One of my oldest friends in the progressive movement always had a saying to describe how he took stock of people: he said it wasn’t whether you were liberal or conservative, it’s whether you were a “stand-up person.” He meant that it mattered what you did when the chips were down, the positions you took not when it was easy, but when it was really hard.

Now, a true stand-up guy — my colleague Senator Frank Lautenberg — is facing a primary challenge for re-election. Let me tell you — I’ll do everything in my power to help re-elect Frank Lautenberg because he’s a true progressive who has been with us when the chips were down.

Frank Lautenberg always shows up for the fight and he speaks his mind. In 2004, when a lot of people were having a hard time separating fact from fiction about the military service of politicians, Frank stood on the floor of the Senate and said, “We know who the chicken hawks are. They talk tough on national defense and military issues and cast aspersions on others. When it was their turn to serve where were they? AWOL, that’s where they were.”

Well, when it’s been Frank’s turn to show up and fight, he’s always been there — and I mean he’s been there in difficult times. Back in June of 2006, it seemed like no one wanted to come within a mile of legislation Russ Feingold and I introduced to set a deadline to bring our combat troops home from Iraq. Only eleven brave Democrats stood with us and voted for an end to the Bush Iraq policy.

Frank Lautenberg was one of them.

It’s not the only time. When I led that filibuster against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Frank signed on — and spoke out on the Senate floor.

When Ted Kennedy and I filibustered Judge Alito’s nomination for the Supreme Court, Frank didn’t take a pass just because Alito was from New Jersey — he stood up to that pressure to stick with a home state nominee — and he did what was right — filibustering Alito.

Frank Lautenberg is, in short, one of the very best progressive Senators we have. And he needs our help. Frank is locked in a primary battle and he’s fighting his heart out — fighting the only way he knows how.

Born in Paterson, NJ to parents who immigrated through Ellis Island, Frank has had to fight every step of the way — working nights and weekends in high school to help his family make ends meet, serving our country in World War II, building a business, and coming to the Senate to be a voice for people, not the big powerful interests that already have plenty of “representation.”

The Senate needs progressive warriors like Frank Lautenberg. People who show up when it counts and fight ’til the bell rings.

So please do what you can to keep him in the Senate:

http://www.actblue.com/page/jkforlautenberg

If we work hard, we can build a real working progressive majority in the Senate for 2009. But we need to keep our great progressive Senators in there in order to bring the real change we need to our country.

Thanks,
John Kerry

Over a week ago, the New York Times published a major investigative article detailing a secret Pentagon program the Times said was designed to recruit and cultivate the “military analysts” you see on the major news networks in an attempt to create coverage favorable to the Bush Administration’s policy in Iraq.

The Times described an extensive program, with dozens of television analysts involved, some of whom had extensive business ties to the Defense Department — in fact they called it “an effort to transform the analysts into a kind of media Trojan horse — an instrument intended to shape terrorism coverage from inside the major TV and radio networks.”

Since that story ran, there’s been a virtual news blackout, and we haven’t gotten any closer to finding out the real story.

You can change that. I sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office requesting an investigation, and I’d like you to show your support by virtually “co-signing” the letter with me. Only with an overwhelming display of grassroots energy can we put this story in the spotlight and press for answers.

The Pentagon quickly issued a statement that they’ve ended the program, but I still believe that we need to have a complete accounting of exactly what was happening, who was involved, and what it accomplished. I don’t think that’s too much to ask — do you?

If you believe, as I do, that we as citizens have a right to know the real story, please co-sign the letter demanding answers:

http://www.johnkerry.com/pentagonpundits

We know the life-or-death consequences of policy decisions in Iraq and Afghanistan — and we know that these policies should be debated and defended without secret programs designed to tailor the news for the Administration’s goals. This is too important to brush aside.

We must demand answers.

Thank you,

John Kerry

P.S. — If you’d like to read the original New York Times article for more information on the Pentagon pundits program, click here.

Here’s John McCain yesterday:

Slowly but surely, Republican presidential candidate John McCain is putting some distance between himself and unpopular President Bush.

This week it was the ill-timed “Mission Accomplished” banner that the White House hung behind Bush five years ago when Bush declared major combat operations over in Iraq.

“I thought it was wrong at the time,” McCain said in Cleveland Thursday.

Hmmm … here’s John McCain just a short month after that Mission Accomplished Day:

Well, that was easy.

Senator Kerry sent this message to the Massachusetts members of the johnkerry.com community this morning, and we wanted to post it here as well for the benefit of those readers both inside and outside the state who aren’t currently subscribed to receive his emails. Team Hoyt is an outstanding effort, and we’re glad to help spread the word about this extraordinary father-and-son team.

I’m going to ask you to do something in this email that’s really important to me because I care about an incredible young man and his father and what they’re trying to achieve.

This isn’t another political appeal — though campaigns are as important as ever — but it’s an appeal that’s much more simply from the heart. Please keep reading.

Yesterday I was very fortunate to be able to fire the starting gun for the wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon. The competitive fire and strength of these amazing athletes is just incredible.

I don’t do this all that often — but there’s one particular athletic team I saw yesterday that I want to mention and ask you to help today. Dick Hoyt and his son Rick form Team Hoyt, a team that has competed in marathons and triathlons around the world. Rick is in a wheelchair without use of his arms, and Dick pushes him through the course.

Rick was born in 1961 with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and ever since, Rick and his family have pushed the boundaries on what people thought possible. From pushing for Rick to be able to attend public schools to building a special computer to show people that Rick can communicate and think just as well as any other young person, Team Hoyt has worked hard on the front-lines of the battle to tear down the roadblocks faced by people with disabilities.

They began to compete athletically when Rick wanted to run in a charity event in the late 70s, and they began running the Boston Marathon in 1981. Since then, they’ve competed across the world, raising awareness about human potential and raising money for charities that work with people with disabilities.

As Rick puts it: “The message of Team Hoyt is that everybody should be included in everyday life.”

They’ve formed the Hoyt Foundation with the goal of integrating people with disabilities into everyday life. This is a fantastic charity, and the Hoyts are absolutely inspiring. If you can, please give to the Hoyt Foundation by clicking here:

http://www.teamhoyt.com

The wheelchair division of the marathon is testament to the success of people like the Hoyts in expanding opportunities across our society, but we still need to do more. I hope you will do what you can to help this amazing team and their important work.

Thank you,
John Kerry

I understand you all are pretty interested in a vote happening in Pennsylvania tomorrow. Not surprisingly, I’m focused on that, too — I spent Saturday in Pennsylvania for Barack — but there’s a very important event happening tomorrow which we can’t afford to have lost in the shuffle.

The Senate Commerce Committee is holding a hearing on the future of the Internet, and a big part of that equation is net neutrality. I know net neutrality is important to a lot of you here, but Senators haven’t heard from you in a while on the issue, and I want to make sure we keep this front and center — it’s that important.

Last Friday, I did a liveblog at Firedoglake, and I talked about how some of the big network providers have run into some problems trying to manage traffic using their own rules. The one you’ve probably heard the most about is the dispute over Comcast and BitTorrent, but this is hardly the only incident to occur since we last took a look at this issue in the Senate.

These actions by the big providers are a cautionary tale. We can’t allow companies to pick and choose what companies they allow to access their networks, and we certainly can’t depend on overwhelming political pressure on every decision to keep the networks open. This is not good for the future of the Internet and, frankly, it’s not good for anyone who uses it either.

We need to have clarity on these rules. The value of innovation on the Internet is just too high to have it affected by these kinds of messes. From the economic value of the Internet activity to the social value of the new models of organization (like this blog), the free flow of information on the Internet is a vital part of this nation’s future.

Look, I understand that there are issues with the amount of information flowing over our broadband infrastructure. But the key is to expand that infrastructure, not arbitrarily restrict traffic based on content. I don’t even really blame the corporations on this; this is a classic case where the government needs to step in and create sensible regulations to set the rules of the road.

This doesn’t mean a prescriptive, heavy-handed approach to telling providers who to serve subscribers. But we need to insist on basic fairness and an open, content-neutral approach to how users can access the backbone of our telecommunications system. There have been a lot of excuses about why it’s difficult to do that, and frankly, most of those have turned out not to be accurate. There’s no reason why we can’t do this, and no reason why we shouldn’t.

But — I said this on FDL, and I say this all the time on so many issues — it’s not going to happen unless we all make it happen. Because of the importance of the PA primary, there’s a danger that this hearing can come and go without the people’s voice being heard. You need to make sure it is heard. Call, write or email your Senator and let them know you are watching this debate, and that an open internet is important to you.

– John Kerry

(This entry is cross-posted at Daily Kos, and you can post comments to that thread and read JK’s responses to them by clicking here.)

I realize there’s a certain primary in Pennsylvania on Tuesday that a lot of people are thinking about — myself included (in fact, I’ll be on the ground there again tomorrow) — but one of the things I think those of us in the Senate need to do is try to keep some focus on another big event that day which we can’t afford to get lost in the shuffle because it affects net neutrality.

The Senate Commerce Committee is holding a hearing on Tuesday to look at the future of the Internet, and a big part of that equation is net neutrality.

Obviously — and I know you don’t need to hear it from me — we need to keep up the pressure on this issue. The uncertainty isn’t helpful, and we have to set the rules of the road and protect the innovative world of a free and open Internet.

When we held hearings previously about net neutrality, many of us who were pushing for it warned that without net neutrality we’d start to have problems as companies started making their own rules on what they would allow to happen on their networks. And it turns out we were right.

Just this winter, we heard reports that Comcast was blocking traffic that was using the popular file-sharing program BitTorrent. Comcast initially denied this, but when engineers proved it was happening, Comcast was forced to admit the truth — they were blocking traffic around a particular program.

And this wasn’t just Comcast — there have been incidents reported involving AT&T and Verizon as well.

Eventually, after a lot of public pressure, Comcast cut a deal with one company providing BitTorrent services to allow their traffic, and they called that an example of the market working.

That’s a cautionary tale. We can’t allow companies to pick and choose what companies they allow to access their networks, and we certainly can’t depend on overwhelming political pressure on every decision to keep the networks open. This is not good for the future of the Internet and, frankly, it’s not good for anyone who uses it either.

Sure, it’s amazing that this remains an issue, but that’s not surprising because there are big corporate interests involved and they’re doing what they do — they’re looking out for their own agendas. But there are bigger issues at stake than any single interest’s proprietary concerns: the value of innovation on the Internet has shown itself in a ton of ways. From the economic value of new Internet applications and new market opportunities to the political and social value of new modes of organization, the free flow of information on the Internet has never been more important. And we need clear rules of the road for everyone to follow.

Look, this doesn’t mean we’re going to apply a prescriptive, heavy-handed bureaucratic approach to how network providers are permitted to serve subscribers. But we need to insist on basic fairness and an open, content-neutral approach to how users can access the backbone of our telecommunications system. There have been a lot of excuses about why it’s difficult to do that, and frankly, most of those excuses have turned out not to be accurate. There’s no reason why we can’t do this, and no reason why we shouldn’t.

But — and I say this all the time on so many issues — it’s not going to happen unless we all make it happen. Because of the importance of the PA primary, there’s a danger that this hearing can come and go without the people’s voice being heard. You need to make sure it is heard. Call, write or email your Senator and let them know you are watching this debate, and that an open internet is important to you.

Senator Kerry posted this op-ed essay about Net Neutrality this morning on Firedoglake.com, where he engaged in an hour-long online Q&A session with FDL commenters. To read the followup questions and his answers on FDL, click here.

Americans everywhere are feeling the squeeze of rising energy prices, from the low-income family that endured a tough winter without heat to the truck driver who takes a blow to the wallet at every stop along the highway. Farmers are watching profits dwindle, and consumers are seeing food prices climb week after week.

In the campaign to take America from oil dependence to renewable energy, John Kerry has been an innovator. He charted a clear course forward by proposing his “three bold new ideas” for energy independence. He stressed that the government has to be proactive in urging American businesses to build more cars that can run on ethanol, and to sell ethanol fuel at more gas stations around the country. He proposed tax credits to pioneering automakers and a boost in federal funding for energy research. And with his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry, Senator Kerry wrote and published This Moment on Earth, a book that shed light on the ingenuity of everyday Americans as they work to solve local environmental challenges.

But John Kerry has also been a man of action. Last month he secured $1.5 million for M.I.T. to develop cost-effective solar energy technology. Just this week, he brought half a million dollars to Boston to fund the installation of solar panels on city buildings and schools. These victories are just the latest part of the Senator’s consistent record of environmental advocacy in Congress. That’s why the League of Conservation Voters awarded Senator Kerry one of the highest scores in the Senate on its 2007 National Environmental Scorecard.

John Kerry worked as an organizer in Massachusetts for the original Earth Day in 1970, the event when, as the EPA says, “American environmentalism dawned as a popular movement.” He hasn’t slowed down since. His long leadership in this area proves he is the best champion for the environmental priorities of Massachusetts. His pull in the Senate is critical to bringing resources to support energy research in our state – such as the remarkable advances underway at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, where students have developed a method of producing cheaper biofuels more quickly.

In Berkshire County last week, Jim Ogonowski called for “real leadership to help us gain energy independence.” Maybe it’s time for Jim Ogonowski to support Senator Kerry. I know I do. John Kerry is just the kind of man I want in the Senate when Democrats take the White House and win a workable majority in Congress. Then his bold approach to energy policy can finally become reality.

This entry is cross-posted by kind permission from the good folks at www.KerryVision.net, an independent text & multimedia blog created by some of the Senator’s most loyal long-term supporters within the johnkerry.com community. One of the best ways to keep up with Senator Kerry’s daily doings is to stop by the KerryVision website, especially on Monday mornings when they post a video newsreel of his activities from the previous week.

JK Surprises Newburyport

Last Saturday, the city of Newburyport held its Third Annual Three Towns and Two Cities Breakfast with the participating Democratic committees of Amesbury, Newbury, Newburyport, Salisbury and West Newbury. I had planned on attending the event and while I was there, gather signatures for Senator Kerry.

I was supposed to attend the event, but ended up having to pass due to a minor emergency. Luckily, my husband Tony, another loyal Kerry supporter and Democrat was able and more than willing to go, if only to ‘have a word’ with our State Representative Mike Costello for endorsing Ed O’Reilly. As we all know, EOR has decided that Massachusetts needed fresh blood in the Senate and is running against JK in the primary.

When Tony finally came back around noon, he couldn’t wait to ask me to ‘guess who showed up??!!’ and then proceed to reveal that the good Senator himself made it to the breakfast. Of course this revelation called for a detailed recounting of the event and JK’s speech, so my dear hubby was railroaded into writing the following guest post for KerryVision.

… … … … … … …

12 April 08,

I arrived a little early for the breakfast event so I could collect signatures for Senator Kerry to be placed on the ballot for re-election to the Senate. Around 8:30 a few obvious Ed O’Reilly supporters arrived with literature and a few banners to place on the walls inside the Hall. Luckily, Andrew, a Kerry staffer, had already covered the grounds outside the hall as well as inside, placing Kerry literature and not leaving much room for Ed O’Reilly to have his name displayed too prominently. At around 8:50 I recognized Ed O’Reilly as he entered the hall and was greeted by a supporter. Then, just a few minutes before nine, Congressman John Tierney arrived followed by the state party chair John Walsh.

I decided to get my seat in the hall before the first speaker was asked to address the audience. Around 9:30 that honor was bestowed on Ed O’Reilly, who spoke as someone who realized that the audience was not going be receptive to negative attacks on a fellow Democrat, so he mainly focused on his personal life and upbringing: His father had been a fire chief who had to lay his son off due to budget cuts, which taught Ed that you cannot always give and receive favors and that sometimes doing the right thing is not popular. He was quite proud to let everyone know that he was serious about running for Senate by leaving his practice and campaigning full time.

When O’Reilly finished, a couple of local politicians spoke, after which it was John Tierney’s turn. His tone was passionate and with slight hints of anger about where the country has been taken.

As the following speaker, State Senator Steven Baddour was coming close to the end of his speech, everybody was surprised to see John Kerry enter the Hall. He was led to where his sister Diana, who was in attendance, was seated to greet her and wait for his turn to address the audience. It was immediately apparent by the crowd reaction that many in the hall were John Kerry supporters.

The Senator was called up to the podium accompanied by a standing ovation. He started
on a positive and funny note by stating; “I come with some exciting news this morning: only 282 more days of the Bush’s presidency!” He then listed all the work he has done since the new congress came into session, and finally touched on the Iraq conflict and the need for diplomacy, and not solely the use of the military.

After speaking, Senator Kerry wanted to allow the audience to ask questions, rather than have him lecture. Of course, there were many questions that had been asked before in many different ways. Those that stood out for me were:

Do you think that they (the Republicans) will steal the election? His answer was pretty close to what he has said before on this issue: The Dems would have people placed at every polling station to ensure that nothing illegal was taking place. The same person who asked the question also made the comment that the election was stolen from Senator Kerry: “You were robbed.” To which he responded: “You should talk to my wife!”

Still, Kerry stressed that we should not be focusing on the past. It would make us sound bitter and we needed to be positive in regards to the upcoming election. Whoever that nominee would be, we should rally and unite.He added a comment on how the republican nominee was chosen: “He didn’t win the (Republican) nomination,” Kerry said, “the others lost it.”

John Kerry told the audience that he believed that within a month our candidate would be selected and that all the super-delegates who are undecided will have made their choice.

The other question that stood out was from a woman who was very disturbed by the idea that our government could have a debate on whether torture was legal or not. The Senator replied that this should have never been an issue in our government: Our military personnel are defending our freedom but are getting mixed signals. They must abide by their military rules of engagement and follow instructions and not commit acts of torture but that this appears not to be case for the president who has been defending its uses for the CIA.

He then went on to say that the John McCain he sees now, the one who voted for torture, is not the Senator he knew during his years of working with him, from the time of the Vietnam MIA issue to the 2004 campaign where he had been rumored to be a possible running mate.

This led to the next exchange about why no one had started the impeachment process and if there was enough evidence to go forward. John asked everyone to think what would happen if we were to start the impeachment process, other than a possible Dick Cheney presidency. The atmosphere created by this would turn on us and we would basically give the presidency back to the Republicans without a chance to win it. Some things are better addressed when the time is right and the objective of regaining control of the senate; the house and the presidency are more pressing. Later we could prosecute.

After he had answered a few more questions he said he needed to let other guests speak. The host told the audience we would have a small break and then return for the last few speakers. John Kerry stayed for few more minutes to shake hands and greet supporters before leaving for the next event.

… … … … … … …

Thank you, Tony. We appreciate the detailed account of the Dem Breakfast!

(Tony is a 20 year Air Force veteran, retired since 2002, and is currently working as a Training and Quality manager for a Massachusetts-based defense contracting firm. While on active duty, he was never allowed to be open about his political leanings and is now making up for it with activism for the Democratic Party.)

Posted to KerryVision.net by Kerstin on April 16, 2008 8:35 AM