I’ve been away for the month of September, once again busy with parental care. I’ve kept up with Senator Kerry’s activities as much as possible and, as always, I’m impressed with his attention to a broad spectrum of issues, among them:

• finding a diplomatic and political solution in Iraq so that we can begin to bring our troops home safely while still pursuing an outcome of peace and stability in the region
• taking a realistic approach to the global threat of terrorism (listen to the teleconference at the link for JK’s remarks)
• mounting a spirited campaign to preserve American children’s access to health care (I noticed that President Bush was unwilling to set benchmarks for Iraqi politicians but QUITE happy to set benchmarks for SCHIP which would mean that children would have to be uninsured for a whole year of their young lives…)
• real action on climate change (support for the UN conference of world leaders this last week and a pointed challenge to the President to truly lead on this issue, which he ultimately failed to do…again) Again, audio at the first link.
• leadership on making the internet accessible and affordable for all Americans, not just those who can afford it, especially small businesses who need access in order to compete and keep our economy diverse, creative and vital

September was also the month in which another phony attack (see the Swift Boat Liars, see the “botched joke”) was mounted against Senator Kerry when a student at a University of Florida town hall meeting where he was the featured speaker was tasered by university police.

This incident, in which JK behaved with courtesy and respect to a young man bent on disrupting the event, was inflated by just about everyone on the Far Right (Matt Drudge in the forefront of the troublemaking, as he so often is) and Far Left, all with individual agendas which had a lot to do with their own self-promotion and nothing at all to do with John Kerry’s actual speech or thoughtful discussion with the students present, which should have been the real story.

I left this comment at the johnkerry.com blog in response to the trumped-up outrage in some of the comments there:

Here’s the bottom line: You can rage, you can smear, you can jump up and down and scream. And you know what John Kerry will do? He’ll keep doing his job. This afternoon he was on a conference call about the upcoming UN conference on climate change next week, today he gave an amazing, comprehensive speech on the Senate floor about the way to pursue a diplomatic course for success in Iraq where years of death and military occupation have failed. He is fighting for the planet, he is fighting for small businesses, he is fighting for the lives of our troops. He’s fighting for you and me, my friends. No matter how people try to vilify or stop him, he will keep on getting up every morning and doing the work he believes in. Instead of getting in his way, why not try listening to him and helping him take this country back!

And that’s really it. John Kerry does his job. He tells the truth and he tells it straight and sometimes those who are threatened by the truth attack him, either out of fear or a lack of understanding. But the Senator does not falter. His priority is service to his country, to the people of this nation and this world, and to the planet itself. He’s tough, he can take the nonsensical, exaggerated abuse. And he will keep doing his job.

If you’re in the Boston area this Monday, come see him do his job in a speech at Faneuil Hall at noon! I’ll be there and I can’t wait to hear JK’s thoughts on “a new progressive America, with a new prosperity for the 21st Century.”