Musician rallies support for Kerry with speech

To the backdrop of a Kerry/Edwards banner stating in bold type “Help is on the Way,” singer/songwriter Carole King triumphantly sang “You’ve Got a Friend” in conclusion to her speech supporting presidential candidate John Kerry on Wednesday morning at Columbia’s Activity and Recreation Center.

King wants George W. Bush ousted on Nov. 2 and replaced with a “man that truly shares the values of the common citizen,” she said. The event was part of her nationwide campaign primarily directed at the states that could swing the upcoming election.

Citing Bush’s alleged failure to fulfill the promises proposed prior to his election in 2000, King said that everywhere she ventures, she sees people struggling.

“Bush said that he would issue cuts on the cost of Medicare, and what happened? Premiums went up,” she said. “While Kerry is willing to make sure that all citizens under the age of 18 are eligible for affordable health care, Bush has just recently, after Kerry, said that he will make affordable health care available to all eligible children up to the age of 18. What does eligible mean, exactly?”

Two issues important to Kerry’s campaign are education and preservation of the environment. King said that “your friend and my friend” John Kerry will fund and improve upon the “No Child Left Behind.”

As an environmental activist, King also praised Kerry’s environmental record as a senator for nearly 20 years.

“If you even slightly care about the environment, Bush is probably not the most ideal candidate,” she said.

In addition, King addressed Kerry’s intentions to string together an international coalition to assist in resolving the situation in Iraq.

“You cannot put targets on U.S. soldiers without allies,” she said. “Diplomacy, I honestly believe, is a word not in Bush’s vocabulary.”

King also said that “Kerry voted for resolution by warfare as a last resort, subsequent full inspection for weapons of mass destruction.”

King urges those who are uncertain of whom to vote for to watch the forthcoming presidential debate with a keen eye.

“I beg those of you that are torn between candidates to listen for substance,” she said. “Compare what Bush says to what he has accomplished during his term as president.”