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{{sprotected2}}{{Infobox Senator| name=John Forbes Kerry| nationality=[[Image:JohnKerryUnited States|American]]| image name=John Kerry headshot with US flag.jpg|rightjr/sr=Junior Senator|thumbstate=[[Massachusetts]]|250pxparty=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]| term_start=[[January 3]], [[1985]]| alongside=Ted Kennedy| preceded=[[Paul Tsongas]]| succeeded=incumbent (2009)| date of birth={{birth date and age|1943|12|11}}| place of birth={{flagicon|USA}} [[Aurora, Colorado]]| dead=alive| date of death=| place of death=| spouse=(1) [[Julia Thorne]] (divorced in 1988 and subsequently annulled; died in 2006) <br> (2) [[Teresa Heinz]]| profession=[[sailor]], [[activism|activist]], [[politician]]| religion=[[Roman Catholic]]}}{{Infobox Military Person|name=John Kerry|lived=[[December 11]] [[1943]] - present|allegiance=[[United States Navy]]|serviceyears=1968-1972|rank=Lieutenant, Junior grade|commands=PCF-44, PCF-94|unit=[[USS Gridley]]<br>Coastal Squadron 1|battles='''[[Vietnam]]'''|awards=[[Silver Star]]<br>[[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]]<br>[[Purple Heart]] (D3) |laterwork=}}'''John Forbes Kerry''' (born [[December 11]], [[1943]]) is a [[Vietnam Veteran]] and the [[Junior Senator|junior]] [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from [[Massachusetts]]. As the Presidential nominee of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]], he was defeated in the [[United States presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election]] by the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] incumbent [[President of the United States|President]] [[George W. Bush]]. Senator Kerry is currently the Chairman of the [[United States Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship]].
Kerry belonged to Vietnam Veterans Against 's paternal grandfather, Frederick A. Kerry (born Fritz Kohn), was born on [[May 10]], [[1873]] in the War town of [[Horní Benešov]], which was part of [[Austria-Hungary]] at the time, and grew up in [[Mödling]], [[Austria]] (a small town near [[VVAWVienna]]). He and his wife Ida were both [[German language|German]]-speaking [[Ashkenazi|Ashkenazi Jew]]s. In 1901, where he supported Fritz and Ida Kohn converted from [[Judaism]] to [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholicism]], and Fritz changed his name to Frederick Kerry. They then immigrated to the anti-war movementUnited States, arriving at [[Ellis Island]] in 1905. They raised their three children, including John's father, as Catholics. Frederick Kerry committed [[suicide]] in the [[Copley Plaza Hotel]] in Boston on [[November 23]], [[1921]].
Kerry voted for the Iraq War in 2002, vacillated on the issue during has said that his 2004 presidential campaignfirst memory is from when he was three years old, and now says, "Thereof holding his crying mother's nothing hand while they walked through the broken glass and rubble of her childhood home in [[Saint- nothing Briac- in my life in public service I regret moresur-Mer|Saint-Briac]], nothing even close[[France]]. We should all be willing to say: I was wrong, I should not have voted for This visit came shortly after the Iraq United States had liberated Saint-Briac from the [[Military history of Germany during World War ResolutionII|Nazis]] on [[August 14]], [[1944]]." <ref>http://wwwThe family estate, known as [[Les Essarts, Forbes family estate|Les Essarts]], had been occupied and used as a Nazi headquarters during the war.huffingtonpost.com/john-kerry/mistakes- When the Germans abandoned it, they bombed Les Essarts and-responsibili_b_31482burned it down.html</ref>
The sprawling estate was rebuilt in [[1954]]. Kerry and his parents would often spend the summer holidays there. During these summers, he became good friends with his first cousin [[Brice Lalonde]], a future [[French Socialist Party|Socialist]] and [[French Green Party|Green Party]] leader in France, who ran for [[president of France]] in [[1981]]. While his father was stationed at the U.S. Embassy in [[Oslo, Norway|Oslo]], [[Norway]], Kerry was sent to Massachusetts to attend [[boarding school]]. In [[1957]], he attended the [[Fessenden School]] in West Newton, a village in [[Newton, Massachusetts|Newton]], [[Massachusetts]]. The Fessenden School is the oldest all-boys independent junior boarding school in the country. There he met and became friends with Richard Pershing, grandson of [[World War I]] U.S. Gen. [[John J. Pershing|John Joseph Pershing]]. Massachusetts' senior senator [[Ted Kennedy]] also attended the Fessenden School, although several years prior to Kerry. The following year, he enrolled at [[St. Paul's School (U.S.)|St. Paul's School]] in [[Concord, New Hampshire]], and graduated from there in [[1962]]. Kerry's elderly great-aunt, [[Clara Winthrop]], covered the costs. According to Kerry, at St. Paul's, he felt out of place because he was Catholic and liberal, while most of his fellow students were [[United States Republican Party|Republicans]] and [[Episcopalian]]s. Despite having difficulty fitting in, Kerry made friends and developed his interests. He learned skills in [[public speaking]] and began developing interest in [[politics]]. In his free time, he enjoyed [[ice hockey]] and [[lacrosse]], which he played on teams captained by classmate [[Robert Mueller|Robert S. Mueller III]], the current director of the [[FBI]]. Kerry also played [[electric bass]] for the prep school's band [[The Electras]], which produced an album in [[1961]]. Only five hundred copies were made — one was auctioned on [[eBay]] in [[2004]] for $2,551. In [[1959]], Kerry founded the [[John Winant]] Society at St. Paul's to debate the issues of the day; the Society still exists there.<ref>[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=352185# John Kerry: A Navy Dove Runs for Congress] from The Harvard Crimson</ref><ref>[http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061503.shtml John Kerry - A Candidate in the Making], [[The Boston Globe]] online edition.</ref> In November [[1960]], Kerry gave his first political speech, in favor of [[John F. Kennedy]]'s election to the [[White House]]. ===Yale University (1962–1966)===In 1962, Kerry entered Yale University, majoring in [[political science]]. He graduated with a [[Bachelor of Arts]] [[Academic degree|degree]] in 1966. Kerry played on the [[soccer]], hockey, lacrosse and [[fencing|fencing teams]]; in addition, he took flying lessons.<ref>{{cite news | first =Michael | last =Kranish | title =A privileged youth, a taste for risk | url =http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061503.shtml | work =John Kerry: Candidate in the Making | publisher =Boston Globe | date =June 15, 2003 | accessdate =2007-01-29 }}</ref> To earn extra money during the summers, he loaded trucks in a grocery warehouse and sold encyclopedias door to door. In his [[sophomore]] year, Kerry became president of the [[Yale Political Union]]. His involvement with the Political Union gave him an opportunity to be involved with important issues of the day, such as the [[American Civil Rights Movement|civil rights movement]] and Kennedy's [[New Frontier]] program. He was also inducted into the secretive [[Skull and Bones|Skull and Bones Society]]. Under the guidance of the speaking coach and history professor Rollin Osterweis, Kerry won many debates against other college students from across the nation. In March 1965, as the Vietnam War escalated, he won the Ten Eyck prize as the best [[orator]] in the junior class for a speech that was critical of U.S. [[foreign policy]]. In the speech he said, "It is the spectre of Western [[imperialism]] that causes more fear among Africans and Asians than communism, and thus it is self-defeating."<ref>{{cite web | url =http://www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=21803 | title =Kerry '66: 'He was going to be president' | accessdate =2007-01-29 | last =Leibenluft | first =Jacob | date =February 14, 2003 | publisher =Yale Daily News | archiveurl =http://web.archive.org/web/20051118173130re_/www.yaledailynews.com/article.asp?AID=21803 | archivedate =2005-11-18 }}</ref> Over four years, Kerry maintained a 76 grade average and received an 81 average in his senior year.<ref>{{cite news | first =Michael | last =Kranish | title =Yale grades portray Kerry as a lackluster student: His 4-year average on par with Bush's | url =http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2005/06/07/yale_grades_portray_kerry_as_a_lackluster_student?mode=PF | publisher =Boston Globe | date =June 7, 2005 | accessdate =2007-01-29 }}</ref> Kerry, even then a capable speaker, was chosen to give the class oration at graduation. His speech was a broad criticism of American foreign policy, including the Vietnam War, in which he would soon participate. In 1962, Kerry was a volunteer for [[Ted Kennedy]]'s first [[United States Senate|Senatorial]] campaign. That summer, he dated [[Janet Jennings Auchincloss]], [[Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis]]'s half-sister. Auchincloss invited Kerry to visit her family's estate, [[Hammersmith Farm]], in [[Rhode Island]]. It was there that Kerry met President [[John F. Kennedy]] for the first time. <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Kerry Kennedy.jpg|right|thumb|250px|Kerry (far left) sails aboard the [[United States Coast Guard|Coast Guard]] [[yacht]] ''Manitou'' with [[President of the United States|President]] John F. Kennedy off [[Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island|Narragansett]], Rhode Island, on [[August 26]], [[1962]].]] -->According to Kerry, when he told the president he was about to enter [[Yale University]], Kennedy grimaced because he had gone to rival [[Harvard University]]. Kerry later recalled, "He smiled at me, laughed and said: 'Oh, don't worry about it. You know I'm a Yale man too now.'" According to Kerry "The President uttered that famous comment about how he had the best of two worlds now: a Harvard education and Yale degree", in reference to the [[honorary degree]] he had received from Yale a few months earlier. Later that day, a White House photographer snapped a photo of Kerry sailing with Kennedy and his family in [[Narragansett Bay]]. ==Military service (1966–1970)==Kerry joined the Navy Reserves during his senior year at Yale. He is quoted as saying that he decided to join the Navy after he approached his draft board for permission to study for a year in Paris, and the draft board refused.[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=352185] In addition, several of his classmates were enlisting in the armed services. Upon graduation from Yale, Kerry entered active duty and served until 1970, eventually reaching the rank of Lieutenant. Kerry was awarded several medals during his second tour of [[Vietnam]], including the [[Silver Star]], [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]], and three [[Purple Heart]]s. Kerry's military record has received considerable praise and criticism during his political career, especially during his unsuccessful [[John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004|2004 bid for the presidency]]. ===Commission, training, and tour of duty on the USS ''Gridley''===On [[February 18]], [[1966]], Kerry enlisted in the [[U.S. Naval Reserve]]. [http://www.johnkerry.com/pdf/jkmilservice/Request_For_History_of_Service.pdf] He began his active duty military service on August 19 of that year. After completing sixteen weeks of [[Officer Candidate School]] at the U.S. Naval Training Center in [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]], [[Rhode Island]], Kerry received his officer's commission on December 16. During the 2004 election, Kerry posted his military records at his website, and permitted reporters to inspect his medical records. In 2005, Kerry released his military and medical records to the representatives of three news organizations, but has not authorized full public access to those records. [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2005/06/07/kerry_allows_navy_release_of_military_medical_records/][http://www.nysun.com/article/15790] Kerry's first tour of duty was as an [[ensign (rank)|ensign]] on the [[guided missile]] [[frigate]] [[USS Gridley (DLG-21)|USS ''Gridley'']] in 1968. The executive officer of the ''Gridley'' described the deployment as: "We deployed from San Diego to the Vietnam theatre in early 1968 after only a six-month turnaround, and spent most of a four month deployment on rescue station in the [[Gulf of Tonkin]], standing by to pick up downed aviators." During his tour on the [[USS Gridley (DLG-21)|USS ''Gridley'']], Kerry requested duty in Vietnam, listing as his first preference a position as the commander of a [[Fast Patrol Craft]] (PCF), also known as a "Swift boat." [http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/rqstswiftboat.pdf] These 50-foot boats have [[aluminum]] [[hull (watercraft)|hull]]s and have little or no armor, but are heavily armed and rely on speed. "I didn't really want to get involved in the war," Kerry said in a book of Vietnam reminiscences published in 1986. "When I signed up for the swift boats, they had very little to do with the war. They were engaged in coastal patrolling and that's what I thought I was going to be doing." [http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061603.shtml] However, his second choice of billet was on a river patrol boat, or "[[Patrol boat, rigid|PBR]]", which at the time was serving a more dangerous duty on the rivers of Vietnam. [http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/rqstswiftboat.pdf] On [[June 16]], [[1968]], Kerry was promoted to the rank of [[lieutenant, junior grade]]. On June 20, he left the ''Gridley'' for Swift boat training at the Naval Amphibious Base in [[Coronado, California|Coronado]]. ===Swift boat duty===On [[November 17]], [[1968]], Kerry reported for duty at Coastal Squadron 1 in [[Cam Ranh Bay]] in [[South Vietnam]]. In his role as an officer in charge of Swift boats, Kerry led five-man crews on a number of patrols into enemy-controlled areas. His first command was Swift boat PCF-44, from [[December 6]], [[1968]] to [[January 21]], [[1969]], when the crew was disbanded. They were based at Coastal Division 13 at Cat Lo from December 13 to January 6. Otherwise, they were stationed at Coastal Division 11 at An Thoi. On January 30, Kerry took charge of PCF-94 and its crew, which he led until he departed An Thoi on March 26 and the crew was disbanded. [http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/#vietnam_service] On [[January 22]], [[1969]], Kerry and several other officers had a meeting in [[Saigon]] with [[Admiral]] [[Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.|Elmo Zumwalt]], the commander of U.S. Naval forces in Vietnam, and [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] [[General]] [[Creighton Abrams]], the overall commander of U.S. forces in Vietnam. Kerry and the other officers reported that the "[[free-fire zone]]" policy was alienating the Vietnamese and that the Swift boats' actions were not accomplishing their ostensible goal of interdicting Viet Cong supply lines. According to his biographer, [[Douglas Brinkley]], Kerry and the other visiting officers felt their concerns were dismissed with what amounted to a pep talk ("Tour of Duty," pp. 254-261). ====Military honors====During the night of [[December 2]] [[1968]], and early morning of [[December 3]] [[1968]], Kerry was in charge of a small boat operating near a peninsula north of [[Cam Ranh Bay]] together with a Swift boat (PCF-60). According to Kerry and the two crewmen who accompanied him that night, Patrick Runyon and William Zaladonis, they surprised a group of men unloading [[sampan]]s at a river crossing, who began running and failed to obey an order to stop. As the men fled, Kerry and his crew opened fire on the sampans and destroyed them, then rapidly left. During this encounter, Kerry received a minor wound in the left arm above the elbow. It was for this injury that Kerry received his first [[Purple Heart]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2004/04/17/kerry_purple/index.html | publisher=Salon | title=John Kerry's first Purple Heart | author=Douglas Brinkley | accessdate=2007-01-03}}</ref> Kerry received his second Purple Heart for a wound received in action on the [[Bo De River]] on [[February 20]], [[1969]]. The plan had been for the Swift boats to be accompanied by support helicopters. On the way up the Bo De, however, the helicopters were attacked. They returned to their base to refuel and were unable to return to the mission for several hours. As the Swift boats reached the [[Cua Lon River]], Kerry's boat was hit by a [[rocket-propelled grenade]] round, and a piece of [[shrapnel]] hit Kerry's left leg, wounding him. Thereafter, they had no more trouble, and reached the [[Gulf of Thailand]] safely. Kerry still has shrapnel in his left thigh because the doctors tending to him decided to remove the damaged tissue and close the wound with [[suture]]s rather than make a wide opening to remove the shrapnel [http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/PDFs/Doyle.pdf]. Kerry received his second Purple Heart for this injury, but like several others wounded earlier that day, he did not lose any time off from duty [http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/PDFs/SeaLords324.pdf][http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/PDFs/SeaLords312-316.pdf]. Eight days later, on [[February 28]] [[1969]], came the events for which Kerry was awarded his Silver Star. On this occasion, Kerry was in tactical command of his Swift boat and two others. Their mission included bringing a demolition team and dozens of South Vietnamese soldiers to destroy enemy [[sampan]]s, structures and bunkers. Running into an ambush, Kerry "directed the boats to turn to the beach and charge the Viet Cong positions" and he "expertly directed" his boat's fire and coordinated the deployment of the South Vietnamese troops, according to Admiral [[Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr.|Zumwalt]]'s original medal citation. Going a short distance farther, Kerry's boat was the target of an RPG round; as the boat beached at the site, a VC with a rocket launcher jumped and ran from a spider hole. While the boat's gunner opened fire, wounding the VC on the leg, and while the other boats approached and offered cover fire, Kerry jumped from the boat and chased the VC and killed him, capturing a loaded rocket launcher [http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/jksilverstar.pdf][http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/PDFs/SeaLords270.pdf][http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/PDFs/SeaLords270.pdf]. Kerry's commanding officer, [[Lieutenant Commander]] George Elliott, joked to Douglas Brinkley in 2003 that he didn't know whether to court-martial Kerry for beaching the boat without orders or give him a medal for saving the crew. Elliott recommended Kerry for the Silver Star, and Zumwalt flew into An Thoi to personally award medals to Kerry and the rest of the sailors involved in the mission. The Navy's account of Kerry's actions is presented in the original [[Wikisource:Silver Star Citation - John Kerry|medal citation]] signed by Zumwalt. In addition, the after-action report for this mission is available, along with the original press release written on [[March 1]] [[1969]] a historical summary dated [[March 17]] [[1969]], and more. All of these documents corroborate the eyewitness reports of the incident.[http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/#silver_star] On [[March 13]] [[1969]], five Swift boats were returning to base together on the Bay Hap river from their missions that day, after a firefight earlier in the day (during which time Kerry received a slight shrapnel wound in the buttocks from blowing up a rice bunker), and debarking some but not all of the passengers at a small village. They approached a fishing weir (a series of poles across the river for hanging nets), so that one group of boats went around left, hugging the shore, and a group with Kerry's 94 boat went around right along the shoreline. A mine was detonated directly beneath the lead boat, PCF-3, as it crossed the weir to the left, lifting PCF-3 completely into the air [http://homepage.mac.com/chinesemac/kerry_medals/PDFs/SeaLords358.pdf]. [[James Rassmann]], a [[United States Army Special Forces|Green Beret]] advisor who was aboard PCF-94, was knocked overboard when, according to witnesses and the documentation of the event, a mine or rocket exploded close to the boat. According to the documentation for the event, Kerry's arm was injured when he was thrown against a bulkhead during the explosion. PCF 94 returned to the scene and Kerry rescued Rassmann from the water. Kerry received the Bronze Star for his actions during this incident; he also received his third Purple Heart. [http://fl1.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/jkbronzestar.pdf] After the crew of PCF-3 had been rescued, and the most seriously wounded sailors evacuated by two of the PCFs, PCF 94 and another boat remained behind and helped salvage the stricken boat together with a damage-control party that had been immediately dispatched to the scene. ===Return from Vietnam===After Kerry's third qualifying wound, he was entitled per Navy regulations to re-assignment away from combat duties. Navy records show that Kerry's preferred choice for re-assignment was as an aide in Boston, New York, or Washington DC. [http://files.findlaw.com/news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/jkerry/thricewnd.pdf] On March 26, after a final patrol the night before, Kerry was transferred to Cam Ranh Bay to await his orders. He was there for five or six days and left Vietnam in early April. On April 11, he reported to the [[Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn]]-based Atlantic [[Military Sea Transportation Service]], where he would remain on active duty for the following year as a personal aide to an officer, Rear Admiral [[Walter Schlech]]. On [[January 1]], [[1970]] Kerry was temporarily promoted to full [[Lieutenant]].<ref>{{cite web| url = http://web.archive.org/web/20040426002850/www.johnkerry.com/about/Temporary_Orders_and_Ranks.pdf| title = Temporary Orders and Ranks (Internet Archive mirror)| accessdate = 2006-09-08| author = United States Navy| format = PDF}}</ref> As a condition for taking the position as an admiral's aide, Kerry agreed to an extension of his active duty obligation through August 1970. On January 3, he requested early discharge. He was discharged from active duty on March 1. John Kerry was on active duty in the U.S. Navy for three years and eight months, from August 1966 until March 1970. He continued to serve in the Navy Reserves until February 1972. He lost five friends in the war, including Yale classmate Richard Pershing, who was [[killed in action]] on [[February 17]], [[1968]]. ===Controversy over military service and awards=== As the presidential campaign of 2004 developed, approximately 200 Vietnam-era veterans formed the group [[Swift Boat Veterans for Truth]] (SBVT) and held press conferences, ran ads, and endorsed a book questioning Kerry's service record and his military awards. Defenders of John Kerry's war record, including most of his surviving former crewmates, have asserted that several organizers of SBVT had close ties to the Bush presidential campaign and that certain SBVT accusations were politically motivated and false. :''See: [[John Kerry military service controversy]]'' ==Anti-war activism (1970–1971)==[[Image:The_New_Soldier.jpg|150x|thumb|right|Kerry co-authored the book ''[[The New Soldier]]'' with the VVAW.]] After returning to the United States, Kerry joined the [[Vietnam Veterans Against the War]] (VVAW). Then numbering about 20,000, [http://www.vvaw.org/veteran/article/?id=378] VVAW was considered by some (including the administration of President [[Richard Nixon]]) to be an effective component of the antiwar movement. VVAW's members, including Kerry, could speak with personal knowledge about what they had seen in Vietnam. Beyond such specifics, however, they were seen as having "paid their dues" in Vietnam and, therefore, being entitled to at least a respectful hearing. Americans who opposed the war were grateful for VVAW's work. Many Vietnam veterans saw the organization as giving voice to the views of the common soldier in exposing official deceit. Many other veterans, however, such as those who in 2004 formed Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, deeply resented the VVAW's activities, feeling that their own military service was being attacked or cheapened. In a ''[[Harvard Crimson]]'' interview, dated February 18, 1970,[http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=352185] Kerry expounds on his view of how an immediate retreat would impact Southeast Asia: : Immediate withdrawal from Vietnam, Kerry said, would take about seven months due to complex logistics problems. During that interval he would allow only "self-defense return of fire." "Logistic support is now what Nixon is talking about leaving there and I don't want to see that. I don't think we should leave support troops there and I don't think we should give Vietnam any more than the foreign aid given any other one country." He does not feel there would be a massive slaughter of American, sympathizers once the United States pulled out. He would repeat this opinion in Washington, D.C., the following year: <!-- Unsourced image removed: [[Image:Kerrytestimony.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Kerry testified before the [[U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]] on [[April 22]], [[1971]].]] -->On [[April 22]], [[1971]], Kerry became the first Vietnam veteran to testify before Congress about the war, when he appeared before a Senate committee hearing on proposals relating to ending the war. Wearing green [[Fatigues (uniform)|fatigues]] and service ribbons, he spoke for nearly two hours with the [[U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]] in what has been named the [[Fulbright Hearing]], after the Chairman of the proceedings, Senator J.W. Fulbright. Kerry began with [[s:Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement|a prepared speech]], in which he presented the conclusions of the [[Winter Soldier Investigation]], where veterans had described personally committing or witnessing war crimes. Controversially referring to US servicemen in Vietnam as having been sent ''"to die for the biggest nothing in history,"'' Kerry alleged that the military had ''"created a monster"'' in the form of violence-prone American soldiers, and recounted that soldiers had personally recollected stories of having ''"personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads,"'' of Vietnamese citizens and rampaging across Vietnam ''"[razing] villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan"''. That these acts were "not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."[http://www.nationalreview.com/document/kerry200404231047.asp] Most of Kerry's testimony addressed the larger policy issues. Kerry expressed his view that the war was essentially a [[civil war]] and that nothing in Vietnam was a realistic threat to the United States. He argued that the real reason for the continued fighting was political purposes: ''"Someone has to die so that [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]] won't be, and these are his words, 'the first President to lose a war.'"'' That conclusion led him to ask: ''"[H]ow do you ask a man to be [[McMahon and Judge|the last man to die in Vietnam]]? How do you ask a man to be the last man to die for a mistake?"'' The day after this testimony, Kerry participated in a demonstration with 800 other veterans in which he and other veterans threw their medals and ribbons over a fence at the front steps of the [[U.S. Capitol]] building to dramatize their opposition to the war. Jack Smith, a [[United States Marine Corps|Marine]], read a statement explaining why the veterans were returning their military awards to the government. For more than two hours, angry veterans tossed their medals, ribbons, hats, jackets, and military papers over the fence. Each veteran gave his or her name, hometown, branch of service and a statement. As Kerry threw his decorations over the fence, his statement was: "I'm not doing this for any violent reasons, but for peace and justice, and to try and make this country wake up once and for all." Some have questioned whether he gave up his own medals or just his ribbons during the demonstration at the Capitol. [[Tom Oliphant]] has gone on record supporting Kerry's account.[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/04/27/i_watched_kerry_throw_his_war_decorations/] ===Media appearances===[[Image:Kerrydoonesbury.gif|thumb|Kerry's anti-war activities were satirized by [[Garry Trudeau]] in his comic strip ''[[Doonesbury]]'' in October 1971.]]Because Kerry was a decorated veteran who took a stand against the government's official position, he was frequently interviewed by broadcast and print media. He was able to use these occasions to bring the themes of his Senate testimony to a wider audience. For example, Kerry appeared more than once on ''[[Dick Cavett|The Dick Cavett Show]]'' on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television. On one Cavett program ([[June 30]], [[1971]]), in debating [[John O'Neill (Vietnam veteran)|John O'Neill]], Kerry argued that some of the policies instituted by the U.S. military leaders in Vietnam, such as [[free-fire zone]]s and burning noncombatants' houses, were contrary to the [[laws of war]]. In the ''[[Washington Star]]'' newspaper ([[June 6]], [[1971]]), he recounted how he and other Swift boat officers had become disillusioned by the contrast between what the leaders told them and what they saw: "That's when I realized I could never remain silent about the realities of the war in Vietnam." On [[NBC]]'s ''[[Meet The Press]]'' in 1971, Kerry was asked whether he had personally committed atrocities in Vietnam. He responded: :''"There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 calibre machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages. All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down. And I believe that the men who designed these, the men who designed the free fire zone, the men who ordered us, the men who signed off the air raid strike areas, I think these men, by the letter of the law, the same letter of the law that tried [[William Calley|Lieutenant Calley]], are war criminals."'' [[Image:Kerry_Lennon.jpg|200px|thumb|Kerry with former [[The Beatles|Beatle]] [[John Lennon]] during a protest rally at [[New York City]]'s [[Bryant Park]] in the summer of 1971.]]<!-- Image with disputed fair-use status removed: [[Image:Kerryarrest.JPG|frame|Kerry (upper left) is arrested in May, 1971 while leading the VVAW in a protest ("Operation POW") in [[Lexington, Massachusetts]].]] --> ===Operation POW===Kerry's prominence also made him a frequent leader and spokesman at antiwar events around the country in 1971. One of particular note was Operation POW, organized by the VVAW in Massachusetts. The protest got its name from the group's concern that Americans were prisoners of the Vietnam War, as well as to honor American POWs held captive by [[North Vietnam]]. The event sought to tie antiwar activism to patriotic themes. Over the [[Memorial Day]] weekend, veterans and other participants marched from [[Concord, Massachusetts|Concord]] to a rally on [[Boston Common]]. The plan was to invoke the spirit of the [[American Revolution]] and [[Paul Revere]] by spending successive nights at the sites of the [[Battle of Lexington and Concord]] and the [[Battle of Bunker Hill]], culminating in a Memorial Day rally with a public reading of the [[Declaration of Independence]]. The second night of the march, May 29, was the occasion for Kerry's only arrest, when the participants tried to camp on the village green in [[Lexington, Massachusetts|Lexington]]. At 2:30 a.m. on [[May 30]], local and state police awoke and arrested 441 demonstrators, including Kerry, for trespassing. All were given the [[Miranda Warning]] and were hauled away on school buses to spend the night at the Lexington Public Works Garage. Kerry and the other protesters later paid a $5 fine and were released. The mass arrests caused a community backlash and ended up giving positive coverage to the VVAW.{{citation needed|date=February 2007}} Despite his role in Operation POW and other VVAW events, Kerry eventually quit the organization over leadership differences. Kerry has been criticized regarding VVAW - see [[John Kerry VVAW controversy]] for more details. ==Early career (1972–1985)===== 1972 Campaign for Congress ===In February 1972, after Kerry previously passed on an opportunity to run in another district, his wife, [[Julia Thorne|Julia]] bought a house in [[Worcester, Massachusetts|Worcester]]. Residence there would have required Kerry to run for [[United States House of Representatives|Congress]] against an incumbent [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], [[Harold D. Donohue]]. Instead however, the couple rented an apartment in [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]]. The incumbent in that district, [[F. Bradford Morse]], was a Republican who was thought to be retiring. Counting Kerry, the Democratic primary race in 1972 had 10 candidates. One of these was State Representative [[Anthony R. DiFruscia]] of [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]]. Both Kerry's and DiFuscia's campaign HQ's were in the same building. On the eve of the September primary, Kerry's younger brother Cameron and campaign field director [[Thomas J. Vallely]], both then 22 years old, were found by police in the basement of this building, where the telephone lines were located. They were arrested and charged with "[[breaking and entering]] with the intent to commit [[grand larceny]]", but the case was dismissed about a year later. At the time of the incident, DiFruscia alleged that they were trying to disrupt his get-out-the vote efforts. Vallely and Cameron Kerry maintained that they were only checking their own telephone lines because they had received an anonymous call warning that the Kerry lines would be cut. [http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/061803_p.shtml] Although Kerry's campaign was hurt by the election-day report of the arrest, he still won the primary by a comfortable margin over state Representative Paul J. Sheehy. DiFruscia placed third. Kerry lost in Lawrence and Lowell, his chief opponents' bases, but placed first in 18 of the district's 22 towns. In the general election, Kerry was initially favored to defeat the Republican candidate, former state Representative [[Paul W. Cronin]], and an independent, Roger P. Durkin. A major obstacle, however, was the district's leading newspaper, the [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] ''[[The Sun (Lowell)|Sun]]''. The paper editorialized against him. It also ran critical news stories about his out-of-state contributions and his "[[carpetbagger|carpetbagging]]", because he had moved into the district only in April. The final blow came when, four days before the election, Durkin withdrew in favor of Cronin. Cronin won the election, becoming the only Republican to be elected to Congress that November in a district carried by Democratic [[President of the United States|Presidential]] [[nomination|nominee]] [[George McGovern]]. ===Law school and early political career (1972–1985)===After Kerry's 1972 defeat, he and his wife bought a house in Lowell. He spent some time working as a fundraiser for the [[Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere]] (CARE), an international humanitarian organization. He decided that the best way for him to continue in public life was to study law. In September 1973, he entered [[Boston College Law School]] at [[Newton, Massachusetts]]. In July 1974, while attending [[law school]], Kerry was named executive director of Mass Action, a Massachusetts advocacy association. He received his [[Juris Doctor]] ([[J.D.]]) degree in 1976. While in law school he had been a student prosecutor in the office of the [[District Attorney]] of [[Middlesex County, Massachusetts|Middlesex County]], John J. Droney. After passing the bar exam and being admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1976, he went to work in that office as a full-time prosecutor. In January 1977, Droney promoted him to First Assistant District Attorney. In that position, Kerry had dual roles. First, he tried cases, winning convictions in a high-profile rape case and a murder. Second, he played a role in administering the office of the district attorney by initiating the creation of special white-collar and organized crime units, creating programs to address the problems of rape and other crime victims and of witnesses, and managing trial calendars to reflect case priorities. It was in this role in 1978 that Kerry announced an investigation into possible criminal charges against then Senator [[Edward Brooke]], regarding "misstatements" in his first divorce trial. [http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/images/day5/01.htm] In 1979, Kerry resigned from the District Attorney's office to set up a private law firm with another former prosecutor. And, although his private law practice was a success, Kerry was still interested in public office. He re-entered electoral politics by running for [[Lieutenant Governor]] of Massachusetts and won a narrow victory in the 1982 Democratic primary. The ticket, with [[Michael Dukakis]] as the gubernatorial candidate, won the general election without difficulty. The position of Lieutenant Governor carried few inherent responsibilities. Dukakis, however, delegated additional matters to Kerry. In particular, Kerry's interest in environmental protection led him to become heavily involved in the issue of [[acid rain]]. His work contributed to a [[National Governors Association]] resolution in 1984 that was a precursor to the 1990 amendments to the federal [[Clean Air Act]]. During his campaign, Kerry had argued that nuclear evacuation planning was "a sham intended to deceive Americans into believing they could survive a nuclear war". Once in office, he drafted an [[Executive Order]] condemning such planning, which Dukakis signed despite having lost the presidential election.{{citation needed|date=February 2007}} ===Election to the Senate===The junior U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, [[Paul Tsongas]], announced in 1984 that he would be stepping down for health reasons. Kerry decided to run for the seat. As in his 1982 race for Lieutenant Governor, he did not receive the endorsement of the party regulars at the state Democratic convention. Again as in 1982, however, he prevailed in a close primary. In his campaign he promised to mix liberalism with tight budget controls. As the Democratic candidate he was elected to the Senate despite a nationwide landslide for the re-election of Republican president [[Ronald Reagan]], whom Massachusetts voted for by a narrow margin. In his acceptance speech, Kerry asserted that his win meant that the people of Massachusetts "emphatically reject the politics of selfishness and the notion that women must be treated as second-class citizens." Kerry was sworn in as a U.S. Senator in January 1985. ==Service in the U.S. Senate (1985–present)==[[Image:JohnKerry.jpg|thumb|200px|right|An earlier Senate portrait of Kerry]]''See also: [[Sponsorship of legislation by John Kerry|Legislation sponsored by John Kerry]]'' ===Iran-Contra hearings==={{main|Kerry Committee report}} On [[April 18]], [[1985]], a few months after taking his Senate seat, Kerry and Senator [[Tom Harkin]] of [[Iowa]] traveled to [[Nicaragua]] and met the country's president, [[Daniel Ortega]]. Though Ortega was democratically elected, the trip was criticized because Ortega and his [[leftist]] [[Sandinista]] government had strong ties to [[Cuba]] and the [[USSR]]. The Sandinista government was opposed by the [[right-wing]] [[CIA]]-backed rebels known as the [[Contra (guerrillas)|Contras]]. While in Nicaragua, Kerry and Harkin talked to people on both sides of the conflict. Through the senators, Ortega offered a cease-fire agreement in exchange for the US dropping support of the Contras. The offer was denounced by the [[Ronald Reagan|Reagan]] administration as a "[[propaganda]] initiative" designed to influence a House vote on a $14 million Contra [[foreign aid|aid package]], but Kerry said "I am willing...to take the risk in the effort to put to test the good faith of the Sandinistas." The House voted down the Contra aid, but Ortega flew to [[Moscow]] to accept a $200 million loan the next day, an act which in part prompted the House to pass a larger $27 million aid package six weeks later.<ref>{{cite web| author = John Aloysius Farrell| year = 6/20/2003| url = http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/062003.shtml| title = With probes, making his mark| format =| work =HTML| publisher = Boston Globe| accessdate = June 21| accessyear = 2006}}</ref> In April 1986, Kerry and Senator [[Christopher Dodd]], a Democrat from [[Connecticut]], proposed that hearings be conducted by the [[U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Senate Foreign Relations Committee]] regarding charges of [[Contra]] involvement in [[cocaine]] and [[marijuana]] [[drug trafficking|trafficking]]. Sen. [[Dick Lugar|Richard G. Lugar]] of [[Indiana]], the Republican chairman of the committee, agreed to conduct the hearings. Meanwhile, Kerry's staff began their own investigations, and on October 14 issued a report which exposed illegal activities on the part of [[Lieutenant Colonel]] [[Oliver North]], who had set up a private network involving the [[United States National Security Council|National Security Council]] and the CIA to deliver military equipment to right-wing Nicaraguan rebels (Contras). In effect, North and certain members of the President's administration were accused by Kerry's report of illegally funding and supplying armed militants without the authorization of Congress. Kerrys staff investigation, based on a year long inquiry and interviews with 50 unnamed sources, is said to raise "serious questions about whether the United States has abided by the law in its handling of the contras over the past three years."<ref>{{cite journal| first =Author | last =Unknown| authorlink =| coauthors =| year =1986| month =October 15| title =White House Official Linked To Arms Deliveries to Contras | journal =[[New York Times]]| volume =| issue =| pages = p.6| id =| url =http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A0DE3D71339F936A25753C1A960948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fPeople%2fK%2fKerry%2c%20John}}</ref> The [[Kerry Committee report]] found that "the Contra drug links included...payments to drug traffickers by the U.S. State Department of funds authorized by the Congress for humanitarian assistance to the Contras, in some cases after the traffickers had been indicted by federal law enforcement agencies on drug charges, in others while traffickers were under active investigation by these same agencies."<ref name="report">{{cite web| author =| year =| url = http://www.pinknoiz.com/covert/contracoke.html| title =Selections from the Senate Committee Report on Drugs, Law Enforcement and Foreign Policy chaired by Senator John F. Kerry| format =| work =HTML| publisher =| accessdate =April 21| accessyear =2006}}</ref> The US State Department paid over $806,000 to known drug traffickers to carry humanitarian assistance to the Contras.<ref name="white"> {{cite book| last =Cockburn| first =Alexander | authorlink =| coauthors =Jeffrey St Clair| year =October 1, 1999| title =Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press| publisher =Verso| location = | id =ISBN 1-85984-258-5}}</ref> Kerry's findings provoked little reaction in the media and official Washington.<ref name="react"> {{cite journal| first = | last =| authorlink = David Corn| coauthors =| year = 2001| month =July 16| title =Defining John Kerry| journal =The Nation| volume =| issue =| pages =| id =| url =http://www.thenation.com/doc/20010716/dcorn/2}}</ref> The Kerry report was a precursor to the [[Iran-Contra affair]]. On [[May 4]], [[1989]], North was convicted of charges relating to the Iran/Contra controversy, including three felonies. On [[September 16]], [[1991]], however, North's convictions were overturned on appeal.<ref>{{cite journal| first =David | last =Johnston| authorlink =| coauthors =| year =1992| month =December 24| title =Bush Pardons 6 In Iran Affair, Aborting A Weinberger Trial; Prosecutor Assails 'Cover-Up' Bush Diary at Issue 6-Year Inquiry Into Deal of Arms for Hostages All but Swept Away | journal =New York Times| volume =| issue =| pages =| id =| url =http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/991224onthisday_big.html}}</ref> ===Iran-US relation===Former [[Iran]]ian President [[Mohammad Khatami]] and Senator John Kerry (D-MA) have expressed similar opinions and shared words with each other in the 2007 World Economic Forum in Davos.<ref>[http://www.radiojavan.com/news/index.php?id=768&comments=yes Khatami & Kerry: A Common Denominator]</ref><ref>[http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/27/AR2007012700789.html ''Young Iranians Warn Pressure Could Stren'']</ref> ===Kerry and the George H.W. Bush administration===On [[November 15]], [[1988]], at a businessmen's breakfast in [[Lynn, Massachusetts|East Lynn]], Massachusetts, Kerry made a joke about then [[President-elect]] [[George H.W. Bush]] and his running mate, saying "if Bush is shot, the [[United States Secret Service|Secret Service]] has orders to shoot [[Dan Quayle]]." He apologized the following day. During their investigation of Noriega, Kerry's staff found reason to believe that the [[Pakistan]]-based [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International]] (BCCI) had facilitated Noriega's drug trafficking and [[money laundering]]. This led to a separate inquiry into BCCI, and as a result, banking regulators shut down BCCI in 1991. In December 1992, Kerry and Senator [[Hank Brown]], a Republican from Colorado, released ''The BCCI Affair'', a report on the BCCI scandal. The report showed that the bank was crooked and was working with [[terrorism|terrorists]], including [[Abu Nidal]]. It blasted the [[U.S. Department of Justice|Department of Justice]], the [[U.S. Department of the Treasury|Department of the Treasury]], the [[United States Customs Service|Customs Service]], the [[Federal Reserve System|Federal Reserve Bank]], as well as influential [[lobbying|lobbyists]] and the CIA. [http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/features/2004/0409.sirota.html] Kerry was criticized by some Democrats for having pursued his own party members, including former [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]] [[Clark Clifford]], although Republicans said he should have pressed against some Democrats even harder. The BCCI scandal was later turned over to the [[Manhattan]] District Attorney's office. [http://www.fas.org/irp/congress/1992_rpt/bcci/19rogers.htm] ===Precursors to Presidential Bid===''See also: [[Massachusetts United States Senate election, 1996]], [[United States presidential election, 2000]]'' In 1996, Kerry faced a difficult re-election fight against Governor [[William Weld]], a popular Republican incumbent who had been re-elected in 1994 with 71% of the vote. The race was covered nationwide as one of the most closely-watched Senate races that year. Kerry and Weld held several debates and negotiated a campaign spending cap of $6.9 million at Kerry's [[Beacon Hill, Boston, Massachusetts|Beacon Hill]] mansion. Kerry eventually broke the agreement, which led to his win in a very close race, according to Rob Gray, Mr. Weld's campaign spokesman. "John Kerry will abandon his principles to win," he said, and "Weld would have won if Kerry hadn't spent the money over the cap".<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/07/politics/campaign/07KERR.html?ex=1391490000&en=d9f9da7327646acd&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND], New York Times, [[February 7]], [[2004]].</ref> During the campaign, Kerry spoke briefly at the [[1996 Democratic National Convention]]. Senator Kerry won re-election with 53 percent to Weld's 45 percent. According to ''[[Newsweek]]'', during the [[U.S. presidential election, 2004|2004 presidential election]], Weld was interviewed by [[Karl Rove]], [[Karen Hughes]] and other senior members of the [[George W. Bush presidential campaign, 2004|Bush campaign]] on debating and running against Kerry.{{citation needed|date=February 2007}} In the 2000 presidential election, Kerry again found himself close to being chosen as the vice presidential running mate. [http://archives.cnn.com/2000/LOCAL/northeast/07/14/boh.kerry.veep/index.html] A release from the presidential campaign of presumptive Democratic nominee [[Al Gore]] listed Kerry on the short list to be selected as the vice-presidential nominee, along with North Carolina Senator [[John Edwards]], Indiana Senator [[Evan Bayh]], Missouri Congressman [[Richard Gephardt]], New Hampshire Governor [[Jeanne Shaheen]] and Connecticut Senator [[Joe Lieberman]]. Gore eventually selected Lieberman as the nominee, but Kerry continued to campaign on behalf of the Gore-Lieberman campaign through [[Election Day]]. ===Issues and voting record===John Kerry is a member of the [[Democratic Leadership Council]], which advocates centrist and liberal positions. Most analyses place Kerry's voting record on the left within the Senate Democratic caucus.[http://www.factcheck.org/article284m.html] During the 2004 presidential election he was portrayed as a staunch [[Liberalism in the United States|liberal]] by conservative special interest groups and the Bush campaign, who often noted that in 2003 Kerry was rated the ''[[National Journal]]'''s top Senate liberal. However, that rating was based only upon voting on legislation within that past year. In fact, in terms of career voting records, the ''National Journal'' found that Kerry is the 11th most liberal member of the Senate. Most analyses find that Kerry is at least slightly more liberal than the typical Democratic Senator. For example, Keith T. Poole of the [[University of Houston]] found that Kerry was tied for being the 24th most liberal Senator.{{citation needed|date=February 2007}} Kerry has stated that he opposes privatizing [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]], supports [[abortion]] rights for adult women and minors, supports [[civil unions]] for [[same-sex couples]], opposes [[capital punishment]] except for [[terrorists]], supports most [[Gun politics in the United States#Gun control laws|gun control laws]], and is generally a supporter of trade agreements. Kerry supported the [[North American Free Trade Agreement]] and [[Most Favored Nation]] status for [[China]], but opposed the [[Central American Free Trade Agreement]]. In July 1997 Kerry joined his Senate colleagues in voting against ratification of the [[Kyoto Treaty]] on [[global warming]] without greenhouse gas emissions limits on nations deemed developing, including India and China.[http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=105&session=1&vote=00205] Since then, Kerry has attacked President Bush, charging him with opposition to international efforts to combat global warming. [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-01-27-kerry-us-policy_x.htm?csp=34] ====Iraq====In 1991, during the debate before the [[Gulf War]], Kerry initially opposed the immediate use of military force to expel Iraqi soldiers from [[Kuwait]]. The [[United Nations]] had imposed [[sanction]]s on Iraq, and Kerry argued that the sanctions then in place should be given more time to work. More recently, Kerry said on [[October 9]], [[2002]]; "I will be voting to give the President of the United States the authority to use force, if necessary, to disarm Saddam Hussein because I believe that a deadly arsenal of weapons of mass destruction in his hands is a real and grave threat to our security." Bush relied on that resolution in ordering the [[2003 invasion of Iraq]]. Kerry also gave a [[January 23]], [[2003]] speech to [[Georgetown University]] saying "Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator; leading an oppressive regime he presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. So the threat of Saddam Hussein with weapons of mass destruction is real." Kerry did, however, warn that the administration should exhaust its diplomatic avenues before launching war: "Mr. President, do not rush to war, take the time to build the coalition, because it's not winning the war that's hard, it's winning the peace that's hard." [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/09/02/politics/main571162.shtml] After the invasion of Iraq, when no [[Weapons of Mass Destruction]] were found, Kerry strongly criticized Bush, contending that he had misled the country: "When the President of the United States looks at you and tells you something, there should be some trust." [http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/01/27/sprj.nirq.bush/] ===Other Senate activities===During his Senate career, Kerry has sponsored or cosponsored dozens of [[Act of Congress|bill]]s. Some of his notable bills have addressed [[small business]] concerns, [[education]], [[terrorism]], [[veteran]]s' and [[POW]]-[[Missing in action|MIA]] issues, marine resource protection and other topics. Of those bills with his sponsorship, as of December 2004, 11 have been signed into law. Kerry was the chairman of the [[Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee]] from 1987 to 1989. He was reelected to the Senate in [[U.S. Senate election, 1990|1990]], [[U.S. Senate election, 1996|1996]] (after winning re-election against the then-[[List of Governors of Massachusetts|Governor of Massachusetts]], Republican [[William Weld]]), and [[U.S. Senate election, 2002|2002]]. His current term will end on [[January 3]] [[2009]]. As of 2006, Kerry serves on four Senate committees and twelve subcommittees: * [[U.S. Senate Committee on Finance|Committee on Finance]]** Subcommittee on Health Care** Subcommittee on Social Security and Family Policy** Subcommittee on Long-term Growth and Debt Reduction * [[U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship|Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship]] (Chairman)* [[U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation|Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation]] ** Subcommittee on Fisheries and the Coast Guard** Subcommittee on Trade, Tourism and Economic Development** Subcommittee on Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness ** Subcommittee on Global Climate Change and Impacts** Subcommittee on National Ocean Policy Study* [[U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations|Committee on Foreign Relations]]** [[U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs|Subcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairs]]** Subcommittee on International Economic Policy, Export and Trade Promotion** Subcommittee on International Operations and Terrorism** Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps & Narcotics Affair ==2004 Presidential election=={{main|United States presidential election, 2004|John Kerry presidential campaign, 2004}}[[Image:Kerry on the Daily Show.jpg|250px|left|thumb|Kerry, then the Democratic presidential nominee, appearing on ''[[The Daily Show]]'' to be interviewed by [[Jon Stewart]]]][[Image:Kerry-wind.jpg|thumb|250px|Kerry with his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, crossing [[Lake Michigan]] on the ''[[Lake Express]]'' during the campaign]][[Image:John Kerry in New Mexico.jpg|thumb|Campaign trail in [[New Mexico]]]]In the 2004 Democratic Presidential primaries, John Kerry defeated several Democratic rivals, including Sen. [[John Edwards]] (D-North Carolina.), former Vermont Governor [[Howard Dean]] and [[Wesley Clark|retired Gen. Wesley K. Clark]]. His victory in the Iowa caucuses is widely believed to be the tipping point where Kerry revived his sagging campaign in New Hampshire and the [[February 3]] primary states like Arizona, South Carolina and New Mexico. Kerry then went on to win landslide victories in Nevada and Wisconsin. Kerry thus won the Democratic nomination to run for President of the United States against incumbent George W. Bush. On [[July 6]] [[2004]], he announced his selection of John Edwards as his running mate. On [[November 3]], [[2004]], Kerry conceded the race. Kerry won 59.03 million votes or about 48 percent of the popular vote; Bush won 62.04 million votes, or about 51 percent of the popular vote. Kerry received the second-highest number of votes ever for president of the United States, Bush getting the highest. Kerry carried states with a total of 252 [[United States Electoral College|electoral votes]]. One Kerry elector voted for Kerry's running mate, Edwards, so in the final tally Kerry had 251 electoral votes to Bush's 286. Although, as in the [[United States presidential election, 2000|2000 election]], there were disputes about the voting, no state was as close as [[Florida]] had been in 2000 (''see [[2004 U.S. presidential election controversy and irregularities]]''). Though the states of Florida and Ohio certified returns with a nearly twenty percent discrepancy from exit polling (''see [[2004 United States presidential election controversy, exit polls]]''), the campaign accepted the results. ==Post-presidential election activities=====Potential 2008 candidacy===Immediately after the 2004 election, some Democrats mentioned Kerry as a possible contender for the 2008 Democratic nomination. His brother has said such a campaign is "conceivable," and Kerry himself reportedly said at a farewell party for his 2004 campaign staff, "There's always another four years."<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/11/09/kerry_run_in_08_called_conceivable/].</ref> Kerry established a separate [[political action committee]], Keeping America's Promise,<ref> [http://www.keepingamericaspromise.com/].</ref> that raised money and channeled contributions to Democratic candidates in state and federal races.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2004/12/05/kerry_creates_pac_to_back_candidates/].</ref> Through Keeping America's Promise in 2005, Kerry raised over $5.5 million for other Democrats up and down the ballot. Through his campaign account and his political action committee, the Kerry campaign operation generated more than $10 million for various party committees and 179 candidates for the US House, Senate, state and local offices in 42 states focusing on the midterm elections during the last two years.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/09/kerrys_barnstorming_sparks_talk_of_a_run/?page=1] .</ref> "Cumulatively, John Kerry has done as much if not more than any other individual senator," Hassan Nemazee, the national finance chairman of the [[Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee|DSCC]] said.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/21/kerry_is_pressured_to_share_campaign_wealth/?page=2].</ref> On [[January 24]], [[2007]], however, Kerry announced he would not run for President in 2008, instead choosing to run for another Senate term.<ref>{{cite news | first = Rick | last = Klein | title = Kerry won't run for president in '08 | url =http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2007/01/24/kerry_to_bow_out_of_08_presidential_race/?p1=MEWell_Pos4 | publisher =Boston Globe | date =January 24, 2007 | accessdate =2007-01-25 }}</ref> ===Controversy over comments on Iraq and education===On [[October 30]], [[2006]], Kerry was a headline speaker at a campaign rally being held for Democratic California gubernatorial candidate [[Phil Angelides]] at [[Pasadena City College]] in [[Pasadena, California]]. Speaking to an audience composed mainly of college students, Kerry said, "You know, education, if you make the most of it, you study hard, you do your homework and you make an effort to be smart, you can do well. If you don't, you get stuck in Iraq."<ref>{{cite news | last =Ryan | first =Andrew | title =Kerry says he "botched joke" and lashes out at GOP | publisher =Boston Globe | date =October 31, 2006 | url =http://www.boston.com/news/globe/city_region/breaking_news/2006/10/kerry_says_he_b.html | accessdate =2007-01-11 }}</ref> Kerry said that he had intended the remark as a jab at President Bush, but he had inadvertently left out the key word "us." Kerry and his aides described these remarks as a "botched joke" aimed at President Bush.<ref>{{cite news | last =Sandalow | first =Marc | title = 'Botched joke' feeds a frenzy among Dems, GOP and media | publisher =San Francisco Chronicle | date =November 2, 2006 | url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/11/02/KERRY.TMP | accessdate =2007-01-11 }}</ref> In Kerry's prepared remarks which were released after the ensuing media frenzy, the corresponding line was "... you end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq. Just ask President Bush."<ref>{{cite news | last =Zernike | first =Kate | title =Flubbed Joke Makes Kerry a Political Punching Bag, Again | publisher =New York Times | date =November 1, 2006 | url http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/02/us/politics/02kerry.html?ex=1320123600&en=963d1c71e86f271f&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss | accessdate =2007-01-11}}</ref> The day after the remarks were made public, Republican leaders, including [[George W. Bush]], [[John McCain]] and [[Dennis Hastert]], said that Kerry's comments were insulting to American military forces fighting in Iraq. Democratic Representative [[Harold Ford, Jr.]] called on Kerry to apologize and Pennsylvania Senate candidate [[Bob Casey, Jr.]] cancelled an appearance with Kerry, though both accepted his explanation. Kerry initially stated: "Let me make it crystal clear, as crystal clear as I know how. I apologize to no one for my criticism of the president and of his broken policy."<ref>{{cite news | last =Loven | first =Jennifer | title =Some Democrats join Republicans in pressing Kerry for apology | publisher =Houston Chronicle | date =November 1, 2006 | url =http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/nation/4302629.html | accessdate =2007-01-11 }}</ref> Kerry also criticized what he felt was unfair criticism from [[George W. Bush]] and [[Dick Cheney]] (who both did not serve in the Vietnam War as Kerry did), stating "If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy. This is the classic G.O.P. playbook. I’m sick and tired of these despicable Republican attacks that always seem to come from those who never can be found to serve in war, but love to attack those who did."<ref>{{cite web | title =Statement of John Kerry Responding to Republican Distortions, Pathetic Tony Snow Diversions and Distractions | publisher =Friends of John Kerry | date =October 31, 2006 | url =http://www.johnkerry.com/news/releases/release.html?id=33 | accessdate =2007-01-11 }}</ref> After two days of media coverage, citing a desire not to be a diversion, Kerry apologized to those who took offense at what he called the misinterpretation of his comment.<ref>{{cite news | last =Stout | first =David | title =Kerry Apologizes for Iraq Remark | publisher =New York Times | date =November 1, 2006 | url =http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/01/washington/01cnd-kerry.html?ex=1320037200&en=d68aa8623d11759b&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss | accessdate =2007-01-11 }}</ref> John Kerry announced on [[January 24]], [[2007]] on the floor of the Senate that he would not seek the 2008 Democratic nomination for President. [http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2007/01/24/kerry_to_bow_out_of_08_presidential_race/] ===Controversy at 2007 World Economic Forum=== Kerry was a speaker at the 2007 [[World Economic Forum]] in [[Davos]], [[Switzerland]]. His speech there accused President Bush of turning the United States into "a sort of international pariah." [http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-01-27-kerry-us-policy_x.htm?csp=34] Kerry specifically accused Bush of failing to ratify the Kyoto Treaty, a treaty he also refused to endorse, and ignoring the [[AIDS]] problem in [[Africa]]. The press in Iran considered the statement as critical of Bush's opposition to the country's plans to develop nuclear technology. [http://english.farsnews.com/newstext.php?nn=8511080271] == Personal life ==[[Image:John Kerry promotional photograph columns.jpg|thumb|right|John Kerry]]Kerry is 6 ft 4in (1.93 m) [http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/09/politics/campaigns/09KERR.html], enjoys [[surfing]] and [[windsurfing]], as well as [[ice hockey]], [[hunting]] and playing [[bass guitar]]. According to an interview he gave to ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine in 2004, Kerry's favorite album is ''[[Abbey Road (album)|Abbey Road]]'' and he is a fan of [[The Beatles]] and [[The Rolling Stones]], as well as of [[Jimi Hendrix]] and [[Jimmy Buffett]]. He also mentioned that he never liked [[heavy metal]]. [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/_/id/6562106?rnd=1106291647897&has-player=true&version=6.0.12.1040] During his 2004 presidential campaign, Kerry used [[Bruce Springsteen]]'s ''No Surrender'' as one of his campaign songs. Later he would adopt [[U2]]'s "Beautiful Day" as his official campaign song. Kerry is described by ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'', among others, as an "avid [[cycling|cyclist]]" [http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2005/tour05/news/?id=/news/2005/jul05/jul24news2][http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/more/specials/tour_de_france/2005/07/23/bc.cyc.tourdefrance.not.ap/], primarily riding on a road bike. Prior to his Presidential bid, Kerry was known to have participated in several long-distance [[challenge riding|rides]] (centuries). Even during his many campaigns, he was reported to have visited bicycle stores both in his home state and elsewhere. His staff requested recumbent stationary bikes for his hotel rooms. [http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0327061kerry2.html] In 2003, Kerry was diagnosed with and successfully treated for [[prostate cancer]]. [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/02/11/politics/main540196.shtml] ===Family===Kerry was [[marriage|married]] to [[Julia Thorne]] in 1970, and they had two daughters together: [[Alexandra Kerry|Alexandra]] and [[Vanessa Kerry|Vanessa]]. Alexandra was born on [[September 5]], [[1973]], days before Kerry began law school. A graduate of [[Brown University]], she received her M.F.A. in June 2004 from the [[AFI Conservatory]]. Vanessa was born on [[December 31]], [[1976]]. She is a graduate of [[Phillips Academy]] (like her grandfather) and [[Yale University]], and is currently a student at [[Harvard Medical School]]. Vanessa was active in her father's 2004 Presidential campaign. In 1982 Thorne, who was suffering from severe [[clinical depression|depression]], asked Kerry for a separation. [http://www.washingtonian.com/people/madame_ex.html] They were [[divorce]]d on [[July 25]], [[1988]], and the marriage was formally [[annulment|annulled]] by the [[Roman Catholic Church]] in 1997. "After 14 years as a political wife, I associated politics only with anger, fear and loneliness" she wrote in ''A Change of Heart'', her book about depression. Thorne later married [[Richard Charlesworth (architect)|Richard Charlesworth]], an [[architect]], and moved to [[Bozeman, Montana]], where she became active in local environmental groups such as the [[Greater Yellowstone Coalition]]. Thorne died of cancer on [[April 27]], [[2006]]. Vanessa Kerry graduated [[summa cum laude]] (with highest honors) from Yale with a major in biology. At Yale she was a member of the varsity [[lacrosse]] team. After graduation, she enrolled in [[Harvard University]] Medical School. While at Harvard, she interned with the Vaccine Fund of the [[Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization]], a multi-billion dollar non-profit founded by the [[Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation]], where she conducted a study on immunization in [[Ghana]]. She took brief leave from her medical studies in order to campaign for her father's presidential bid, and is currently in a joint master's program in health policy at the [[London School of Economics]] and the [[London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine]]. Kerry and his second wife, [[Teresa Heinz Kerry|Teresa Simões-Ferreira Heinz]], the widow of [[Pennsylvania]] Senator [[H. John Heinz III]], a Republican, and former [[United Nations]] interpreter, as well as a Bonesman legacy, were introduced to each other by John Heinz at an [[Earth Day]] rally in 1990. They did not meet again until after John Heinz's death, at the 1992 [[Earth Summit]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]]. They married on [[May 26]], [[1995]], in [[Nantucket, Massachusetts|Nantucket]]. John Kerry's stepsons – Teresa's three sons from her previous marriage – are [[H. John Heinz IV]], [[André Heinz]] and [[Christopher Heinz]], who was married to [[Alexandra DeRuyter Lewis]] on [[February 10]], [[2007]]. The ''[[Forbes 400]]'' survey estimated in 2004 that Teresa Heinz Kerry had a [[net worth]] of $750 million. However, estimates have frequently varied, ranging from around $165 million to as high as $3.2 [[1000000000 (number)|billion]], according to a study in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''. Regardless of which figure is correct, Kerry is the wealthiest U.S. Senator. Kerry is wealthy in his own name, and is the beneficiary of at least four trusts inherited from [[Forbes family]] members, including his mother, who died in 2002. ''[[Forbes]]'' magazine (a major business magazine named for an [[Forbes family (publishers)|unrelated Forbes family]]) estimated that if elected, Kerry would have been the third-richest U.S. President in history when adjusted for [[inflation]] [http://www.forbes.com/2004/02/13/cx_da_0213kerry.html]. This assessment was based on the couple's combined assets, but Kerry and Heinz signed a [[pre-nuptial agreement]] that keeps their assets separate. [http://ask.yahoo.com/ask/20040823.html] Kerry's financial disclosure form for 2002 put his personal assets in the range of $409,000 to $1.8 million, with additional assets held jointly by Kerry and his wife in the range of $300,000 to $600,000. [http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2003/12/19/kerry_mortgage_to_help_fund_race/] ===Religious beliefs and practices===A [[Roman Catholic Church|Roman Catholic]], Kerry was said to carry a [[rosary]], a prayer book, and a [[St. Christopher]] medal (the patron saint of travelers) when he campaigned. However, while Kerry is personally against [[abortion]], he supports a woman's right to have one, which puts him at odds with the [[Catholic Church]]. Kerry is a Roman Catholic who supports abortion rights, like several other national political figures, including [[Rudolph Giuliani]], [[George Pataki]], and [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. Discussing his faith, Kerry said, "I thought of being a priest. I was very religious while at school in Switzerland. I was an altar boy and prayed all the time. I was very centered around the Mass and the church." He also said that the Letters of Paul moved him the most, stating that they taught him to "not feel sorry for myself."[http://www.beliefnet.com/story/150/story_15043_1.html] According to ''[[Christianity Today]]'', Kerry remarks about his faith::''"I'm a Catholic and I practice, but at the same time I have an open-mindedness to many other expressions of spirituality that come through different religions. … I've spent some time reading and thinking about [religion] and trying to study it, and I've arrived at not so much a sense of the differences, but a sense of the similarities in so many ways; the value-system roots and linkages between the [[Torah]], the [[Qur'an]], and the [[Bible]] and the fundamental story that runs through all of this, that … really connects all of us."'' [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/010/20.28.html] == Trivia == *He and former [[Nebraska]] Governor and Senator [[Bob Kerrey]] have often been confused for each other, despite the different spellings of their last names. (Bob Kerrey was frequently mentioned as a [[John Kerry presidential campaign VP selection process|possible running mate]] for John Kerry during his 2004 presidential campaign.{{citation needed|date=February 2007}} Before the 2004 election, it was a common urban legend that John Kerry once dated actress [[Debra Winger]], while it was actually Bob Kerrey that dated her.) *In 1992, John Kerry guest-starred as himself during the opening segment of the [[Cheers]] episode "Bar Wars VI: This Time it's for Real". *John Kerry and George W. Bush are distant cousins, variously reported as 16th cousins three times removed,<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4286105/</ref> 11th cousins,<ref>http://www.samsloan.com/kerrybush.htm</ref> and ninth cousins twice removed.<ref>http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/04/politics/main604163.shtml</ref> *Kerry's actions in Vietnam were made into a video game.<ref>http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6029742/</ref><ref>http://www.kumawar.com/Kerry/screenshots.php</ref> ==Electoral history==[[Image:Kerry.in.st.paul.2005.jpg|thumb|John Kerry speaks in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]] on [[October 10]], [[2005]]]]*'''2004 Race for U.S. President'''**[[George W. Bush]] (R) (inc.), 50.7% (286 electoral votes) **John Kerry (D), 48.3% (251 electoral votes) **[[John Edwards]] (D), 0% (1 electoral vote) **Others, 1% (0 electoral votes) *'''2002 Race for U.S. Senate (MA)'''**John Kerry (D) (inc.), 80% **Michael Cloud (L), 18% **[[Randall Forsberg]] (write-in), 1% *'''1996 Race for U.S. Senate (MA)'''**John Kerry (D) (inc.), 52% **[[Bill Weld]] (R), 45% **Susan C. Gallagher (Con.), 3% *'''1990 Race for U.S. Senate (MA)'''**John Kerry (D) (inc.), 55% **Jim Rappaport (R), 41% *'''1984 Race for U.S. Senate (MA)''' **John Kerry (D), 55% **Raymond Shamie (R), 45% *'''1972 Race for U.S. House of Representatives - MA 5th District'''**[[Paul W. Cronin]] (R), 54%**John Kerry (D), 45% == References ==<!--See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes for an explanation of how to generate footnotes using the <ref(erences/)> tags--> <div class="references-small" style="-moz-column-count:2; column-count:2;">
<references/>
</div>
==See also==
* [[Dudley-Winthrop Family]]
* [[Daily Kos]], Kerry is an occasional contributor to this political community blog. [http://www.dailykos.com/user/John%20Kerry/diary]
==External links and references==
{{Wikisource author}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{commons|John Kerry}}
===Official===
*[http://www.johnkerry.com/ JohnKerry.com] — John Kerry's political web site
**[http://web.archive.org/web/20041209135553/www.johnkerry.com/about/john_kerry/military_records.html Kerry's military records] - from JohnKerry.com via the [[Internet Archive]]
*[http://kerry.senate.gov/ John Kerry's Online Office] — Official senatorial site
*[http://www.keepingamericaspromise.com/ Keeping America's Promise] — PAC led by Kerry
*{{CongBio2|K000148}}
===Media===
* Gibbs, Nancy and Douglas Waller, "[http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101040209/ What Kind of President Would Kerry Be?]," ''[[TIME Magazine]]'', [[February 9]], [[2004]].
* [[Joe Klein|Klein, Joe]], "[http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?021202fa_fact1 The Long War of John Kerry: Can a Massachusetts Brahmin become President?]," ''[[The New Yorker]]'', [[December 2]], [[2002]].
* Kranish, Michael, "[http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/ John Kerry: Candidate in the making], Boston Globe, [[June 15]], [[2003]].
* [http://www.audible.com/emails/debates The 2004 Debates]
* "[http://freekerrybook.org/ The New Soldier, John Kerry's book.]" FreeKerryBook.org.
* "[http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.asp?CID=N00000245 Senate Elections, John Kerry (1997-2002)]". OpenSecrets.org.
* "[http://www.vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0421103 Senator John Forbes Kerry]". Project Vote Smart. 2002-2004.
* "[http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/mpapps/pagetools/print/news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/3003306.stm Profile: John Kerry]". [[BBC]] News.
* [http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/choice2004/ Frontline: the choice 2004] - Thorough two-hour special compares Kerry and Bush.
* [http://openvault.wgbh.org/ton/MLA000391/index.html/ Black Political Task Force endorses John Kerry, 1984] on the WGBH series
* [http://openvault.wgbh.org/series/Ten+O%27Clock+News/ Ten O'clock News]
* [http://www.nysun.com/article/3775 Researcher Alleges Potential Plagiarism in 11 Passages of Kerry's Writings]
* [http://www.nationalreview.com/document/kerry200404231047.asp John Kerry's complete 1971 statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from National Review]
* [http://www.richmond.edu/~ebolt/history398/JohnKerryTestimony.html Selections from John Kerry's 1971 statement before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee]
===Information===
*[http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/John_Kerry.htm John Kerry on the issues]
*[http://genealogy.about.com/od/presidents/p/john_kerry.htm John Kerry Family Tree]
*[[s:Vietnam Veterans Against the War Statement|Statement on behalf of Vietnam Veterans Against the War]] - April 1971.
*[http://www.vote-smart.org/voting_category.php?can_id=S0421103 Senator John Kerry's voting record]
*[http://www.cwes01.com/13790/23910/ktpp179-210.pdf John Kerry's Senate hearing testimony] to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations in 1971 (PDF file).
*[http://www.congressmerge.com/onlinedb/cgi-bin/membervotes.cgi?&lang=&member=MAJR&site=congressmerge&address=&city=&state=&zipcode=&plusfour=&fullvotes=1 Voting history for Senator John F. Kerry of Massachusetts in the 108th Congress]
*[http://fas.org/irp/congress/1992_rpt/bcci/ The BCCI Affair, A Report to the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate], by Senator John Kerry and Senator Hank Brown, December 1992
*[http://www.newsmeat.com/washington_political_donations/John_Kerry.php Political donations made by John Kerry]
*[http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp Snopes.com: "Service Mettle"] - ''[[Urban Legends Reference Pages|Snopes.com]]'' on Kerry's Vietnam service medals
*[http://www.firefightersforkerry.com/campaign/story_10.php ''Tour of Duty''] - excerpt from Brinkley's book about Kerry's Vietnam service
*[http://judaism.about.com/od/jewishgenealogy/a/jewpas_kerry.htm Irish Catholic or Czech Jew?] - Kerry's long lost Jewish ethnic ancestry
*[http://www.boston.com/globe/nation/packages/kerry/images/day1/transcript.htm John Kerry's letter to his parents about Richard Pershing's death] - 1968.
*[http://vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=S0421103 Project Votesmart biography]
===Further reading===
*Brinkley, Douglas, ''Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War'', William Morrow & Company, 2004. ISBN 0-06-056523-3
*Kerry, John and Vietnam Veterans Against the War, ''[http://freekerrybook.org/ The New Soldier]'', MacMillan Publishing Company, 1971. ISBN 0-02-073610-X
*Kerry, John, ''The New War: The Web of Crime That Threatens America's Security,'' Simon & Schuster, 1997. ISBN 0-684-81815-9
*Kerry, John, ''A Call to Service: My Vision for a Better America'', Viking Press, 2003. ISBN 0-670-03260-3
*Kranish, Michael, Brian C. Mooney, and Nina J. Easton. ''John F. Kerry: The Complete Biography by the Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him Best'', PublicAffairs, 2004. ISBN 1-58648-273-4
*McMahon, Kevin, David Rankin, Donald W. Beachler and John Kenneth White. ''Winning the White House, 2004'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. ISBN 1-4039-6881-0
*O'Neill, John E. & Corsi, Jerome R. ''Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry'', [[Regnery Publishing]], 2004. ISBN 0-89526-017-4
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