The presidential candidate from Massachusetts, in a speech Wednesday to the Council of Foreign Relations in New York, said there are a handful of people he would consider naming to the post, including former Democratic Presidents Clinton and Carter as well as James Baker, secretary of state in the first Bush White House.
"Those of us who seek the Democratic presidential nomination owe the American people more than just criticism of the Bush foreign policy or anger or piecemeal solutions," Kerry said in excerpts of his address released by the campaign. "We need to convince them that Democrats are responsible stewards of our national security and America's role in the world."
Kerry, the junior senator from Massachusetts, hopes to tap resentment felt by many Democratic primary voters toward Bush's policies on the Mideast, terrorism and Iraq (news - web sites). His campaign has stalled amid the rise of anti-war candidate Howard Dean (news - web sites), the former Vermont governor who Kerry claims offers anger, not solutions.
Kerry has argued that his medal-winning service in the Vietnam War and 18 years of experience in the Senate makes him the party's best shot at unseating a wartime president.
His latest address, billed by aides as a comprehensive response to Bush's foreign policy lapses, accuses the president of undermining U.S. security by alienating allies who are needed in the war on terrorism. He promised to visit the United Nations (news - web sites) and travel to foreign capitals during his first 100 days as president, affirming America's role in the world community.
"The war on terrorism is not just an American cause; it is a global conflict against a hidden and deadly enemy with many faces in many places," Kerry said. "No matter how much power we have, we cannot prevail single-handedly."
Kerry backed the president's war resolution against Iraq, then struggled for months to explain the stance to Democratic voters angry with the pre-emptive strike. While saying in the address that he supported holding Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) accountable, Kerry asserted that Bush "did it in the worst possible way — without the United Nations, without our allies and without a plan to win the peace."
Kerry's campaign said he would announce tough new actions to deny terrorist sanctuaries, cut off terrorist financing and improve intelligence. He also planned deal with what the campaign called Saudi Arabia's "marriage of convenience with terrorists," including imposing economic sanctions unless the Arab nation cracks down on terrorism.
Kerry said American can't neglect its role in resolving the Israeli- Palestinian conflict in the Mideast, a breeding ground for terrorist activity. He pledged to appoint a presidential ambassador to the peace process, who would report directly to him and to the secretary of state.
"There are a handful of uniquely qualified Americans I would consider appointing — President Carter, President Clinton (news - web sites) or, in the interests of bipartisanship, James Baker," he said.
Several of Kerry's supporters, including former Sen. Gary Hart, D-Colo., plan to amplify the lawmaker's message in separate events Wednesday.
Kerry's campaign manager, Mary Beth Cahill, touted his foreign policy pitch in a fund-raising letter to supporters. She said he would "immediately declare the Bush policy of unilateralism over" as president, and urged backers to donate $60 before Kerry turns 60 on Dec. 11.
