Ted Kennedy: More Abortion, More Taxes, More Pacifism
 

NewsMax.com
Dave Eberhart,
Thursday, Jan. 13, 2005

Excerpt:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Ted Kennedy offered a major address to the Washington press corps Wednesday afternoon to explain the Democrats’ devastating loss this past November.

Kennedy offered little contrition for the loss and offered the same old liberal shibboleths: more abortion rights, more gay rights, more payroll taxes, more pacifism in the wake of terror.

For sure, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy's most celebrated oratory came during the 1980 Democratic National Convention with what has come to be known as his “the dream will never die” speech.

That was the year, of course, when Kennedy failed to wrest the presidential nomination from incumbent Jimmy Carter.

Kennedy, who is preparing to run for a ninth senate term in 2006, and who was the main political backer behind John Kerry during the 2004 election, used his signature “dream” word no less than 16 times during a spirited luncheon speech at the National Press Club.

In the Press Club’s packed Ballroom, Kennedy launched his “Democratic Blueprint for America's Future,” a detailing of some of the priorities he believes the party should work toward now that the smoke has cleared from Election 2004.

Sounding like a stump speech for a higher office than his reelection bid to the Senate, Kennedy quickly went to the order on the defeat of the Democrats – not only in the White House race but in both houses of Congress.

“Defeat has a thousand causes,” Kennedy opined, styling the Bush victory as, at its very best, a “modest, miniature mandate.”

With no criticism of Kerry, Kennedy only reminded his listeners that values, or perceived values played a role in the GOP victory. “Values … Americans need to hear more - not less - about our values.”

Failure to get the Democratic message of its values across to voters in the future will result in further crises in the party, Kennedy concluded. “We will loose again and deserve to loose.”

The answer, said Kennedy – communicate a “progressive vision for America of opportunity, fairness and tolerance … This is the essence of the American Dream.

“We have kept that Dream alive – and we will not fail to do so now,” Kennedy exclaimed with energy.

But all was not sugar plums dancing through heads, as Kennedy soberly admitted, “Obviously we must deal with Iraq … I feel that John Kerry could have worked with the world and brought our troops home with honor.”