholes for Hedge Funds, Freeze Giveaways for Big Oil

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Sen. John Kerry today announced the Senate’s passage of the Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 and the Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 which included two Kerry provisions to stop tax giveaways for hedge funds and big oil companies.

The first provision was introduced in response to news accounts of U.S. hedge fund managers deferring billions of dollars of compensation offshore. Earlier this Congress, Senator Kerry and Rep. Emanuel introduced legislation to prevent U.S. taxpayers from deferring compensation in offshore tax havens. The closing of this loophole would raise $25 billion over 10 years. The top fifty hedge fund managers earned a total of $29 billion last year.

“Low-income and middle class families – not hedge fund managers – are the ones who need tax incentives to save for retirement,” said Sen. Kerry. “At a time when our personal savings rate is near zero and CEOs are being paid 364 times as much as the average worker, Hedge fund managers can’t be allowed to avoid paying their share of taxes, leaving hard working Americans to foot the bill. It’s time to bring fairness and transparency back to our tax codes.”

Most Americans can defer income through a qualified retirement (e.g. 401k) and individual retirement account (IRA). In 2008, an individual can defer up to $15,500 in income into a 401(k) or similar accounts, and an additional $5,000 in an IRA. By contrast, U.S. based hedge-fund managers who operate offshore investment funds can defer unlimited amounts of their compensation. While the deferrals technically comply with current law, there are clear inequities in the amounts that middle-class American can defer through mainstream tax incentives for retirement and what high-income Americans can defer through offshore corporations. The Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008 would require offshore deferred compensation to be included in income on a current basis.

The second provision freezes the domestic manufacturing deduction for oil and gas income at 6 percent, raising $5 billion over ten years. Currently, the 6 percent rate is scheduled to increase to 9 percent in 2010. The second quarter of 2008 saw over $44 billion in profits for oil companies and executives. In the nearly eight years of the Bush Administration, the “Big Five” international oil companies have seen $647.5 billion in profits. Senator Kerry introduced legislation in both the 109th and 110th Congress to scale back the manufacturing deduction for oil and gas companies.

“With oil executives raking in mindboggling profits as American families struggle to make ends meet, the last thing Big Oil needs is a tax deduction,” Kerry added. “This legislation is an essential step in the development of our clean energy industry and our fight against global climate change.”

Maybe now that our economy is falling apart, the Republicans in Congress have decided to listen to reason, and concede that a strong economy is reliant more on Main Street than on Wall Street. Or perhaps they just figure it's too close to election time to fight it. Either way, I guess we file this one under the category "better late than never".

[Editor's Note: Please welcome our guest blogger karennj today. We had a discussion via chat and she reminded us of this.]

In a time when the consequences of fiscal irresponsibility dominate the news, this video from JKmediasouce.org of a Senate Speech that John Kerry gave on November 17, 2004 when raising the debt ceiling was being debated hints at how different the present would be had the results 2 weeks before been different. The speech speaks of the responsibility of Congress to be fiscally responsible.

He speaks of the result of a borrow and spend policy that President Bush had in his first term. He says that because of it we were in a hole that we had to work our way out of. He spoke of how the Congress was “putting the tab on the credit card and sending the bill to our kids.” He said that this was not sustainable and was depriving us of being able to make choices that we should make for our country. He makes the case that debt has consequences were beyond the obvious economic ones They make us a weaker country.

The speech has a sense of old fashion responsibility that reminds me of what I was taught by my parents . It also reflects the values that Senator Kerry spoke of even as he ran for President. It is interesting to find that in 2004, he added a plank to the Democratic platform to deal with credit card and mortgage abuses.

The contrast this year to John McCain, who still calls for more tax cuts in addition to retaining the Bush tax cuts that are less affordable now than they were then, couldn’t be more extreme. On this as on other things, he would be a disastrous third term of George Bush.

The values that Senator Kerry speaks of are values that are reflected throughout his political career. He speaks of having been one of the Senators who worked for fiscal responsibility in the 1990s. It may be ironic that the two votes the Republicans used to claim Senator Kerry flipped flopped, in fact, demonstrated his consistency on financial issues. The votes were votes of principle, he thought then, as he said then that it was wrong to increase the debt to pay for the costs of the war rather than to roll back tax cuts to the wealthy. This brilliant speech outlines the need to act responsibly and is even more compelling now than it was when it was given.

The big news this week, of course, was the Senator's crushing win over challenger Ed O'Reilly in the Massachusetts primary. We knew, of course, that he would beat O'Reilly, but still we're beyond thrilled at the result. When you spend a hefty amount of your free time volunteering for someone, it's nice to see such an overwhelming victory.

There was other news, including a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation with India, which I still haven't seen, as it's not yet up at their website. There are a couple news stories related to the hearing, but I'm really hoping they get the video up soon. It sounds important.

The Senator announced a $96 mil DoD contract for GE of Lynn, MA, and $11.5 mil in emergency heating assistance. He called on HHS to preserve funding for low income working families, wrote an op-ed on climate change for the Financial Times, welcomed home 600 National Guard members, and continued his advocacy for women business owners.

WLJK notes that the Senator wore a new tie on primary day, for those of us who are into campaign minutiae. I've got to say there are no other sources for that type of info, so kudos to democrafty for filling that gap.

On top of Mt. Washington, overlooking the beautiful city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, Pittsburgh native and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack, and Pittsburgh Mayor Luke Ravenstahl held a press conference yesterday in support of our nominee.

The three kicked off "Steps for Change", which blogger Kevin Hartnett explains in a post at BarackObama.com.

There are 712 staircases which run up and down the hills of Pittsburgh and today they each served as a launching point for 712 canvasses which spread throughout the city to bring details of Barack's economic plan to the voters of Pittsburgh.

As Kevin notes, Gov. Rendell focused on Obama's economic plan, and called out the McCain camp for lying about Obama's position and record, pointing out in several charts how the Obama plan will save the vast majority taxpayers more money than the McCain plan.

You can estimate your own tax savings at ObamaTaxCut.com, an independent site that allows you to see how much Barack's economic plan will cut your taxes. Most economists agree, Obama has the better strategy. Of course, McCain has economic advisors, too. Like Phil Gramm, who thinks we're a 'nation of whiners' and who's linked to the subprime mortgage crisis, UBS and Enron.

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After the press conference, we took to the streets, or in this case, the steps, to canvass for Barack. My canvassing partner, who you can see with the Gov. in a couple photos in the slide show, is a 72 year old tennis player, the same age as John McCain, who puts him to shame with her energy and enthusiasm.

The two of us hit about 50 houses yesterday, and had a great time talking to voters, registering new ones, and signing up a couple new volunteers, then met up with other canvassers for a beer 'in church' to talk about our experiences and rest up after a great afternoon of meeting voters and talking to them about why Barack Obama's economic plan is the right one to put the country back on track, and reminding them about really bad Republican ideas, like their continued attempts to privatize Social Security.

Only 44 days to go, and there are still a lot of people to talk to, and plenty of opportunities to hook up with other supporters to get the word out. Let's fight the lies of the McCain campaign, one step at a time.

Not a whole lot of time to write this morning, I'm headed out to volunteer for Barack. We're canvassing today, which I don't enjoy quite as much as I do phone banking, but the up side is that there's exercise, so I can skip the gym, which I was going to do anyway, but now I don't have to feel guilty.

I did find an interesting bit of video from Sunday at JohnKerryTV on YouTube of the Senator at the Brian Honan 5K run/walk. Brian's story is tragic, the popular Boston City Councilor having died at age 39, but the memory of his life and work lives on in the Brian J Honan Charitable Fund and the many tributes and memorials, including the annual run, dedicated to Brian and the causes he championed.

Brian J. Honan served the Allston Brighton community for more than seven years as District Councilor and for his whole life as an advocate for Allston Brighton and the people of the City of Boston. He lived a life filled with purpose and spirit that transformed ideas into action. Brian's vocation in serving the people of Boston - seniors, young people, community based workers and educators - left an unparalleled legacy.

This year's race winners were Andrew Wommack of Jamaica Plain, with a time of 15:55 and his fiancee, Tara Vance, with a time of 19:10, and all the people who benefit from the great work of the Brian Honan charities. You can donate to continue the work Brian started at the address on the foundation's website.

Video Credit: JohnKerryTV

I realize this is a little backward. Yesterday, we posted video of the Senator's victory celebration from Tuesday night, and now we're posting him voting on Tuesday morning. Sort of like eating desert before dinner, but we just got some video from Karen at JKMediaSource, and we couldn't pass it up. Besides, I missed yesterday's Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation with India and the video's not up yet at their website. Maybe we'll get to watch that later today.

For now, here's some video of the Senator talking with supporters and the media, and casting his vote in Tuesday's Massachusetts primary.

Bet I know who he voted for.

Note that JK comments in the interview on the current economic crisis, then read this from 2004. There are two very important things to take away from that piece. The date, August 27, 2004, and the last sentence.

Mr. Kerry's principal mortgage proposal would prohibit lenders from using balloon mortgages in most subprime loans, which often go to low-income people at higher rates.

I don't expect there are many Bush voters here, but my mom may be reading and I just have to say, I told you so. Instead of voting for the guy who saw where the economy was headed and had a plan to fix it, you voted for the guy people wanted to have a beer with.

Guess what?  You were wrong about that too.

Actually, you didn't, because Kerstin caught a good bit of it on video for those of you who weren't at Tuesday night's JK bash at McGann's. Sure, it was a lot more fun in person, and you've probably watched NECN's video of JK's speech already, but if you want to join the party, this is the place to be as long as you don't mind watching through the backs of people's heads.

It seemed like the Senator talked to everyone in the crowd as he made his way around the room. The media nabbed him for a couple of interviews, and he had to take the call from O'Reilly, but he spent most of the evening chatting with supporters and watching us run up his bar tab.

Thanks for the beers, JK. Let's do this again in November.

It'd be great to take a little break after such a stunning victory in the primary, but it looks like the Senator's Republican opponent has already started misleading the voters of Massachusetts. This Beatty guy can't be serious. After eight years of Bush, the last two words a Republican should be saying during a campaign, except perhaps 'Mission Accomplished', is 'gas prices'.

Actually, it was more of a blowout, but I think 'decisive' is a bit more gracious. After months of campaigning by the Senator and a lot of hard work from his supporters, Senator Kerry won his primary bid against Ed O'Reilly in a walk, as the Boston Globe reports.

Although we knew it wouldn't be close, some of the Senator's supporters hit the phones yesterday for some last-minute calls. If you're not a phone banker, I highly recommend giving it a try. It's a lot of fun, especially on election day when the objective is to get folks out to the polls. Most of what I heard was "I already voted for John", or "I'm going out to vote for John now." Funny how Mass folks call their Senators 'John' and 'Teddy', you never hear 'Bob' and 'Arlen' in PA.

I really do recommend giving phone banking a try. It's really a great way to get to know what folks are thinking, and a people are generally appreciative of the work volunteers do. Sure, you get a few who aren't, but I've found that that to be the exception. There's lots to do for Obama, and I'm sure there will be plenty more chances to call for JK before the November general election. Give it a try, it's a lot of fun.

It was worth the effort to see the Senator crush O'Reilly, and the Senator and a crowd of his supporters and staff had a blast celebrating the win at McGanns. There's really nothing like good food and plenty of Guiness and a great bunch of Dems in a pub in Boston. Throw in a stunning victory for your favorite candidate, and you've got yourself a real party.

We have some video of the Senator's speech, and more photos to share tomorrow, but here are a few for now.

Congrats to Senator Kerry on a big primary win, and to his great staff and fabulous supporters for all their hard work.

UPDATED with NECN video

Video Credit: NECN

We are finally here. D-Day, or rather V-Day has arrived. It has been a long and wonderful journey for Senator Kerry, his staff, and all his volunteers who battled online, urged by phone, and convinced in person. So yesterday,with the primary only a day away and our work nearly done, Faith and I decided to sneak off for a couple of hours of sightseeing.

As we cruised through the waters on a Hyannisport Harbor tour, listening to our guide point out the individual houses of the Kennedy Compound, a beautiful blue boat unfurled its sails, setting out towards the open ocean. 'That's Senator Kennedy now', said our tour guide. An there he was, relaxing at the stern. As they sailed towards us, he waved and smiled, and so did we.

Seeing Teddy reminded us once again how fortunate Massachusetts is to have two such excellent public servants in Teddy and JK, so it was uncanny that an e-mail from Ted Kennedy, reminding me to vote for John Kerry in today's primary, was waiting in my inbox as soon as we returned to the cottage.

And just as Teddy has John Kerry's back, so do I, and so do Faith and Violet, and so do all of us who know how much we need him to keep up the good fight. Therefore the KerryVision Team again endorses Senator Kerry and calls on every eligible voter to go out and vote to send him back to the Senate to continue to work for Massachusetts and America.

This week in the Senate, Senator Kerry held a hearing on Business Start-up Hurdles in Underserved Communities: Access to Venture Capital and Entrepreneurship Training, which you can watch from the Small Business Committee website, and held a roundtable on Opportunities and Challenges for Women Entrepreneurs on the 20th Anniversary of the Women's Business Ownership Act. He remarked on Bush's failures in Afghanistan and Pakistan, called for humanitarian aid for Haiti, and secured funds for anti-drug programs. Georgia has picked up on some pending Kerry legislation on high speed rail, and one of their Senators is latching onto JK's plan, which is great news. If you've ever tried to drive in Atlanta, you know what I mean.

At home in Massachusetts, he continued to gather endorsements for his Senate race from the Gloucester Daily Times, the Newburyport Daily News, the Nantucket Independent, the Milford Daily News, the National Organization of Women, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Boston Globe. There are more, but the point is, we need to reelect JK to the Senate. Besides, he asked, and that's important.

The Senator spoke at a fire fighters' memorial on Sept 11, attended a picnic in Hopkinton, and a fair in West Springfield, welcomed home National Guard members in Worcester, and helped open a biotech facility. He responded to distortions from his primary opponent and and attack from his Republican challenger.

Teresa made the news as well, as Heinz Awards were announced.

Primary election day is tomorrow and we've got work to do, so enjoy the news and don't forget to vote.

It's tough to write about September 11, or about the tributes to the fallen that happen every year at this time. Pretty much all you can do is listen and agree. These are the people who have put their lives on the line, day after day, year after year, and it's important to remember those who paid the ultimate price.

Video Credit: JohnKerryMediaSource

But it's not just the words that are important, it's the actions that back them up, and Senator Kerry has made fire fighter safety a priority, not just on the anniversary of 9/11, but throughout the year.

April 8, 2008 Washington, DC – Senator John Kerry today sent a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) urging the Department to immediately implement recommendations that came as a direct result of an investigation Kerry requested last year.

In March of 2007, Kerry requested an investigation into DOJ’s administration of federal death benefits for the families of 34 eligible firefighters, police officers and other public safety officers who died in the line of duty.

The Inspector General (IG) found that not only did it take 33 months to implement a benefits program for surviving family members but that several additional delays occurred when the program was eventually realized. In addition, some of the claims were found to be denied due to an overly narrow interpretation of the Hometown Heroes Act with respect to what constitutes “non-routine stressful or strenuous physical activity.”

“It’s unacceptable that families who have lost loved ones in the line of duty should be caught in a sea of red tape. Because of bureaucratic backlogs, some of these families have been waiting for more than four years to receive benefits that they are entitled to receive under the law,” said Senator Kerry. “Firefighters, police officers and other public safety officers too often give their lives so others can live. The very least we can do for them is make sure their loved ones receive the benefits they deserve in a timely manner.”

Aug 15, 2008 BOSTON - Senators John Kerry and Edward Kennedy, and Congressman Richard Neal today announced that the Uxbridge Fire Department would receive $209,000 in federal funding under the Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant program. The grant will allow the Department to acquire new fire trucks.

"Last year's devastating mill fire reminded all of us of the bravery and heroism of the men and women of the Uxbridge Fire Department. This funding will help the department to build up its emergency response capabilities. We all salute these courageous men and women for their dedication and their service," said Senator John Kerry.

August 6, 2007 WPI Precision Personnel Locator Project grant is renewed In 2000, Kerry successfully included an amendment in the Fire Administration Authorization Act of 2000 which authorized a $1 million fire research project at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in honor of the Worcester firefighters. This legislation was signed into law by President Clinton in November 2000.

The grant was again renewed, allowing the WPI to continue this important research and development.

April 17, 2008 BOSTON- Senator John Kerry announced today that he and Sen. Sherrod Brown are introducing legislation to promote adoption of the highest safety standards for all of the nation's fire departments, including hundreds of departments right here in Massachusetts.

Top standards address a wide range of issues including protective equipment, safe fireground staffing, training, fitness and incident command. Because these standards are voluntary, in an age of local budget cuts they’re often ignored. As a result many departments are using outdated equipment and practices. The Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act will work to promote industry wide standards to help reduce avoidable firefighter deaths.

"An 'avoidable death' is an unacceptable death," said Senator John Kerry. "Helping fire departments comply with industry-wide standards is the bare minimum we can do to protect firefighters. We’re trying to tackle these growing problems head on and provide fire departments across Massachusetts with the knowledge and resources to keep every single firefighter as safe as possible."
"The fight to reduce avoidable firefighters' injuries and fatalities is one of the most critical issues facing the fire service today. The 'Firefighter Fatality Reduction Act' will help us accomplish this goal by ensuring that communities throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and across the nation have the tools and resources to keep firefighters safe," said Bob McCarthy, President of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts. "I am again proud to join with John Kerry in the fight to reduce firefighters' unnecessary fatalities and truly thank him for his continuing dedication, commitment and leadership in sponsoring and enacting federal legislation on behalf of firefighters in the U.S. Senate."

Actions like these are the reason firefighters supported Sen. Kerry in 2004, and continue to support him in his Senate run in 2008, and they're part of the reason we need to send him back to the Senate with your vote this coming Tuesday and in November.

youtube credit: cwhiffen

October 19, 2007 BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today called for an increase in funding for agencies to investigate firefighter deaths. Kerry’s amendment to the Department of Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Act for FY08 would increase the funding for the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health’s Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation and Prevention Program from $2.5 million to $5 million. “Approximately 100 firefighters die in the line of duty each year. This increase in funding will go a long way towards helping to ensure that all investigations are as comprehensive as they should be. The family and friends of those killed in the line of duty deserve a timely and thorough investigation into why their loved ones died, and current firefighters deserve new and improved efforts to protect their safety while in the line of duty,” said Senator Kerry.

Jul 10, 2008 U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, U.S. Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and U.S. Sen. John Kerry today announced that the Marlborough Fire Department has been awarded $118,537 in Operations and Safety funding under the 2008 Assistance to Firefighter Grant program.

"Marlborough's firefighters put their lives on the line everyday and it's critical they have the resources they need to do their jobs safely and effectively," Sen. Kerry said. "This funding will allow Chief Adams to upgrade the Marlborough Fire Department's equipment, enhancing the department's ability to respond to emergency situations in the community and improving the safety of both residents and firefighters."

June 12, 2008 BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today sent a letter to the head of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), urging her to answer for smoke detectors that have continuously proven to be unsafe. Kerry’s letter is a follow up on a letter sent by Deputy Chief Joseph Fleming of the Boston Fire Department, who raised the issue with the CPSC earlier this year.

In his letter, dated March 12, 2008, Chief Fleming drew attention to safety issues surrounding ionization smoke detectors and asked the CPSC to investigate. The CPSC, which had expressed concerns about the detectors as early as 1995, has failed to investigate or to even respond to Chief Fleming’s concerns.
“This should be a no-brainer. If smoke detectors are proven to be ineffective, why are they still being used? Chief Fleming rightly raised this question earlier this year. I strongly urge the CPSC to immediately provide answers to his concerns as well as to consider the potential loss of life when Americans are using inadequate and unsafe smoke detectors,” said Senator Kerry.

On the seventh anniversary of September 11, it's important to remember the sacrifice of the fire fighters and other first responders who answer the call to service. But it's also critical to remember them throughout the year, not just with words, but with the financial and legislative support they need to keep them, and the rest of us, safe.

Senator Kerry has asked for your vote on Tuesday, Massachusetts. He's given you plenty of reasons to give it to him. Time to send him back to the Senate to keep fighting for all of us.

Is it?

It's something else. Something ugly, and no more 'sport' than Cheney's canned hunting expeditions. Hunting for sport is supposed to involve some opportunity for the prey to have a fighting chance at survival. These animals do not.
Killing animals with a rifle or a bow for food is hunting. Shooting them in the open from a plane is just plain mean and frankly, a bit cowardly.

Video Credit: defendersactionfund

I grew up in Pennsylvania, where the first day of deer season is a school holiday. I don't hunt, but I have lots of family and friends, both men and women, who do. In southwest PA, it's a part of life, like Steelers football and pothole dodging.

There have been plenty of deer and critters hanging from my mom's porch and my neighbors' basement through the years, waiting to be taken to be processed, then loaded into the big freezer or distributed to friends. I've watched as my brothers prayed for snow so that they could wake up at o-dark-thirty and freeze their butts off in a tree stand for hours on end or tracking their prey through the woods, hoping to get their deer so they could get home, get warm, and brag to their friends about how friggin cold it was. I also watched my mom nurse her dog back to health after he was shot by a careless hunter who mistook him for a wild animal, and learned that not all hunters live by the same standards. That said, I can't see any of the hunters I know shooting helpless animals from low flying planes with high powered rifles. Where's the sport in that?

I've seen hunting. This isn't it. It's not sport to shoot an animal that has no chance at survival. Sniper practice, maybe, but it's not any kind of hunting I've ever seen.

Can't say I'm surprised, though. Gov. Palin has filed a lawsuit against the US government for placing the polar bear on the endangered species list so she can protect 'big oil' and her archaic ideas on energy and the future of our nation. I don't get that, either.

I saw the moon last night. Can I be an astronaut now?

It's disturbing that Gov. Palin's 'truth issues' are getting to be a regular occurrence. And by 'truth issues', I'm not saying she's lying, exactly, but that she has a habit of stretching the truth to its furthest limits and (I have to assume) hoping it doesn't snap back and hit her in the face.

Maybe if she hadn't sold the plane on e-bay, which she actually didn't, she might be able to see Russia from Alaskan airspace, because you can't see it from the mainland, despite what Gov. Palin suggests.

Video Credit: goodboydc

Even Cindy got the memo. Alaska, as most fifth graders can tell you, is close to Russia.

Video Credit: goodboydc

OK, technically, you can see Russia from Alaska in that there are two small islands, one Russian and one American, that are about two and a half miles from each other. But I don't think that's what her remark suggested. The closest point between mainland Alaska and mainland Russia is 55 miles. At sea level, a person of average height can see about three miles. Even on a clear day, you wouldn't be able to see one country from the other unless you're a really tall person sitting on top of a mountain, and even then, it would have to be a decent size mountain. Granted, there are some really big ones in Alaska, but they're a few hundred miles from the closest point to Russia, so I'm guessing they wouldn't be much help.

I'm pretty lousy at math, but here's the formula for line of sight calculation for those who aren't. My guess is that the answer to the Alaska-Russia visibility quiz is 'nope'.

SquareRoot(height above surface / 0.5736) = distance to horizon

Even if you could see it on a clear day with some elevation and a nice pair of binoculars, Gov. Palin didn't have a passport until last year, so she's obviously never been to Russia, yet she's trying to make us think she has some insight into Russian foreign policy because you can see an unpopulated Russian island from an Alaskan island with 147 residents. She probably learned more about Ireland on her visit to the Shannon Airport duty free shop than she learned about Russia by pretending she could see it from her desk in Juneau. Sounds like she managed to pick up a bit of the blarney along with whatever other tax-free goodies she found during the re-fueling stop.

The truth is that Boston is closer to Moscow than Juneau is, so according to the Palin theory of foreign policy (and some guy on an AOL message board), Gov. Patrick should probably feel slighted that his friend Barack didn't choose him as a running mate, given his proximity to the Russian seat of power. We could have done the whole campaign with MapQuest and Google Earth, and had the debates via an internet chat, where they seem to understand geography a little better than the Republican candidates.

But Ms. Palin's problems with the truth aren't the biggest concern with a McCain-Palin ticket.

I honestly don't think either Palin or 'Bomb, bomb Iran' McCain have a clue about diplomacy. What's worse, I don't think they want to. Despite the fact that we can barely sustain the conflicts we already have going in Iraq and Afghanistan, the pair is just itching to find someone else to pick a fight with. The question is which hornets nest they want to thwack first, Russia or Iran.

GIBSON: And under the NATO treaty, wouldn't we then have to go to war if Russia went into Georgia?

PALIN: Perhaps so.

You can tell she passed her 'Neocon for Dummies' crash course on foreign policy.

Political analyst Norman J. Ornstein declared: “A combination of utter inexperience and utter arrogance is about the worst possible combination I can imagine. Not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is would be bad enough, but saying unequivocally that Georgia should be in NATO–meaning we would now perhaps be in a state of war with Russia–and then without a beat saying that military action should be the last resort–shows a series of knowledge and logic gaps that ought to shake every foreign policy specialist, liberal or conservative.”

You know, they say you can see Cuba from Key West, too. It's about 90 miles away, and the truth is, you really can't. Which is a shame, because according to the Palin policy, that would help solve that pesky Castro problem. Maybe that's why McCain had Charlie Crist on the short list. Tallahassee is only 518 miles from Havana, so he's probably got a plan to fix that one already. It's right next door, after all.

Image Wikimedia Commons

The Boston Phoenix says John Kerry has 'the right stuff' to continue to serve Massachusetts as Senator.

John Kerry, once again, deserves the Democratic Party’s nomination. Kerry’s experience is just too strong to be discounted. His experience in national and international affairs is unmatched in Massachusetts by anyone other than his senior Senate colleague, Ted Kennedy.

The Boston Globe says John Kerry is a 'strong and prescient voice'.

More broadly, Kerry has been a strong and often prescient voice: on climate change, on global terrorism threats, on AIDS. He led the 2005 filibuster that ended - by one vote - the Republican effort to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He has been a stalwart friend to veterans, increasing their pay, helping them get small business assistance and fighting for improved healthcare. With a fellow veteran, Republican John McCain, he negotiated painful issues regarding wartime MIAs, which led to normalized relations with Vietnam.

Kerry's opponent, Gloucester lawyer Edward O'Reilly, is energetic but utterly unprepared for the job of US senator. He is running against Kerry from the left, not a persuasive critique of a man who was red-baited for opposing the Vietnam War.

The Bay State Banner makes a strong case for Senator Kerry, and for voters to get to the polls on Tuesday.

The fierce contest to win the Democratic presidential nomination should convince everyone that it is unwise to take political results for granted. On Tuesday, Sept. 16, two incumbents of special importance to African Americans face opponents. The community cannot afford to lose either of them.

One is Sen. John F. Kerry, who has been unerringly right on the issues. His voting record on issues of importance to African Americans has earned him a 100 percent “A” rating from the NAACP.

There are more reasons, and more endorsements, but they all tell pretty much the same story. Sen. Kerry has been fighting for Massachusetts and for our country since he was a young Navy Lieutenant in Vietnam, and he's not done yet.

Senator Kerry spoke to the press after the taping of the WBZ debate, and listed many of the reasons for re-electing him to the Senate. He spoke of his legislative accomplishments and his desire to return to Washington to continue the fight.

The Cape Ann Beacon posted video.

Video Credit: northunit

Senator Kerry is asking for your vote, and has given plenty of good reasons for you to give it to him. So, make sure you get to the polls on Tuesday to vote for Senator Kerry, and don't forget to take a friend with you, and tell your friends and neighbors to do the same.

Of course, the fact that a person plays the guitar is no reason to vote for him. Heck, Mike Huckabee plays, and I wouldn't vote for him for a low level PTA spot. But he's still kind of cool in a way McCain just isn't, and he appears fundamentally (no pun) honest, something the McCain campaign abandoned long ago. I don't agree with either of their policies, but if I did, I'd be inclined to pick Huckabee over McCain because it seems he's stayed true to his beliefs. You've got to admire that, even if you don't agree.

There are a lot of good reasons to vote for Sen. Kerry next Tuesday. The guitar thing isn't one of them, but it's still pretty awesome, and it looks like he's having a lot of fun. The reason to vote for Sen. Kerry is that he's been an honest and hard working public servant for decades, and that he's focused on issues that are important to his constituents.

The guitar playing is kind of a bonus, though, don't you think?

The 'Kerry on Your Corner' tour paid a visit to Taunton last month, and Sen. Kerry stopped by Eastern Music while he was in town to check out the merchandise and entertain the customers.

Classical guitar is one music genre that's been missing from my ipod, so it's a good thing our friends at John Kerry Media Source are able to lend a hand. You can load the video to your ipod when you click on JK2Go.

Boy, they think of everything, don't they?

I'm not sure I've ever heard the Senator talk about playing with The Electras back in the day. I do know they have a website, and that
you can buy copies of their album, which is pretty groovy if you're into early sixties cover bands. Personally, I prefer 'Spanish Romance' to 'Yellow Jacket', but it's good to have a choice.

You can leave your guitar and your ipod at home, but don't forget to take a friend along when you go vote for JK next Tuesday.