Kerry, Democrats on Hand for Inauguration
Thu Jan 20,11:02 AM ET
By LOLITA C. BALDOR, Associated Press Writer
WASHINGTON - Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites), who had hoped to be taking the oath of office, on Thursday stressed the importance of cooperation in a democracy but also emphasized sticking to beliefs.
"Democracy means working together for the good of our country; it also means keeping faith with your ideals, never retreating from core convictions even as you work to find common ground," Kerry said in a statement released Thursday morning. "We have strong differences and we argue and fight with all our hearts and energy, and our system endures because we Americans expect nothing less."
The man who lost in November took his place on the platform with other senators to watch as President Bush (news - web sites) is sworn in for a second term. The four-term Massachusetts was attending the ceremony with his wife Teresa Heinz Kerry. They had no plans to join in any other inaugural festivities.
In a broad show of bipartisanship and the nation's enduring democracy, Kerry, two former Democratic presidents and a host of other Congressional Democrats were gathered on the stage at the Capitol Hill ceremony. Former presidents Bill Clinton (news - web sites) and Jimmy Carter were attending, along with their wives Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (news - web sites), now a New York senator, and Rosalynn Carter.
Several Democratic leaders — including Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd (news, bio, voting record), and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California, met with Bush at the White House as part of a formal escort that will travel with him back to the Capitol.
But while gracious civility was the public demeanor, behind the scenes many Democrats planned to skip all of the other pomp and revelry surrounding the ceremony, including the Congressional luncheon in the Capitol after Bush took the oath of office.
And some made it clear that once the president's big day is over, the battle will begin anew.
Pelosi used the inaugural as a fund-raising tool. Early Thursday she released a statement saying that "personally, I don't feel much like celebrating. So I'm going to mark the occasion by pledging to do everything in my power to fight the extremist Republican's destructive agenda."
In an e-mail to Democratic supporters, she called for donations to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, to "tell President Bush that party time is over." |
