Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry spoke Tuesday at Cooper Union in New York. The following is a transcript of his remarks.
KERRY: Thank you very, very much.
After waiting so long, you got to release that energy somehow, I know.
(LAUGHTER)
I apologize profusely. Thank you very, much. It appears as if this truly is a bipartisan audience.
(LAUGHTER)
It’s an honor for me to be here for all the reasons that the distinguished President Campbell has just described. The history to stand at this very podium and even touch it is a thrill for me.
I’m honored to be here in the presence of a number of members of Congress who are friends of mine. Jerry Nadler, I think, was speaking a little bit before we came in, and Gregory Meeks and Major Owens are all here sitting somewhere. I can’t quite see through the lights.
But I appreciate their presence. And more importantly, we all appreciate their service to our country.
(APPLAUSE)
I also want you all to thank with me, if you would, Nicole Goodwin, who served in Iraq and who led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. And we’re grateful for her service.
(APPLAUSE)
I thank President Campbell for his generous introduction.
It’s an honor to be here at an institution where America’s learning has been so consistently advanced and America’s history so often made, as Dr. Campbell said. And for nearly a century and a half, Cooper Union has produced some of our nation’s leading architects, engineers and artists.
You’ve also helped to lay the foundation and the design for the blueprint of our democracy. That’s no surprise.
I did a little research before I came here and I learned that as a young man, Peter Cooper learned carpentry and the art of beer making, which pretty much can get you through any weekend hanging around the house.
(LAUGHTER)
All kidding aside, great American values have always been spoken here, lived here and taught here.
And seeing Cooper Union as a sanctuary and as a force for equality, the NAACP was organized here.
Seeing it as a symbol and as a center for the concern of other people, the Red Cross was organized here.
