Kerry's daughter supports dad on national speaking tour

Emphasizing the need for student involvement in politics, Vanessa Kerry, the youngest daughter of Massachusetts Senator and presidential hopeful John Kerry, spoke to Tufts students on Tuesday as part of a national campus tour to promote her father's campaign.

Sitting on a desk in corduroys and a brightly striped scarf, Kerry, a Yale graduate in her third year at Harvard Medical School, said she understands the issues of young people in politics.

"I'm not different from you except that I'm a few years older and have a guy who's running for president on my speed-dial," she said. "Hear me as Vanessa Kerry the environmentalist, the medical student, the advocate for women's issues."

Despite little previous involvement in politics, Kerry decided to take a leave of absence from medical school to travel around the country speaking to college students. "I was about to be swallowed up by the hospital but just realized that I just can't deal with what is happening, or rather, not happening in the country," she said. "I sat down and read my dad's policies from start to finish. It sounds so cheesy, but it gave me the shivers.

"I was like, holy s**t, this makes sense!"

Kerry has visited other colleges in Boston, and schools in Iowa and New Hampshire as well. She plans to make future stops in Virginia, Michigan, and Washington State.

Kerry addressed her father's proposed domestic policy, including his environmental standards and plans for universal healthcare. She also spoke about his proposed public service program, which would include a community service requirement for high school students and would give government aid for college tuition or student loans to college students who completed two years of community service. Senior citizens who are active in their communities would also receive stipends, Kerry said.

Additionally, she emphasized the need to reverse tax cuts for the wealthy and commit to funding education.

Kerry also discussed what she called the "common misconception" that her father voted for the war in Iraq. She explained that he voted for the resolution to be taken to the United Nations in an attempt to mitigate the conflict through multilateral means. When the Bush administration decided to act unilaterally, she said her father was "unbelievably betrayed" to have "forty years of diplomacy turned back inside of two months."

Kerry said that each time a US soldier is killed in Iraq, her father calls her "and is like, I just can't believe this is happening."

Kerry also revealed her father's personal side in a series of several anecdotes. She recalled a family vacation to Hawaii where her father went surfing. "He thinks he's so cool," she laughed. "And then these surfer guys will come up to him, and say, 'dude, Senator, what's up? Nice shorts.'"

"He's a very funny, ridiculous guy," she said.

Kerry was optimistic about the likelihood of her father's selection as the Democratic Party's candidate, and she expressed confidence that he would gain support in the South. "He's a gentleman, and that appeals to [the southern constituency]," she said. Kerry also believes that his service in Vietnam will resonate with the South's many veterans.

In addition, Kerry said that her father's moral character would appeal to voters. "He's the only candidate who's been a senator for four terms and has never accepted PAC [political action committee] money," she said. "The joke is you should never ask John Kerry where to go for dinner in Washington, DC, because he doesn't know. The lobbyists always take you to dinner."

Regardless of which Democratic candidate is chosen to run, Kerry said, the others will support the Party's choice. "The main objective is to beat Bush" she said.

Kerry repeatedly stressed the importance of student activism, citing the "PB& J Brigades" of the 1960s - when college students went to New Hampshire to knock on doors to dissuade voters from allowing Lyndon Johnson to run again. "The 18-30 demographic is huge," she said. "We can have a voice."

Senior Ryan Loughlin, a member of Tufts Democrats who helped organize Kerry's appearance, said her speaking tour "offered a personal connection to students."

Another senior, Liz Richardson, said it was "great to hear someone with feminist and medical perspectives and to see another young woman on the [campaign] trail. All over the state, it's feeling great."