Text of John Kerry’s farewell speech

[struggle4progress]

... Five times Massachusetts has voted to send me to the United States Senate. Yesterday, nearly three decades after the people of Massachusetts first voted me into this office, the people I worked with in the Senate voted me out of it.

As always, I accept the Senate’s sound judgment!

Eight years ago, I admit that I had a very different plan, slightly different anyway, to leave the Senate, but 61 million Americans voted that they wanted me to stay here with you.

And so staying here – I learned about humility, and I learned that sometimes the greatest lesson comes not from victory, but from just dusting off a defeat and starting over when you get knocked down ...

http://bostonglobe.com/news/nation/2013/01/30/text-john-kerry-farewell-speech/KwZnHq9zAUgkvIVCfR9swN/story.html

[Tx4obama]

1. Kerry's farewell speech on the link below - VIDEO

Here: http://www.c-spanvideo.org/clip/4344557

[LostinRed]

13. What time is it I fell asleep

[Nika]

2. I liked his speech.

I was moved when he choked up talking about the Kennedy brothers.

[karynnj]

5. He choked up as well speaking of the 1971 protests

and how they went to the House and Senate when Nixon wanted to throw them out.

I loved the speech. There were many things that he has spoken of many times - such as money in politics and the need to really work together, but here he really tied them together and in their intersections they became stronger. It boils down to wanting our democracy to work - and represent the people. He then makes a case that that happening would make us a better example to our countries that are fledgling democracies or considering that - and that it NOT happening would make it harder for us to lead.

Brilliant job from a very deep, thoughtful man.

[mylye2222]

20. I'll never stop to say

that this guy is an inspiration of all of us, of resilience beyond all the sorrows and pains the life can sometimes provide. After having witnessing the horrors of war, beeing persecuted by Nixon and his fashist band, faced loss of dearest friends, saw his first wife divorcing from him, living almost homeless and separated from children, having his WON PRESIDENCY stolen by Bushies, his military record denigrated in the most horrible way..... he's there, standing now proudly as a wonderful SOS, claiming tiresly peace on world and commond ground.....

That's how I would define à statemena.

He should be duplicated and send to France to replace Flanby ( Francois Hollandes's nicknames, witch means that he dosn't does really ahead of this land, especialy on unemployement questions)

And sorry for my gramatical english mistakes. I try to do my best, since I'm not english speaking native

[Dpm12]

3. Good for

Kerry. Hopefully, he will be a good Secretary of State.

[blueclown]

4. Kerry had a chance to speak truth to power about the current version of the Senate.

Instead, he wimped out and made a good-ol-boy farewell speech. I would have expected better from a distinguished public servant like Kerry. If the Senate was as powerful as it should be, and wasn't as polarized, he wouldn't be leaving for Secretary of State. It's a step down.

[TwilightGardener]

6. It's not a step down at all. The Senate is gridlocked and dysfunctional. Kerry is going

to where his expertise can be fully utilized.

[blueclown]

7. The Senate as a body is a remarkably powerful institution.

And yes, right now it is extremely dysfunctional and that is probably the reason why Kerry left. But the point remains that being a senator with seniority and a Chairman of a powerful committee is a more powerful job than managing a bureaucracy like the Department of State.

[politicasista]

9. Join the club

The club of some (right, left, and center Democrats, Liberals) that hate on Kerry for:

Supposedly buddying with McCain, Hillary and the GOP to derail Rice.
Not telling his ego to behave because it gives MA a chance at Boogeyman Brown coming back.
Not being good enough because he didn't mention or should stop mentioning.......

You should join in on the fun of bashing Kerry. It ignores that Obama chose him because he feels like his talents would be more useful on the world stage.

The POTUS chose him for a reason, sorry people can not get past their hatred or bitterness towards the man to give him a chance.

[blueclown]

10. I am one of Kerry's biggest fans.

You are deflecting from the real issue here.

[YvonneCa]

12. ...

...SO VERY Funny. Did you watch the speech at all? Do you have any clue about his foreign policy positions?

[politicasista]

19. +1 n/t

[politicasista]

8. Kick n/t

[BlueStater]

14. He would have made a fantastic president.

Sometimes, I really don't understand this country.

[DFW]

16. Kerry won the 2004 election. He just didn't win the vote counting.

[YvonneCa]

18. That's what I believe...

...too, DFW.

[kwolf68]

15. First Dem I ever voted for

And my PROUDEST moment in the voting booth EVER, bar NONE. I am STILL PISSED about that election.

[DFW]

17. Compare the eloquence of this speech with ANYTHING ever said by the 3 who voted against him

The reason for the Senate dysfunction become painfully obvious.