Kerry Press Release: Largest Hispanic Ad Buy in Pres Campaign History

[Skinner]

Kerry-Edwards Campaign Announces Largest Hispanic Ad Buy in Presidential Campaign History
New Ad Campaign Highlights Kerry’s Values and Commitment to Ensuring a Better Future for All Americans

Washington, DC – The Kerry-Edwards campaign today announced the largest Hispanic ad buy in presidential campaign history. The million dollar buy, which includes television, radio and print ads, highlights the values that connect John Kerry with the Latino community – family, faith and honor. The ad campaign launched with the air, beginning today, of a new 30-second television ad, “Honor,” marking another step forward in the campaign’s plan to show how as president Kerry will build an America that is stronger at home and respected in the world.

“As today’s buy underscores, Hispanic Americans are a key part of John Kerry’s campaign to build a stronger America,” said Kerry-Edwards Campaign Manger Mary Beth Cahill. “He is running for president to make the American dream real for every family by ensuring that all Americans have the opportunity to build a better life for their families. As president, John Kerry will keep that promise for all Americans.”

“Honor” shows John Kerry in his many roles: as a husband and father, a man of faith and honor, a man who throughout his life has defended working people and fought to ensure that all Americans can reach their dreams.

To view “Honor,” visit www.johnkerry.com. Scripts and back-up can be found below.

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SCRIPT

Honor:

Narrator: “We introduce you to a man of faith. A man of family. A man of honor. A man for our community. His name is John Kerry. And for more than twenty years, he has defended working people. And has fought so they can reach their dreams. John Kerry. As President, he will be our hope for a better future.”

John Kerry: “I am John Kerry and I have approved this message. Yes we can!”


BACK-UP

NARRATOR: “We introduce you to a man of faith. A man of family. A man of honor. A man for our community. His name is John Kerry.”

John Kerry is a Man of Faith: “I began life baptized and confirmed as Catholic. I served as an alter boy. There was a period in my life when I thought I might even be priest--as a young person. And then I went to Vietnam. And in Vietnam I think most time I wore a rosary around my neck when we went into battle. So I believe. I still believe. And I have great personal faith and I think the more you learn about the universe; the more you learn about the unanswered questions the harder it is for many people not to in my judgment. But many people chose not to and I understand that and I respect that. That’s what I want to get to. We are a country founded on the notion of diversity and our freedom of choice and freedom of religion.” - John Kerry (Town Hall Meeting, 12/14/03)

Kerry is a Husband & Father: John Kerry is married to Teresa Heinz Kerry. He has two daughters, Alexandra & Vanessa. Teresa has three sons, John, Andre & Christopher.

John Kerry Served in the U.S. Navy and is a Combat Veteran of the Vietnam War: John Kerry first learned the importance of national service from his father who volunteered for the Army Air Corps in World Ward II. Kerry volunteered for the United States Navy after college and served from 1966 through 1970 rising to the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade. Afterwards, Kerry continued his military service in the United States Naval Reserves through 1978. Kerry served two tours of duty in Vietnam--one tour as commander of a Navy Swift Boat in the Mekong Delta. Kerry’s action during the Vietnam War resulted in his being awarded the Silver Star, the Bronze Star with Combat “V”, three Purple Hearts, the Presidential Unit Citation for Extraordinary Heroism, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, three Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medals and the Combat Action Ribbon. (Selective Service System National HQ)

Kerry Unveils Plans to Expand Opportunity Through Education & Reform Our Immigration Laws: Speaking at a town hall meeting before thousands of members of the National Council of La Raza at their annual conference, Kerry unveiled new steps he will take as President to strengthen education and lifelong learning in America so that everyone has the opportunity to get ahead and succeed in the economy of tomorrow. He also unveiled plans to send a comprehensive immigration reform bill to Congress in his first hundred days as President, to ensure that good people who are undocumented but are living here, working hard, and paying taxes have a path to equal citizenship in the American community. Kerry’s plan will help lift up workers, particularly women and minorities, and prepare them for the jobs of the future. It includes $10 billion for states that keep college tuition down, new efforts to encourage 1 million girls and minorities to pursue science and math, a new initiative to encourage college completion and new support for worker training. To reform our immigration laws, Kerry plans to immediately sign two bipartisan bills that reward students who study hard and play by the rules, and that offer a fair deal for farmworkers. Kerry strongly supports the DREAM Act, which will give young people the chance to go to college and pursue their dreams. He also supports the AgJobs bill, which has 62 cosponsors, to secure the rights and futures for hard working, honorable agricultural workers. Within his first 100 days in office, John Kerry will also offer a comprehensive immigration reform bill that addresses earned legalization, reuniting families, establishing a visa program with worker protections, and strengthening our border security. (Kerry for President press release, 6/29/04)

“Hispanic Congressional Leaders Announce Kerry Endorsement in Phoenix”: Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry today received the unanimous endorsement of the Committee for Hispanic Causes BOLD PAC (Building Our Leadership Diversity Political Action Committee). The endorsement by national Hispanic Congressional leaders was formally announced in Phoenix, Ariz. ‘It is time for a change in the White House and John Kerry is that change,’ said BOLD PAC Chair Rep. Joe Baca (CA-43). ‘The Bush administration has failed to fully fund our children's education, failed to provide a real prescription drug plan for our seniors, and left thousands of veterans without the benefits they deserve, all in favor of tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. John Kerry will make sure that all Americans have a fair shot at the American Dream and return the prosperity they experienced a decade ago’." (Hispanic Business, 6/29/04)

Gallup Poll Finds Hispanic Americans Prefer Kerry to Bush: A Gallup poll completed 6/30/04 found, in a two way race for president 57% of Hispanics would vote for Kerry and just 38% would vote for Bush. (White House Bulletin, 7/6/04)

NARRATOR: “And for more than twenty years, he has defended working people. And has fought so they can reach their dreams.”

John Kerry’s More Than 30 Years of Service - 1966, John Kerry Enlisted in the U.S. Navy; November 1968 through March 1969, Served in Vietnam; 1970-1978, Served in U.S. Navy Reserves; 1976-1979, Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; 1983-1985, Lt. Governor of Massachusetts; 1985-2004 U.S. Senator from Massachusetts.

John Kerry & John Edwards Have a Plan to Create 10 Million New Jobs in America: Use Government Contracts for U.S. Workers; Stop Giving Government Contracts to Corporations Breaking the Rules; Consumers “Right to Know” on Call Center Workers; End Every Single Tax Credit That Gives Corporations Breaks for Moving Jobs Offshore; A Tax Credit to Create Manufacturing Jobs; More Jobs in Small Business; Jobs Through Energy Technology; Enforce Trade Laws to Protect American Workers; Make Sure Americans Can Compete in 21st Century Economy. (www.johnkerry.com)

Kerry Will Raise the Minimum Wage for American Families: As part of his plan to build a stronger economy for America’s families, Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry today called for raising the minimum wage to $7.00 by 2007. The increase will impact nearly 15 million workers, helping families make ends meet and move another step towards the American Dream. An increase in the federal minimum wage is well overdue. It has fallen further and further behind the cost of living, and the impact of the last increase has been entirely eroded by inflation. Today, the minimum wage is worth only 33 percent of the average American wage, its lowest level since 1949. In very real terms, this only serves to keep many hardworking Americans from getting ahead and saving for the future. According to a new report released today by nine leading labor economists, no group will benefit more from an increase than working women. A $7.00 minimum wage will help millions of women and mothers pay for education or for household expenses like groceries, healthcare and rent. “I’m running for President to build a stronger economy that lifts up families and expands opportunity for hardworking Americans,” Kerry said. “It’s time to remember a basic truth: a stronger America begins right here at home. Today, there are workers – many of them working women - struggling to get by on the minimum wage. That’s wrong. We can do better. And together, we’re going to change it.”

NARRATOR: “John Kerry. As President, he will be our hope for a better future.

John Kerry Will Make America Stronger at Home and Abroad: “Kerry will act militarily when necessary, build strong alliances with other nations and enhance our intelligence and law enforcement capabilities. Kerry addresses the root causes of terrorism and offers a real plan to secure our homeland by safeguarding our chemical and nuclear facilities, bolstering port and aviation security, restoring 100,000 COPS on the street and adding 100,000 new firefighters in our communities.” (Speech to the UCLA International Institute; Kerry for President, press release 2/27/04)

John Kerry. A New Direction for America: “This nation is demanding for leadership that takes us in a new direction. And George Bush has made it clear that he’s not going to provide it. George W. Bush is running on the slogan of ‘steady leadership.’ But after four years of the same old failed policies, what we’ve seen is ‘stubborn leadership.’ George Bush stubbornly proposes tax cut after tax cut for the wealthiest Americans while we steadily lose millions of jobs. So tonight we say: Change is coming to America. George Bush stubbornly refuses to help families afford health care while premiums steadily rise through the roof. And tonight we say: Change is coming to America. This President stubbornly continues to let polluters rewrite our environmental laws while children steadily breathe dirtier and dirtier air. Tonight we say: Change is coming to America. George Bush stubbornly insists on a foreign policy where we go it alone and young Americans in uniform steadily pay the price. And so once again tonight we say: Change is coming to America.” – John Kerry Election Night Remarks (Chicago, 3/9/04)

JOHN KERRY: “I am John Kerry and I have approved this message. Yes we can!”

www.johnkerry.com

Paid for by John Kerry for President, Inc.