John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is a United States Senator from Massachusetts, and a current contender for the Democratic presidential candidacy.
Life
- Born in Denver, Colorado
- Raised as a Roman Catholic
- Graduated, St. Paul’s School, Concord, N.H. 1962
- Inducted, Skull and Bones 1965
- Graduated, Yale University 1966
- Served in the United States Navy during the Vietnam War, 1966-1969
- Public spokesperson for Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) 1970
- Married to Julie Thorne 1970
- Campaigns against war & US atrocities; testifies to Senate for VVAW 1971
- Birth of daughter, Alexandra 1973
- Graduated, Boston College Law School 1976
- Admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1976 and commenced practice in 1976
- Birth of daughter, Vanessa 1976
- District attorney of Middlesex County, Massachusetts 1977-1982
- Co-founder of Vietnam Veterans of America 1978
- Lieutenant governor of Massachusetts 1982-1984
- Separated from wife 1982
- Elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1984
- Chair, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (1987-1989)
- Divorced 1988
- Reelected Senator in 1990
- Married to Teresa Heinz, polyglot Mozambiquan philanthropist widow of senator John Heinz 1995
- Reelected Senator in 1996, despite candidacy of popular Republican ex-Governor William Weld
- First marriage annulled by Roman Catholic church in 1997
- Reelected Senator in 2002 for the term ending January 3, 2009
- Chair, Committee on Small Business (January 3-20, 2001; June 6, 2001-January 3, 2003).
- Candidate for 2004 US Presidential Election
- Kerry wins Democratic Caucus in Iowa (January 19, 2004).
(Partially adapted from Kerry entry in the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress)
Quotes
"If we had done this with a sufficient number of troops, if we had done this in a globalized way, if we had brought more people to the table, we might have caught Saddam Hussein sooner. We might have had less loss of life. We would be in a stronger position today with respect to what we’re doing." John Kerry on the Capture of Saddam Hussein
President George W. Bush wrongly "rushed into battle."