John F. Kerry (D-Mass.)

2004 Presidential Campaign

With seemingly the perfect presidential resume, Kerry had long hoped to run for president (colleagues joke he has been planning his run since his prep school days). He had his chance in 2004. Though anti-Iraq war candidate Howard Dean was an early favorite in the Democratic primaries, his popularity fizzled, leaving Kerry as the most palatable alternative. He won early in Iowa and New Hampshire, officially clinching the nomination in March 2008.

Kerry was running ahead of incumbent Bush in the polls for most of the seven-month general election. But he was ultimately able to paint Kerry as a flip-flopper (Kerry wasn’t helped by uttering the ill-phrased “I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it,” a quote that followed him around throughout the campaign) who couldn’t articulate a clear vision for how to protect the country from a terrorist threat.

Bush was helped by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, an independent 527 group funded by wealthy Republicans that released a series of ads that questioned Kerry’s military service. Many of those claims were later debunked.Swift Boat Veterans for Truth Website

Kerry ultimately lost the election by 34 electoral votes and returned to Washington in January 2005 as a Senator. After much griping from the Democratic establishment about a poorly-run campaign, Congressional observers said Kerry became a more outspoken senator. Party strategist Chris Lehane even compared Kerry's comeback to that of Vice President Al Gore. “The last two nominees have created their own platforms to affect the type of change that they believe in,” he said.Bedard, Paul, “John Kerry: the New Comeback Kid,” U.S. News and World Report, June 11, 2007  

Kerry endorsed President Barack Obama early in the Democratic primary season in January 2008, calling him a leader of “wisdom, instinct and vision.”Zeleny, Jeff, “Endorsing Obama, Kerry Calls Him a Leader of ‘Wisdom, Instinct, and Vision,” New York Times, Jan. 11, 2008

In the 111th Congress, Kerry will chair the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which he has sat on for 28 years. His first tasks include hosting a hearing on global warming and questioning Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.“Biden, Four Other Senators, to visit Southeast Asia,” Associated Press, Jan. 6, 2008

Foreign Policy

Kerry has an expansive policy agenda planned for the Foreign Relations panel. He would like to expand America’s operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan; quickly draw down the number of troops in Iraq; and limit the spread of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. He also plans to use the committee to sketch a global plan for combating global climate change.Bender, Bryan, “Kerry Poised to Cap Long Journey,” Boston Globe, Nov. 20, 2008

Legislatively, he hopes to pass two bills quickly. The first would authorize aid to Pakistan in order to improve the country’s relationship with the United States. The second would provide more money for Afghan civil institutions.

Iraq and Afghanistan

Kerry initially voted in favor of a 2002 bill authorizing the Iraq war, a move that would haunt him during his 2004 presidential bid. However, Kerry said he has since come to regret that vote. “I had to vote the way I thought was appropriate for the security of the country at the time,” he said in 2008. “I got burned. We got burned as a country.”“John Kerry in the Senate,” Boston Globe, Sept. 10, 2008

Since 2004, he has pursued America’s withdrawal from Iraq with a single-mindedness bordering on obsession. He called for the withdrawal of 20,000 troops in 2005. Later in the year he also sponsored a bill that called for all U.S. troops to return home if Iraq failed to develop an operational government by May 15, 2006.

In 2006, Kerry called again for a troop withdrawal in 2006, an amendment that was defeated 13 to 86.CQ’s Politics in America, 2008

However, by the time Democrats retook the majority in Congress in 2007, Kerry’s colleagues were more amenable to his position. The Senate passed a 2007 war funding bill that required troop withdrawal to begin in 120 days, with the hope that it would be completed within a year. The measure was ultimately vetoed by Bush.

When Kerry announced that he would not run for president in 2008, he said his reason was Iraq. “It is time to put my energy to work as part of the majority in the Senate to do all I can to end this war and strengthen our security and our ability to fight the real war on terror.”

Kerry was one of the first Congressional leaders to call for additional troops to be sent to Afghanistan.Bender, Bryan, “Kerry Poised to Cap Long Journey,” Boston Globe, Nov. 20, 2008 He remained on of the Senate's leading experts on the country's future when he took over the Senate Foreign Relations Committee from Vice President Joe Biden. 

In October 2009, after the United Nations found widespread fraud was committed during the Afghanistan president election, Kerry became the public face of American diplomatic efforts. He advised President Obama on strategy and took a five-day trip to the region, where negotiated a plan for a run-off with leading candidates President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah Abdullah.Rogers, David "Hillary Clinton puts John Kerry in Afghanistan," Politico, Oct. 22, 2009

A few weeks later, at a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, Kerry said that he only wanted t increase troop levels modestly, and only if three conditions were met. Kerry argues that Afghanistan must supply reliable partner forces "to partner with American troops—and eventually to take over responsibility for security." He also called for better cooperation with reliable local leaders and better aid and development stategies.Rozen, Laura, "Kerry on Afghanistan," Politico, Oct. 27, 2009

The Environment

Addressing global warming is one of the biggest challenges Kerry sees facing lawmakers. “There is no way possible for the U.S. to be secure against terrorism unless we free ourselves from fossil fuel,” he said in a 2008 interview. “That's the reality.”"Pursue Renewable Energy Policy Now; Sen. John Kerry: 'We need profound and dramatic change,'” Design News, Dec. 8, 2008

Kerry supports cutting carbon emissions by offerring polluters a limited number of carbon credits through a "cap-and-trade" program, while also bolstering entrepreneurship in alternative energy development. He is also a proponent of conservation efforts like requiring escalators to switch off automatically when not in use.“Pursue Renewable Energy Policy Now; Sen. John Kerry: 'We need profound and dramatic change,'” Design News, Dec. 8, 2008

In September 2009, Kerry and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) introduced their version of a climate bill, the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act, outlining a strategy for curbing greenhouse gas emissions and cutting dependence on foreign oil. The bill called for stricter limitations on emissions than its counterpart in the House, proposing a 20 percent decrease from 2005 levels by the year 2020.Bill Text and other information, Kerry Senate web site

The bill’s other provisions included a cap-and-trade system that would let industries auction off emission allowances, and an offset program that would compensate farmers and landowners for practices that help with carbon reduction, like sustainable agriculture and planting trees. Samuelsohn, Darren. "Climate: Senators prepare for autumn battles on emissions limits, allocations, offsets," E&E Daily, October 1, 2009.

But Republicans in the Senate called the bill too costly and anti-business.  In an unprecendented move, every Republican member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee boycotted the bill's October 2009 mark-up process, when Senators offer amendments and then vote on whether the bill goes to the full Senate. The Republicans said they wanted more analysis of the bill's cost before they would join the mark-up.  After delaying the vote for days over thier concerns, Committee Chairman Boxer called further analysis "duplicative and waste of taxpayer dollars," and continued the mark-up with only Democrats present. The bill passed out of the committee with an 11 to 1 vote, with no Republican members voting, but legislators worry that the partisan antics may have hurt the bill's chances. Cappiello, Dina, The Washington Post, "Senate Democrats Advance Climate Bill without GOP," November 5, 2009

Health Care Reform

Kerry supports legislation that contains a strong public option that is available from day one.Stand With Doctor Dean web site