REPORT FROM JOHN KERRY CAMPUS TOUR, in Pittsburgh, Friday.

[frank frankly]

Teresa Heinz spoke about how when she went to college in South Africa and how it was wonderfully integrated and then two weeks before graduation they arrested Mandela and segregated the school. she was amazing on all points.

Kerry was awesome. Called Bush a misleader and also took time to explain that he was not just going to point out bushco, but that he was going to offer progress, but that it was important to show how bushco was destroying the planet.

he talked about viet nam and so many things in such a brilliant and easy and passionate manner. he talked about how cheney and co. had never served in the military and there was a lull and i screamed "chickenhawks", to my delight. it was at the university of pittsburgh, lots of carnegie mellon university students there, too. all walks of life. the firefighters worked the entrances. everybody happy and serious.

i was with friends and one has a ten year old genius daughter. i was waiting to shake his hand in a huge group and she found me, i picked her up and held her. he saw her and beamed, shook her hands and then mine, looked at me with full attention, i swear to the trees full attention, and i said "thank you, john." he moved on. it was AMAZING.

it was a sunny brilliant day and the crowd was ENORMOUS. people still waiting blocks to see him but it was outside and magnificent and people could see and hear for distances. bon jovi played and there were tons of teenage girls, but NONE left. everybody was given great kerry signs and big foam hands and inflatable bushwacker thingees. it was a thrilling event. i will never forget it.

Kerry talked about the 2 year community service and then 4 free years state college and crowd went wild.

it was his normal stump, but tighter and more aggressive than last i saw in nh. incorporates dean's message that repubs want to divide us and prey on lowest common denomenotar. he covered how bushco did not goto un, nor build coalition, nor go to war as last resort. he spoke of bringing in the world community as only way to go in iraq. called bush a misleader.

the crowd roared most at the anti-bush stuff. the harsher, the more the roar. but his proposals and explanation that he will only increase taxes on the top 2% went over really well.

he spoke for about 40 minutes and shook hands, signed for another 40

a very gracious man. a very wonderful, powerful and kind handshake.

---------------------


bushco, bring it on, you fuckers are going to lose BIG.

[rockymountaindem]

1. Look dude,

I've never seen him but I assure you that *all* his policies are wrong, he wants to bring on the draft, and that he's uninspiring and *nobody* likes him. You've been fooled.

Sarcasm off.

[livetohike]

2. Thank you for the wonderful report!

Makes me proud to be a native Pittsburgher. Wish I could have been there. You will remember this day for the rest of your life. Shaking hands with our next President..... :-)

[Rebel_with_a_cause]

3. That was a fun read

sure takes the doom and gloom edge off the Chimp Administration.

[tabasco]

4. Great! Thanks from a Pitt alum !

I wish they had shown more of the campus on tv. Didn't even show the Cathedral or Heinz Chapel. Oh well. Glad it was such a nice day at Pitt. Wish I could have been there.

[frank frankly]

5. it was tremendous

he was tremendous and the crowd was unprecidented. huge!

[KC21304]

6. Thank you, thank you, Frank Frankly.

I saw him in Madison in Feb with Gen Clark and I know how exciting that was. Great news.

[frank frankly]

7. you bet, kerryfan

peace!

:smoke:

[DaveSZ]

9. That's awesome man

I hope he comes to speak in Austin soon.

[radfringe]

28. hoping he comes to NE PA

many people out of work, benefits have run out and still no jobs

property taxes going up, health care costs going up (for those who still have health care)... people are hurting

woman at work summed it up pretty well -- "It's a choice every week -- do I buy my medicines, do I get some heating fuel or do I eat this week?"

[jean]

8. You've brought tears to my eyes. Thanks for the vivid report!

[frank frankly]

10. I had tears in my eyes writing it

a big day for frank, frankly...

:hi:

[jean]

11. frankly, frank, your excellent report brightens the forecast

Sane, honorable leaders do exist - they're coming and we need to hold on and work reeeeally hard!

:yourock:

[frank frankly]

12. i will post pictures tomorrow...

my friend had the digital camera

but, wow, did JK look GOOD. wow.

i have met many people in my travels and i was trained to study people.

today, i met a leader. a good leader. a really really good leader.

just in time for us bipedal mammals...

ooops!

I forgot to say he said we have to stop needing OIL!!!

NO MORE YOUNG SOLDIERS DYING FOR OIL!!! He said that!!!

[CalebHayes]

18. AWESOME!

[frank frankly]

13. he covered the CORPORATIONS, too

JK talked about tyco, enron, worldcom, "corporate chieftans"

very down to earth, but spoke of yale and senator's healthcare and how that access is a right for all, not just the few.

what else...

[Hav]

14. .

Good for you and I thank you for the report.

[frank frankly]

15. here's an article about the event!

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040416/pl_nm/campaign_kerry_dc

Kerry Hits Back at White House, Defends Patriotism
1 hour, 8 minutes ago Add Politics to My Yahoo!

By John Whitesides, Political Correspondent

PITTSBURGH (Reuters) - Democratic presidential challenger John Kerry (news - web sites), lashing out at the White House's "twisted sense of ethics and morality," accused Republicans on Friday of distorting his record and attacking his patriotism.

Kerry, at an outdoor rally on the University of Pittsburgh campus, used an American flag and the national anthem to fire back at Republicans who charge he is weak on defense for voting against some weapons systems and an $87 billion bill to pay for operations in Iraq (news - web sites) and Afghanistan (news - web sites).

Kerry, a decorated Vietnam War veteran, pointed out Vice President Dick Cheney (news - web sites) and political adviser Karl Rove did not serve in the military.

"I'm tired of Karl Rove and Dick Cheney and a bunch of people who went out of their way to avoid their chance to serve when they had the chance," the Massachusetts senator said. "I'm not going to listen to them talk to me about patriotism."

[symbolman]

16. Dear Kerry, Take our ARMY OF ONE ad and shove it up Bush's...

Way to GO!

Apparently Bush is going to run an ad starting today that will call Kerry's support of the troops into question..

We offered our ARMY OF ONE ad to Kerry while in New Hampshire (where it ran on cable TV 3000 times during the primaries) if you haven't seen it here it is:

This is the flash movie:

http://www.takebackthemedia.com/onearmy.html

there's also a TV version that you can see on the Bush in 30 seconds MoveOn.org contest where we were one of 16 finalists out of 1600 entries..

Here's that link:

http://www.bushin30seconds.com/view/11_large.shtml

Kerry NEEDS to run this. Once again WE ARE OFFERING IT TO YOU, Mr Kerry..

Anyone got pull (I'm out of the political loop right now) let them know.

[blm]

22. symbolman....

PM PeteNYC with your offer.

[tinanator]

31. the flash movie is great but the last line should probably read

"Bring Em On" rather than an army of one. The 30 second spot is good too. Great work. Hope you dont mind the suggestion :)

[CalebHayes]

17. How was Tom Delonge from Blink 182?

I really like blink. Did he seem half knowledgeable? He better be smart because he sure can come off dumb with that extremely high voice he has got.

[frank frankly]

19. he came off really well

he said whenever he goes overseas, that he has to apologize for america and he was tired of that!

lots of listening teenyboppers!

[CalebHayes]

20. He didn't whip out his acoustic and sing a song for John, lol?

[sandnsea]

21. Great report!!

Thanks!

[Adelante]

23. Oh, Frank Frankly

This was a wonderful report of what must have been a wonderful experience. I saw him in Brooklyn not long ago and he was very impressive. The crowd was so huge, though, I was way in the back of the auditorium and didn't have such an intimate experience as you did. I am very happy for you and for our country. :)

[ChrisHeinz]

24. Great Report

I was there today with my family in Pittsburgh and later in Philadelphia. It was a beautiful day -- the best in the area this season. The crowd, stretched long and narrow across UPitt's main green, was colorful and loud. I thought all the introducers did very well (excluding the obvious from judgement). My brother, Andre, enchanted the crowd with his impressions. JK, after 15 minutes of warming up, really became stirred by the sense of activism in the crowd, the smell of spring in the air, and, more than anything, the sight of the huge American flag across the field. By the end of it all, he really went after them for being frauds. It was nice to see.

Today was a great day for our campaign. Thank you Pennsylvania.

[frank frankly]

26. yes, all the introducers were excellent

to be Senator Hoffel

Gov Rendell

County Chief Executive Onorato

Andre Heinz was funny and Chris, you were good, too. The Blink guy was great and so was Bon Jovi.

a great day.

[frank frankly]

25. pictures in today's paper

http://www.postgazette.com/pg/04108/302284.stm

http://www.post-gazette.com/journal/

[PA Democrat]

27. Thanks for the update frank

I had planned to go yesterday, but couldn't work my schedule around it. Both my husband and I are proud Pitt alumni, and I was happy to see Pitt students turn out in such large numbers.

Did you catch this blurb in the article about the Repub counter-rally?

"Republicans staged a counter-rally across Forbes Avenue in David Lawrence Hall. U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-Bradford Woods, characterized Kerry as a flip-flopper, charging that he had initially supported NAFTA, the No Child Left Behind Act, the war in Iraq and the USA Patriot Act and later changed his mind on all four issues.

"Which is it?" Hart asked the crowd of about 75 college students, many of them Young Republicans who had driven in from more than a half-dozen area colleges.

When Dick Cheney comes to address the NRA later today in Pittsburgh, I can guarantee you there will be more than 75 people there to protest him.

[frank frankly]

29. kick

:kick:

[AVID]

30. blink 182 photos?

Anyone know if there are any good photos of Blink 182 and Kerry from this or any other event?