April 6, 2004
Change Starts Here
at GW
Sen. John Kerry Brings His Presidential Campaign to
GW Twice in Eight Days
By Thomas
Kohout
Only months before they were campaign rivals vying for the opportunity
to take on George W. Bush. But when Sen. John Kerry joined Howard Dean
on a stage to receive the former governors endorsement for the presidency
of the United States before a crowd of more than 2,400 cheering GW faculty,
staff, and students in Kogan Plaza March 25, the mood was as sunny as
the afternoon. It was the second time in eight days that the Massachusetts
senator had visited GW.
GW does not endorse candidates, reminded President Stephen
Joel Trachtenberg as he welcomed the raucous crowd. He added the mission
of the University is to educate students and todays event
is very much in that educational spirit At this moment, this quadrangle
is, in essence, an outdoor classroom and this is a learning moment.
The rowdy group erupted as Kerry and Dean took the stage and Dean egged
them on further leading chants for Kerry, Kerry, Kerry
Im a senior at GW and I thought I knew what a crowded Kogan
Plaza looked like, but you guys are unreal, exclaimed Ari Mittleman,
founder of Generation Dean who along with Colonials for Kerry founder
Adam Zwerner introduced the candidates.
I have special fondness for GW, Dean told the crowd. We
have the largest chapter of Generation Dean anywhere in the country right
here at GW. And in the end itll be Generation Dean voting for John
Kerry for President of the United States thats going to send George
Bush back to Crawford, TX, where he belongs.
In his endorsement of Kerry, Dean touched on themes certain to be repeated
throughout the eight-month race job creation, environmental conservation,
health care coverage, social security stabilization, and balancing the
budget.
I know who I trust, exclaimed Dean. I trust John Kerry,
thats who Im voting for, thats who Im working
for, and were sending George Bush back to Crawford, TX.
Kerry focused his comments on the tasks at hand defeating the incumbent
and marshaling the young voter support he believes can help him accomplish
that goal.
Howard Dean and I believe what unities us as Americans is what brings
us together today, Kerry said. We understand that this election
is not about us, its not about our party, its about our country
and its about you and your future, and we need to hold that.
Behind me, beside Ari and Adam, are young people wearing shirts
that say Change Starts Here. Those arent just words,
thats a reality. You have the power. This is where change begins,
and this is an election for a generation if not a lifetime.
In his previous visit to GW March 17, Kerry insisted that though a unilateral
approach to foreign policy, President Bush has severely taxed the US military,
while cutting veterans health benefits and other essential services. Kerry,
accompanied by former Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General John
Shalikashvili, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and former
Secretary of Defense William Perry, outlined his plans to strengthen the
US military and support military families in a policy address entitled
Protecting Our Military Families in Times of War before a
standing-room-only crowd in the Jack Morton Auditorium.
John F. Williams, provost and vice president for health affairs, and Corrie
Westbrook, a third year Law School student from Birmingham, AL, who will
spend next year clerking in the Court of Appeals for the Armed Services
before entering officers training school in preparation for a career in
the Judge Advocate General Corps, were on hand to greet Kerry.
The address came nearly one year after the war in Iraq began and just
a day after it became mathematically impossible for Kerry to be defeated
for the Democratic nomination.
We were misled about weapons of mass destruction, Kerry said
of the rationale for war. We are misled now when the costs of Iraq
are not even counted in the Presidents budget.
Our military
families have the right to expect real leadership of the armed forces
from the Commander-in-Chief. They have a right to competitive pay and
quality housing, decent health care and dental care.
If I am President,
I will fight for a constant standard of decency and respect for those
who serve their country in our armed forces on active duty and
as veterans.
Send feedback to: bygeorge@gwu.edu
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