Florida Senator and Former Governor Bob Graham Expresses Florida's Support for John Kerry and John Edwards
Florida Senator and former Governor Bob Graham endorses John Kerry and John Edwards at Democratic Convention. Graham promises Floridians' support of Kerry and Edwards in the November election.
BOSTON, MA (PRWEB) July 30, 2004 -- The following is a transcript of the
Honorable Bob Graham's speech before the Democratic National Convention on
Wednesday, July 28, 2004:
Fellow Democrats, thank you. And most
especially, fellow Floridians, thank you for granting me the honor and privilege
of serving you for nearly four decades. My family and I are so grateful to all
of you for the wonderful adventure of public service you have made possible.
Florida, you've made the difference for me; I know you're going to make the
difference for John Kerry and John Edwards. And this time, when the votes are
counted, fellow Floridians, we are going to make a huge difference for
America.
My fellow Americans, I want to tell you why I am casting my vote
for John Kerry and John Edwards. The preamble to the Constitution tells us that
one of the most important responsibilities of the government is to "provide for
the common defense." It has now been over one thousand days since the September
11th terrorist attacks changed our nation. One thousand days after the attack on
Pearl Harbor, America had already landed on the beaches of Normandy and was
rolling to victory in World War II. In that same amount of time in this new war
on terror, we have not yet secured the beachhead. John Kerry and John Edwards
will.
In this new century, we have seen the rise of perilous new threats.
And yet we have not stopped them; we haven't even stood up to them. John Kerry
and John Edwards will. At a time when all freedom-loving people are looking for
leadership to unite the world in a war against terrorism, America has not
provided it. My friends, John Kerry and John Edwards will.
As Governor of
Florida, I learned how little the FBI and CIA communicate with the state and
local law enforcement agencies that are our first line of defense against
terrorist attack. As Florida's senator, I saw seaports where the greatest
security was often little more than a chain-link fence. As a member of the
Senate Intelligence Committee, I have seen the places in the world where the
worst biological weapons were manufactured, where nuclear materials go
unprotected, and where the next generation of terrorists is being recruited. And
as chairman of that committee, I investigated the September 11th attacks and saw
how they should have been prevented.
From all of my service, I've come to
this conclusion: Yes, there are real threats. But there are also real
solutions.
Just last week, the September 11th commission was the latest
to recommend major changes in the way we fight the war on terror. Few of these
are new. Most are obvious. Sadly, over one thousand days after September 11th,
none of them are in place. The ideas are there. It's the leadership that has
been missing.
We know that North Korea and Iran have nuclear aspirations,
if not nuclear weapons. And yet only John Kerry and John Edwards have a plan to
keep the world's deadliest weapons from falling into the world's most dangerous
hands. We know that money is the terrorists' lifeline, and yet it was John
Kerry, long before September 11th, who had a plan to cut off the sources of
terrorist funding.
We know that our bridges, tunnels, trains, buses,
chemical plants, food and water supplies, are still vulnerable to attack, and
yet only John Kerry and John Edwards are willing to make the investments we need
to truly be safe. And we know that Iraq didn't attack the United States on
September 11th; Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda did.
And that is why John
Kerry and John Edwards will not only win the peace in Iraq, but will fight the
war on terror wherever it needs to be fought: the palaces of the Middle East,
the banks of Europe, the ports in Florida, the firehouses of Boston. John Kerry
recognizes that victory in the war on terror requires all of the resources of
the United States-diplomatic, economic, intelligence, and
military.
Today, "recruiting billboards" for al Qaeda are being erected
on the main streets of the Middle East. We need to work with our allies and
like-minded people of the Islamic world to tear down those billboards and drain
the swamp of terror. Providing for the common defense is not a piece of rhetoric
from a founding document - it is the most solemn responsibility we entrust to
our leaders. This is a war that demands new resources and new ideas. But most of
all, it is a war that demands new leadership.
And when Americans ask,
"Who will provide that leadership?" I can tell you, John Kerry and John Edwards
will. For our children and grandchildren, for our security, for our country, we
must elect John Kerry the next president of the United States.
For more
information about the Democratic National Convention, speakers and events, the
Democratic Platform, and Democratic Party, visit: www.dems2004.org/
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2004/7/prweb145493.htm