Statement from John Kerry

[globalvillage]

http://kerry.senate.gov/v3/cfm/record.cfm?id=235240
Washington, D.C. -- Senator John Kerry issued the following statement on the passing of Pope John Paul II.

"The Holy Father led the Catholic Church during some of the most challenging times the world has witnessed, and persevered through enormous suffering with inspirational dignity. Teresa and I were deeply saddened to hear of his passing."

"Drawing upon his enduring moral strength and conviction, Pope John Paul II advanced the cause of solidarity in his native Poland and helped to topple communism around the world. We will never forget the example he set by forgiving the man who tried to take his life, and by praying at the Western Wall to ask Jews for their forgiveness. He traveled to places forgotten by all but God to pray for the sick and the poor, and millions turned out to hear his voice, even when strained. In death, as in life, his incredible spirit provides every Catholic with strength and his memory provides us with wisdom. Teresa and I join people all over the world in mourning this tremendous loss. The Holy Father is in our prayers."

[XanaDUer]

1. Class act.

Compare this to Chimpo's "statement"...

[Hans Delbrook]

12. That was my first reaction too!

A class act - thoughtful and caring.

[JohnKleeb]

2. Thanks John

:)

[karynnj]

3. DU has nice comments on Kerry's statement

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=104&topic_id=3410844&mesg_id=3410844

[JohnKleeb]

4. thats double nice

:).

[politicasista]

5. Very nice

Thanks for posting this. :hi:

[globalvillage]

7. You're welcome

Did you see the John Kerry for Pope thread in GD?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3411496

:applause: :rofl:

[politicasista]

8. I sure did.

That is hilarious. :hi: :bounce: :rofl:

[saracat]

6. THANK YOU

[Goldeneye]

9. Now compare to chimpy's speech...

Bush: The Pope did a lot of hard work and he believed in the culture of life. Thank you. That is all.

Kerry was, as always, classy.
?Teresa is a catholic too isn't she?

Nice star by the way. Glad to see you posting in here.
:hi:

[globalvillage]

10. Thanks Goldeneye.

You inspired me.

Yes, BTW, Teresa is Catholic.

[Firespirit]

30. Well we know that they politicize horrible tragedies...

Politicizing the passing of the pope, who was old and whose death had been anticipated for awhile, is nothing compared to what they've pulled off recently.

And yes JK is awesome and a class act as always. It's bound to be easier for a person who is trying to do the right thing--trying to help the downtrodden as Jesus would have--to pay respects to another person who tried to do what he felt was right, as opposed to someone who thinks in terms of money and power and very little else.

[foreverdem]

11. So Presidential

Now that is the statement of a president, not chimpy's robotic comments. As always, John manages to convey the emotions of our nation.

[WildEyedLiberal]

13. So dignified

What a classy tribute, unlike Bush's self-promoting swill disguised as a "tribute."

If he were that kind of man, I'd sort of like to think that John Paul just flipped GWB the bird from heaven. Of course, the Pope is a better person than I am... ;)

[Vektor]

14. The Pope IS flipping GWB the bird from heaven!! Look:

This just in!

[JohnKleeb]

16. hahhaha vektor how are you?

[Vektor]

17. OK I guess...

I have been overwhelmed working two jobs lately, and I am now sick! Gah!
How are you? How's the forum?

[TayTay]

19. We have missed you greatly

We have lately had an attack of deep seriousness and have been very, very wonky. Even Fire and WEL have been affected by this. We desperately need some non-seriousness to lighten the place up.

Though, this may not be the week for it. The whole Schiavo case with the vampiric flesh-eating duo of Delay and Frist waiting to get their political fangs into a woman's death and a family's personal tragedy have kind of gloomed up my week. And I am struggling with my attitudes toward the death of the Pope and my mixed feelings about the Catholic Church and how I am going to talk about it with my Mom. (I have strong feelings. I want to be nice and be genuinely respectful. Not sure how that's going to work out. Maybe I will just lie. It gets you through the awkward phone calls.)

How's by you?

[Vektor]

22. Hi Tay, John....

I'm ok other than being busy and sick. I know I haven't been around much lately, and I'm sorry, I HAVE missed you guys. I've been pretty introspective lately myself, and also have some feelings of sadness about the Pope, despite disagreeing with some of his viewpoints, and not being terribly devout. I am bummed because I want to go see Kerry at the Doubletree in MA on April 10, and am just to busy and swamped to pull off the trip on such short notice. I hope another such event happens this summer. I'll travel to any state to see him.

[JohnKleeb]

24. I am also socially liberal and not that devout but I consider

myself a Catholic and am proud of my faith in many ways.

[muse]

25. missed ya, vektor

Will you wear your cheerleader outfit when you go see him? :)
It's STILL no fun not seeing our man on TV everyday like we did during the campaign. Sigh.

[JohnKleeb]

26. vek has a cheerleading outfit?

I agree, its not fun at all but I still have his DNC speech on iTunes.

[Vektor]

28. I know...

I am still in withdrawal.

[TayTay]

27. Oh, without a doubt

You're in Northern CA. I know that he was in San Francisco in January, I think and I'm sure he will be back to promote the KidsFirst act. And he will be all over MA. He recently had 5 different letters published in different big newspapers in MA. (Wow, even the Lowell Sun!) He is reconnecting with the state people and trying to figure out ways to get Mittens the hell out of there so that if a certain son of Massachusetts does indeed run for national office he won't have a bastard running around telling people that MA people hate 'em. This is a truly noble and worthy goal that I applaud most heartily. (And will do anything I can to further.)

And Teddy is running again next year and I do believe that Sen. Kerry owes him big time, so Sen. Kerry should make numerous appearances around the State to support Teddy and raise some cash. So there will be lots of Kerry appearances. Even some on the Cape. Maybe even this summer. I will keep you posted.

[Vektor]

29. I would love to be kept posted!

Have love, will travel.

[JohnKleeb]

20. Ive been good, got a earache though

and pissed that I have to go to work on opening day of the baseball season but on teh bright side, I get to go to a commtiee hearing wednesday, unfortunely I cant go to the Bolton one on tuesday that involves Kerry :(. Forum's been good.

[rainbow4321]

21. Lightening bolt would have been preferred...

but this is a start, I guess.

[whometense]

15. Indeed.

I had to turn the radio off this morning - before I threw it through the window - when I heard that moron's little "tribute." He has NO dignity. Ever the smirking fratboy...

[TayTay]

18. Whereas Sen. Kerry had a heartfelt

and classy tribute. He actually noted that the Pope lived a life that had some meaning to it. Oh, and he didn't try and fit that life and death into a short-term political agenda. I have just had it with the Chimp. He is such a moron and (rant cancelled on account of bad taste and not belonging in a classy thread like this.) I'm sorry but that's just the way I feel.

Well, at least someone in high American political office actually speaks with class and eloquence. Thanks Sentah, ya do us proud!

[Pirate Smile]

23. So true. I was listening (for some reason I didn't mute it ) and

did this :wow: because, I swear, that piss-ant politicized his statement with his code words and selective remembering of the Pope's legacy.

He is such a friggin weasel.

[ginnyinWI]

33. In the Fundie circles,

Catholics aren't real Christians, and most probably aren't going to heaven! Most mainstream Protestant denominations are also very much suspect. So that leaves just them to rattle around in heaven all by themselves!

So there has to be that going on in Chimpy's mind, as well. Catholics aren't real Christians if they are not "born again".

[CBHagman]

34. I WORK for someone who believes that.

I overheard her saying that Catholics weren't really Christians.

And the odd thing is, due to my background, I know precisely why she thinks that. But the joke's on her, because I believe in salvation through grace! :rofl: Ha, ha!

[europegirl4jfk]

35. Catholics and Protestants

Ginny, that's strange in the USA. Here in Europe we always saw the Catholics as the "fanatics" and the Protestants consider themselves as the "moderates". When I grew up in a Protestant part of Germany my mom always told me that "our Church" was much more open and modern than the Catholic one. Well, of course, that is just another stereotype, as life taught me since.

Anyway, I think Europe is much more secular nowadays - at least the parts of Germany and France I have lived in. If people are religious, that's a private matter and we normally don't mix it with politics.

[ginnyinWI]

36. that's interesting--

That religions get different reputations, depending on what country it is. Here we differentiate between mainstream Protestants and the conservative "born again" variety. They are the fundamentalists, and are the more fanatical. Some of them still handle snakes and things like that. Mainstream Protestants don't. Catholics always seemed the most strict to me--I grew up in a Catholic neighborhood, and they couldn't do some of the things that we could do as kids.

[CBHagman]

31. I'm glad he mentioned the relations with Jews.

John Paul II really did make an effort to improve Christian-Jewish relations and Muslim-Christian relations, and I think that tends to get lost in the discussions. Once again Kerry has the long-term perspective on things, God love him.

[Pirate Smile]

32. I saw a news segment on his life and it showed how he grew up in a city

with a large Jewish population. He had boyhood friends who were Jews and who died in the Holocaust. This obviously had a impact on his views.

Too bad he didn't have some gay friends back then but he was an 84 year old man. The views of most 80 years olds v. 20, 30, 40 year olds tend to be quite different - especially the younger you look.