John Kerry

John Forbes Kerry (December 11th 1943) is an American senator Massachusetts and a former democratic candidate with the American presidential election of 2004 overcome by the outgoing president, George W. Bush.

Biography

John Kerry was born with the Military hospital Fitzsimmons from Aurora in the Colorado, beside Denver where his/her father, Richard Kerry, was treated for a Tuberculose. Shortly after the birth of John, the family turns over in her Country of origin, the Massachusetts. It receives an education Catholique there.

Family entourage

The paternal grandfather of John Kerry, Frederick Kerry (born Fritz Köhn) is of Austro-Hungarian origin. Born with Horni Benesov in Austria-Hungary, it grows with Mödling (a small town close to Vienna in Austria). His/her paternal grandmother, Ida Loewe, is born with Budapest in Hungary. Both of Jewish origin , Fritz and Ida are converted with the Catholicisme into 1901, change their name into Kerry and leave the Europe in 1905. John Kerry learned only late the true identity from her grandfather. Frederick and his wife raise their children, of which Richard, the father of John Kerry, in the Catholic religion.

The father of John Kerry is born in 1915 with the Massachusetts. Lawyer, it works inter alia for the State Department of the United States. During the Second world war Richard Kerry was Test pilot in the Army Air Body. The mother of John, Rosemary Forbes Kerry, French, was born with Paris. She grew in France, and the Forbes family always has a house in Brittany. Richard meets Rosemary whereas he visits Saint-Briac in 1937.

The maternal grandfather of John Kerry, James Grant Forbes, is born with Shanghai in China, where the Forbes family built her fortune in the Opium and the exchanges with the China. J.G. Forbes marries Margaret Tyndal Winthrop, resulting from an old family of the New England.

John Kerry has a brother, Cameron, lawyer with Boston, which converted with the Judaism and has recently work in Israel in favor of the presidential campaign of his/her brother near American expatriates. It has also two sisters, Diane and Peggy.

Childhood and adolescence

During its childhood, John Kerry and his/her parents often spend the summer holidays in the family home of Saint-Briac, “Essarts”, where he attends his first cousin lengthily Brice Lalonde, French politician, wire of the sister of Rosemary Forbes. Destroyed by the German which made of them to one their general headquarters at the time of the Second world war, the property was rebuilt in 1954.

Often moving the Kerry family, John knows many schools. At the eleven years age, whereas his/her parents live in Canada, John leaves to study in a boarding school in Japan

In 1958, whereas his/her parents are in Montreal, it is registered with the school Saint Paul of Concord in the New Hampshire, thanks to the financial support of his/her aunt Clara Winthrop, who covers her school fees that the wages of his/her father do not enable him to deal with. It is there that it obtains its diploma in 1962. During these four years, it develops its talents of speaker and is discovered a taste pronounced for the Politique. During its spare time, he plays the hockey and stick with a classmate, Robert Mueller, which will become director of FBI. He also plays of the low in the group of the school, The Electras , which carries out an album in 1961. Only 500 copies are produced and in 2004, one of them was sold on EBay for 2.551 Dollar S.

In 1959, Kerry creates the Groupe John Winant at Saint Paul. The goal of this group is to organize debates on the topicality. This group exists still today. It would seem that they is at that time that he starts to be interested in John Fitzgerald Kennedy, signing even its articles “J.F.K. ”. It is in November 1960 which it gives its first political conference, in support for the election of Kennedy to the White House.

In 1962, John Kerry goes voluntary for the countryside senate oriale of Edward Kennedy. His/her boyfriend of the moment, Janet Jennings Auchinloss, is the half-sister of Jacqueline Kennedy and invites it to spend some time in the family property of the Kennedy, where it meets president John F. Kennedy for the first time.

University Yale (1962-1966)

In 1962, Kerry between with the University of Yale. It obtains a Bachelor' S there dismantles in Political sciences in 1966. It also practices the European Football, the hockey, the Crosse and the Escrime by team, it takes moreover of the courses of aviation. To obtain additional incomes during the summer, it gives the responsability with the trucks in a grocer and sells Encyclopédie S with the door with door.

During her first year with Yale, John Kerry becomes president of the Yale Political Union , which gives him the possibility of being implied in particular in the movement of the civic rights and the program of Nouvelle border of Kennedy. Under the crook of Rollin Osterweis, professor of History and trainer with the debate, Kerry gains many contests through the country. In March 1965, whereas the War of Viêt Nam beats full sound, it gains the Prix Ten Eyck of the best speaker for a critical speech against the foreign Politics American. Thanks to its talent, it is selected for the speech of end of the year of its promotion.

In April 1965, John Kerry joined the company of the Skull and Bones with the invitation of his/her friend John Shattuck. The two presidents George Bush and G.W. Bush are also members of this very private group, which one can be member only on invitation.

Military service (1966-1970)

States of service and decorations

After its request for carryforward for studies with Paris is refused, the John Kerry young person goes voluntary to make his Military service, the February 18th 1966. He begins his service the August 19th and commits himself in the American armed forces fighting with the Vietnam in 1967. Ordering a patrol craft ( Swift Boat ) in the Mekong delta, it returns barded from there medals. Three Purple Heart , for light wounds, whereas usually Purple Heart is decreed only with the “severely wounded persons”. For its first wound, the December 2nd 1968, the medical reports/ratios mention that Kerry received a “small fragment of American grenade M-79 in the arm”, wound which causes the installation of a modest binding and does not prevent John Kerry from setting out again at once on her patrol craft. It receives the medal Silver Star for an action risked following an operation where, taken in ambush by the Vietcongs, it was gotten out of his patrol craft in order to kill a embusqué gunner which threatened its unit of sound Lance-roquettes. He sees himself decreeing the medal Bronze Star Medal to have saved Jim Rassman, a green Béret fallen to water. Under the heavy shootings of Vietcongs, Kerry made half-turn to go to seek it and bring back it to edge.

In March 1969, little time after its third wound, the army signs the return of John Kerry to the United States. It returns to the country in April of the same year and is officially discharged from its military obligations in March 1970. He is reservist until in 1978.

Discusses

The states of service of John Kerry in Vietnam are the source of long a Polémique at the time of the American presidential campaign of 2004. The group Swift Boat Veterans for Truth (SBVT) , composed of approximately 200 veterans of Vietnam, publishes in 2004 the work Unfit for Command (“inapt for the command”), written by John O' Neill, the successor of John Kerry as commander of the Swift Boat PCF 94. John O' Neill devotes himself to a demolition in rule of the democratic candidate, stating tens of serious charges (supposed lies and even assertion of its participation in acts of Trahison, it for what Vietnam would have implicitly thanked it while placing her photograph in a section “Hero for resistance Vietnamese” to the Musée for the War for Hanoï). The defenders of Kerry, in particular the men of its crew during the war, refute the allegations carried in this work by underlining the political bonds of the SBVT with the president George W. Bush. Although number of the charges carried were contradicted by the support of written sources, the polemic continues to punctuate the presidential campaign.

Against the War of Vietnam (1970-1971)

The VVAW

John Kerry returns from the Vietnam resolutely opposed to the war. As of 1970, it joined the group of the Veterans of Vietnam opposed to the War (VVAW - Vietnam Veterans Against the War) . The members of the VVAW, having lived the war of the interior and, better still, having served their country, profited from a true respect on behalf of the population. They were regarded as able to give the point of view of the private and could be allowed to denounce the official fraud. Other veterans however, in particular those which in 2004 formed the SBVT, saw of a very evil eye the activities of the VVAW, considering that this one made fun of their states of service.

Fulbright commission

The April 22nd 1971, Kerry is the first veteran of Vietnam to testify near a senatorial committee special on proposals aiming at putting a term at the war in Asia of south-east. Out of lattice and raising its medals, he speaks during nearly two hours with the senatorial Committee for the external businesses (Senate Foreign Relations Committee) . In its speech, restrained under the name of Fulbright Hearing (according to the senator J.W. Fulbright, director of the debates), it expresses its opinion on the fact that the war in Vietnam is primarily civil, and that it does not represent any threat for the United States. John Kerry is persuaded that the war continues for political reasons: “Of the men must die so that the President Nixon is not, and they are its own words, the first president to lose a war”. He concludes by this famous sentence: “How can you ask a man to be the last to die for an error? ”

The shortly after this testimony, Kerry takes part in a demonstration with nearly 800 veterans, during whom they launch their medals on the steps of the Capitole to mark their opposition to the war. Kerry declares, in explanation of its gesture: “I do not do that for reasons of violence, but for peace and justice and to try to awake this country once and for all”.

Operation POW

In 1971, it takes part in the Operation POW (of Prisoners off War , name chosen in the honor of the prisoners of war but also to mean the fact that the Americans were prisoners of war of Vietnam) organized by the VVAW. The last weekend of May, of the veterans go of Concord to Boston Commons. The goal of this walk is to awake the spirit of the Guerre of Independence and Paul Revere while spending several nights on the sites of the Bataille of Lexington and Concord, and of the Bataille of Bunker Hill, while finishing by a public reading of the Déclaration of independence at the time of the Memorial Day. The March 29th 1971, Kerry is stopped and slackened with the help of the payment of a guarantee of 5 dollars.

In spite of its activism within the VVAW, and its desire to make evolve/move its actions within a framework of Non-violence and legality, Kerry does not manage to prevent the toughening of the organization and leaves it for difference in opinion. The circumstances of its departure of the VVAW feed they also the polemic around the presidential campaign 2004.

Marriages and family

Kerry marries Julia Thorne in 1970, they have two children: Alexandra (born the September 5th 1973) and Vanessa (born the December 31st 1976). Alexandra Kerry finishes her studies of Cinéma in 2004. Vanessa, graduate of the University Philips Academy and Yale, continues its studies of Médecine in Yale. It is very active in the countryside of her father to the presidential election of 2004.

In 1982, Julia Thorne, which suffer from Nervous breakdown, request the Divorce, which is marked the July 25th 1988. The marriage is officially cancelled by the Catholic church in 1997. She will write, in her book on the depression, has Exchange Heart off: “After 14 years as a woman of politician, I associated the policy only with anger, the fear and loneliness”. Julia Thorne marries in second weddings Richard Charlesworth, a Architecte, and lives with the Montana, where it implies in local groups militant for the defense of the environment. It formally posted its support for the presidential candidate of Kerry in 2004.

Between its first and its second marriage, Kerry is often seen in company of actresses, in particular Morgan Fairchild and Catherine Oxenberg.

Kerry remarie the May 26th 1995 with Teresa Simões-Ferreira Heinz, republican moderated and interprets for the the United Nations, widow of the Senator of Pennsylvania H. John Heinz III. Presented one to the other at the time of a meeting in 1990, Kerry and Heinz find themselves after the death of John Heinz in 1992 with the Sommet of the Earth to Rio de Janeiro. Teresa, born the October 5th 1938 with the Mozambique parents Portuguese, is naturalized American in 1971. Having like Kerry made its studies a little everywhere in the world (South Africa, Swiss, the United States…) she usually speaks 5 Langue S (English, Portuguese, Spanish, French and Italy N) and constitutes a considerable asset in the countryside of John Kerry to the presidential election of 2004, in particular near the Hispanic community. She gives up the Republican party for the democratic party in 2003.

Beginnings of political career (1972-1985)

Failures of the beginnings (years 1970)

As of the beginning of the Years 1970, Kerry wants to extend its political action beyond the simple protest. Contrary to many political activists militant against the War of Vietnam, it chooses to present himself for the election to the Chambre of the representatives. Having occupied by the means of its action within the VVAW the front of the media scene, it profits from a national public recognition, but does not have any bond with a district of the Massachusetts which enables him to claim to aspire to a station. In Waltham where it remains, it is supplanted by the Père Robert Drinan, priest Jesuit, within the electoral committee anti-war which agreed to give its support for only one candidate. Kerry thus works for the election of Drinan which gains the seat.

In 1972, it presents to the primary democratic in the district of Lowell against 9 other candidates. In spite of the scandal that causes the arrest of his/her Cameron brother, discovered in the cellar of their PC of countryside where are the telephone lines and marked by Anthony R. DiFruscia (one of the adversaries of Kerry, whose offices were in the same building) to have wanted to endanger its countryside, it gains the primary educations. The loads against Cameron Kerry are abandoned one year later.

At the time of the general election, Kerry presents against the republican candidate Paul W. Cronin, and independent the Roger P. Durkin. The Lowell Sun , the newspaper most popular of the district, positions against him, showing it of opportunism because he moved only a few months before in the area. The lack of support of the population and the defection of Durkin in favor of Cronin, make him lose the election and start what will be its “crossing of the desert” in policy.

Crossing of the desert and political comeback (1982-1985)

Disappointed by its political failures, Kerry decides that the best means of continuing a public career is to study the Droit. It integrates in 1973 the Boston College Law School into Newton, with the Massachusetts. It is graduate in 1976, makes a success of its examination of the Barreau and integrates the cabinet of the prosecutor of the county of Middlesex, John J. Droney.

As of 1977, it is promoted first assistant of the prosecutor. It is distinguished by gaining several important lawsuits and by initiating several project intendeds to deal with in a more effective way the problems of crimes and testimonys.

In 1979, it resigns of the cabinet of the prosecutor and assembles his own cabinet with one of his colleagues. The cabinet bears the name of Kilvert & Forbes, according to family names of their respective mothers. It in parallel opens a store of cookies and muffins in the district of Quincy Market with Boston, which it sells in 1988.

Although its private adventure is a success, John Kerry is always interested by the public domain, and decides to present to the station Lieutenant governor of Massachusetts in 1982. It gains the democratic primary educations and the seat, while Michael Dukakis gains the seat of Gouverneur. Although the post of lieutenant governor implies few responsibilities, Dukakis delegates many files to Kerry, in particular on the environment. When the senator of Massachusetts, Paul Tsongas, announces in 1984 that he resigns for health reasons, Kerry decides to aspire to the station. It gains accuracy the primary educations, and although the country operated a slip towards the republican following the re-election of Ronald Reagan, it gains the seat of senator. At the time of its speech of establishment in 1985, Kerry underlines the fact that its victory implies that Massachusetts “rejects the policy of selfishness and the concept that the women can be treated like citizens of second class”.

Mandate of Senator (1985 - present)

Meet with Ortega

The April 18th 1985, a few months after its arrival with the Senate, John Kerry leaves to the Nicaragua with Tom Harkin, senator of the Iowa to meet there the president, Daniel Ortega. Although Ortega was elected democratically, the bonds which it maintains with the the USSR and Cuba make a polemical character in the United States of it, and the voyage is criticized. The opposition to the government Sandiniste is carried out by the Contras, paramilitary group constant by the CIA. Kerry and Harkin are addressed to the two parts and are used mediators for Ortega, which by their intermediary proposes a cease-fire in exchange of the abandonment of the support states-unien for Contras. The offer is declined by the government Reagan and taxed with “initiative propagandist” intended to influence the imminent vote with the Chambre of the Representatives of a help of 14 million dollars in favor of Contras, but Kerry is said “ready to take the risk”. The assistance is not voted by the Room, but the shortly after the result, Ortega accepts a loan of 200 million dollars on behalf of the Soviet Union. Six weeks later, the United States votes the attribution of a help of 27 million dollars in Contras.

The Iran business/Countered

In April 1986, John Kerry and the Democratic senator Christopher Dodd propose that a board of inquiry is assembled concerning the implications of Contras in the traffic of cocaine and marijuana.

In margin of the commission, Kerry and its close relations begin their own investigation and publish the October 14th a report/ratio denouncing the illegal activities of the Lieutenant-colonel Oliver North and a network implying NSC (National Security Council) and the CIA intended to deliver weapons to the Nicaraguan rebels. Kerry shows North and certain members of the presidential administration to have brought their financial support in Contras and to have delivered weapons to them illegally, without the authorization of the Congrès. The report/ratio of Kerry generates a series of investigations being spread out over several years which lead to the scandal of the Irangate.

Other investigations

In its dash, Kerry widens its field of investigation and is interested in the implication of the United States with Cuba, in Haiti, with the the Bahamas, the Panama and the Honduras. In 1989, it publishes a report denouncing the laxism of the Reagan administration in the fight against drug with the profit of other goals of foreign policy. The report/ratio denounces inter alia the ostrich policy practiced by the US government in the Années 1980 vis-a-vis corruption and with the intrigues in the medium of the drug of the Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega, which supports to them Contras. Kerry is taxed with “theorist of the conspiracy”, but ten years later, the general inspector of the CIA makes public of the reports/ratios confirming his dires.

The scandal of the BCCI

During their investigation into the business Noriega, Kerry and its close relations finds reasons to think that BCCI ( Bank off Credit and International business ), based in Pakistan, facilitates the drug trafficking of Noriega and assistance to the bleaching of the money which results from this traffic. Following that, a survey is carried out and the BCCI is closed in 1991.

In December 1992, Kerry and the senator Hank Brown, republican of the Colorado, publish The BCCI Affair , which reports the scandal and proves that the BCCI was related to terrorist organizations, and confirms the implication in the file of the Ministry for Justice, the Treasury, the Customs and the Federal Bank, as well as influential lobbyists and the CIA.

In their report/ratio, Kerry and Brown condemn the administration Bush and in particular Robert Mueller then public prosecutor for his lack of speed in the treatment of the business. Kerry in addition is criticized of all shares not to have denounced in a more virulent way the democrats implied in the business, and by the democrats to have denounced some their members.

Legislative participation

John Kerry ratified and proposed hundreds of bills, in particular concerning SME, the education, the Vétéran S and the prisoners of war or the missings with the combat, the Terrorisme and the protection of the marine resources.

Defeat with the presidential election of 2004

John Kerry chairs the senatorial Committee of countryside of the Democratic party of 1987 1989. He is re-elected with the Senate in 1990, 1996 and 2002. Its current mandate ends the January 3rd 2009.

In 2003 and 2004, John Kerry is imposed upon many its democratic rivals, among whom the senator John Edwards, the former governor of the Vermont Howard Dean and the general Wesley Clark. It thus gains the primary educations within the democratic party to present itself against George W. Bush. The July 6th 2004, it announces officially the choice of John Edwards like fellow candidate.

A controversy burst at the time of the countryside because of the support of Kerry to the movement pro-choice. Of catholic confession, an American bishop threatened to deprive it of the sacraments. In 2007, the pope Benoît XVI declared on this subject that such political representatives had excommunicated themselves of the Church. The shortly after the election of the November 2nd, John Kerry recognizes her defeat near George W. Bush whereas there remain provisional bulletins having to be controlled in the Ohio, estimating that those would not be enough to reverse the result of the vote. George W. Bush qualifies her elegant gesture of . John Kerry avoids thus that is reiterated the criticism carried against the United States following the countings carried out in Florida at the time of the presidential election in 2000.

See Leitartikel: presidential Election of the United States of America 2004

In 2006, Kerry carried out an active national campaign to support the democratic candidates at the time of the elections of semi-mandates. Partisan of a withdrawal calendar of the American soldiers of Iraq, it refused to support Joseph Lieberman at the time of the democratic primary educations of the Connecticut before giving his support for his adversary, the democratic candidate anti-war Ned Lamont (finally beaten by Lieberman in November 2006).

The January 24th 2007, it announced that it would not aspire to the democratic nomination for the nearest presidential one in 2008.

September 17th, 2007, at the time of a speech of John Kerry, Andrew Meyer, a student in journalism of University of Florida is attacked with the Tazer and is stopped by the police force on the campus after having had provocative remarks. This incident took place after “its microphone was cut”, whereas it posed series of questions with the Democratic senator on the dispute of the result of the elections of 2004.

Anecdotes

Kerry measures 1,94 m. He likes the Planche with veil and the Surf, the hockey, the Chasse, and plays of the low . He usually speaks the French. Its preferred films are Casablanca and Géant , it likes the Cookie S with the nuggets of Chocolat and has a Canari whose name is “Sunshine”. In 2003, one diagnoses a Cancer to him Prostate whose treatment is a success.

To date the fortune of Kerry and his wife is estimated at nearly a billion Dollar S, which makes of John Kerry the richest senator of the United States. He is indeed the heir to several of the family members Forbes, and Teresa of that of the Heinz (of the Ketchup S Heinz).

Member in rule of the company Skull and Bones of old of the Yale University.

Kerry has moreover Co-writing a book on the environment, with its wife, who should appear in the United States mid-March 2007.

See too

Indicative bibliography

External bonds

Official site of the presidential campaign of John Kerry
official Biography

References

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