"Citizens of America, do your duty..."

"...elect this man." And with those words, former Senator Gary Hart turned the podium over to John Kerry.



(by the way, if anyone can offer a pointer to the text of Hart's full introduction, I'd sure appreciate it. It was a high point in a morning full of high points.)

John Kerry capped off his Seattle visit with a national security speech delivered to an invited audience of students and veterans, and I was lucky enough to be included among the latter. It was an inspiring event, with Hart, Theresa, Max Cleland and three members of Kerry's old swiftboat crews on hand. Among the band of brothers gathered in the front and center section of the hall were veterans of WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf I and Iraq. I got another chance to shake the man's hand, a chance to wish Theresa a belated happy wedding anniversary (yesterday was their 9th) and learned that Max Cleland's injuries offer no impediment to his ability to wrap you in a bear hug of impressive proportions.

Kerry's speech, the first in a series between Memorial Day and the D-Day commemoration, was primarily devoted to a broad outline of a four pronged proposal for a new foreign policy. As Kerry put it,

First, we must launch and lead a new era of alliances for the post 9-11 world. Second, we must modernize the world’s most powerful military to meet the new threats. Third, in addition to our military might, we must deploy all that is in America’s arsenal -- our diplomacy, our intelligence system, our economic power, and the appeal of our values and ideas. Fourth and finally, to secure our full independence and freedom, we must free America from its dangerous dependence on Mideast oil.

The most pointed remarks were devoted to energy independence, especially in Kerry's direct confrontation of Saudi Arabia's role in international terror and our need to become independent of dependence on their petroleum supplies. You'll never hear George Bush or any of his minions utter words like these.

If we are serious about energy independence, then we can finally be serious about confronting the role of Saudi Arabia in financing and providing ideological support of al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. We cannot continue this Administration’s kid-glove approach to the supply and laundering of terrorist money. As President, I will impose tough financial sanctions against nations or banks that engage in money laundering or fail to act against it. I will launch a “name and shame” campaign against those that are financing terror. And if they do not respond, they will be shut out of the U.S. financial system.

The same goes for Saudi sponsorship of clerics who promote the ideology of Islamic terror. To put it simply, we will not do business as usual with Saudi Arabia. They must take concrete steps to stop their clerics from fueling the fires of Islamic extremism.

If you see gasoline prices dropping precipitously in the near future, you'll know Prince Bandar was listening to John Kerry.

Early reaction from the other side was predictable, with Republican Senator George Allen getting first crack as designated spinner

These petty, hate-filled political attacks do not make America stronger or safer. John Kerry and the Democrats are more worried about political attacks than prosecuting the war on terrorism.

Wow. That sounds a great deal like a petty, hate-filled political attack to me, one that doesn't address a single point in Kerry's speech, or make America the least bit stronger or safer.

As far as prosecuting wars goes, I'll thank Senator Allen to spare me and the hundreds of my brothers in arms, Kerry Democrats all, that were in attendance his pious pseudo-patriotism. I'll thank him, too, to restrain himself the next time he feels like passing judgement on Vietnam veteran Al Gore as "...seemingly unstable." After all, remarks like that are petty. And hatefilled. And don't make America stronger or safer. And lead people to wonder again what those who didn't serve have against those of us who did.

In fact, those kind of remarks sound downright panicky. Of course, since Allen is the chair of the Repubican Senate Campaign Committee, a little panic on his part is probably called for.