Caroline Kennedy
United States Ambassador to Australia since 2022
Caroline Bouvier Kennedy (born November 27, 1957) is an American author, attorney, and diplomat. She served as the United States Ambassador to Japan from 2013 to 2017, and has been serving as the United States Ambassador to Australia since 2022. She is the daughter of U.S. President John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and the niece of Robert F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy.
Quotes
editDenver rally (January 2008)
edit- Over the years, I've been deeply moved by the people who've told me they wish they could feel inspired and hopeful about America the way people did when my father was president. This longing is even more profound today. Fortunately, there is one candidate who offers that same sense of hope and inspiration. That candidate is Barack Obama. It's rare to find a leader who can inspire us to believe in ourselves, to tie that belief to our highest ideals, and to imagine that together we can do great things. And when that kind of leader comes along, we need to put aside our plans and reach for what we know is possible. That is the kind of opportunity we have in choosing Senator Obama.
- We need a President who will fight to give every child a world-class education. And Barack Obama has been fighting for children since he was a community organizer more than 20 years ago. We need a President who will restore our commitment to civil rights and equality. And Barack Obama has brought the Bill of Rights alive as a civil rights lawyer and by teaching constitutional law. We need a President who will end the war in Iraq. And Barack Obama is the person to do it because he had the courage and judgment to oppose this war from Day One. So when the Democratic Party holds its convention here in Denver this summer, I hope we'll nominate the candidate who stands for the future of our party and the future of this country - Barack Obama.
- It is time for a President who understands that his responsibility is to articulate a vision and inspire others to achieve it; who holds himself, and those around him to the highest ethical standards; who appeals to the hopes of those who still believe in the American Dream, and those around the world who still believe in the American ideal; who can lift our spirits, and make us believe again that our country needs each of us to get involved. And now I'd like to introduce the person I believe will be that President - Barack Obama.
DNC speech (August 2008)
edit- I'm here tonight I'm here tonight to pay tribute to two men who have changed my life and the life of this country – Barack Obama and Edward M. Kennedy. Their stories are very different but they share a commitment to the timeless American ideals of justice and fairness, service and sacrifice, faith and family. Leaders like them come along rarely. But once or twice in a lifetime, they come along just when we need them the most. This is one of those moments. As our nation faces a fundamental choice between moving forward or falling farther behind, Senator Obama offers the change we need. Everywhere I go in this country, people tell me that Barack Obama is making them feel hopeful, the way they did when my father was president. It's hardly the words he uses – words that remind us that we are all in this together and that we each have something to contribute to this country that has given us so much.
- But it's the life he's led that is the true source of this inspiration – a life spent fighting for ordinary people in neighborhoods and courts in the state Senate and in the United States Senate. I've never had someone inspire me the way people tell me my father inspired them, but I do now – Barack Obama. And I know someone else who has been inspired all over again by Senator Obama. In our family, he's known as Uncle Teddy. More than any senator of his generation or perhaps any generation, Teddy has made life better for people in this country and around the world. For 46 years, he's been so much more than just a senator for the people of Massachusetts. He's been a senator for all who believe in a dream that's never died.
- If you're no longer being denied a job because of your race, gender or disability or you've seen a rise in the minimum wage you're being paid, Teddy is your senator, too. And for children who are receiving health care thanks to the Children's Health Insurance Program, if you see a nurse at a community health center or if you are benefiting from the Medicare program that he fought to create – and just last month he returned to the Senate to save – Teddy is your senator, too. If you're a child who is getting an early boost in life through Head Start or attending a better school or can go to college because a Pell Grant has made it more affordable – Teddy is your senator, too. And if you're an eighteen-year-old who's going to vote for the first time – and I bet it will be for Barack Obama – Teddy's your senator, too.
- Not only has Teddy helped put the American Dream within reach for so many families, he's been a powerful force around the world for human rights and human dignity, for refugees and the dispossessed. He helped end apartheid in South Africa and bring peace to Northern Ireland. He's been a leader on arms control and he took a strong, early and courageous stand against the war in Iraq. He's a man who always insists that America live up to her highest ideals, who always fights for what he knows is right and who was always there for others. I've seen it in my own life. No matter how busy he is, he never fails to find time for those in pain, those in grief or those who just need a hug. In our family, he's never missed a first communion, a graduation or a chance to walk one of his nieces down the aisle. He has a special relationship with each of us and his 60 great nieces and nephews all know that the best cookies and the best laughs are always found at Uncle Teddy's. Whether he's teaching us about sailing, about the Senate or about life, he has shown us how to chart our course, take the helm and sail against the wind.
- And this summer as he faced yet another challenge, he and Vicky have taught us all about dignity, courage and the power of love. In this campaign, Barack Obama has no greater champion and when he's president he will have no stronger partner in the United States Senate.
Joe Biden for president (February 2020)
edit- In January 2008, I joined my uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy, to endorse Barack Obama for president. We believed America was ready for a new generation of leadership, for a president who would inspire us, as my father did, to believe in the power of ordinary people to do extraordinary things, and the nobility of public service. We face a very different world today. President Trump has done immense damage to our institutions, exploited our differences, and shredded our credibility around the world. I am excited by the Democratic candidates and the ideas they have put forward. But this year, it’s not just policy proposals that are on the ballot. Our fundamental values are at stake as never before in my lifetime.
- America’s place in the world and the society our children inherit will be determined by the character of the leader we choose. We need a president who can bring people together, who knows how to get things done at home and abroad, whose word we can count on, and who can nurture the next generation of leaders. We need Joe Biden.
- As vice president, he came to Japan not long after I arrived as ambassador in 2013. He stepped off Air Force Two wearing his aviator glasses and a big smile. He radiated American optimism and generosity of spirit. He made clear that America would always stand by our allies, and that we were committed to keeping the region peaceful and prosperous. He delivered tough messages as well, but he did it in private, with skill and respect. He thanked our diplomats for serving far from home. I saw a leader who was strong but fair, and who had the trust and respect of other countries.
- Joe Biden is admired abroad because of his record of accomplishment at home. As senator, he secured a unanimous vote to extend the Voting Rights Act for 25 years. He led the fight to ban assault weapons — twice defeating the NRA. He wrote and passed the Violence Against Women Act to combat domestic violence and sexual assault. He won Senate support for historic agreements to reduce nuclear arsenals and ban chemical weapons.
- When Barack Obama was running for president, he asked me to help lead his search for a running mate, and I supported Joe Biden. Their strong partnership and commitment to fundamental American values achieved real progress on climate change, marriage equality, tax fairness, and criminal justice reform. As vice president, Biden secured Republican votes to pass the American Recovery Act, which helped prevent a second Great Depression. He was Obama’s point person for the Affordable Care Act — working with my Uncle Teddy to guarantee quality affordable health care to millions more Americans. But this election is about more than achievement. It is about character.
- I have admired Joe Biden since I was a Senate intern, in 1974. He was a new senator, devout Catholic, and devoted father to two young sons who had just lost their mother and sister. Teddy recognized him as someone who shared his belief that government should always be on the side of those who need help. In their own families and beyond, they gave others strength in times of loss. They never stopped listening to those who were struggling and treated everyone with dignity. They fought for working families. They worked across the aisle to get the best deal possible and battled to protect the gains they had won. They shared an empathy for others and a commitment to service over self.
- Most important, this election is about winning. We need a nominee who can compete in every state, who can bring wandering Democrats and independents back to the fold, and even attract some Republicans. Biden at the top of the ticket is our best bet to win the White House, keep the gains we made in the House, and put the Senate in play. Although 60 years have passed, people still tell me that they are inspired by the words from my father’s inaugural address: "Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country." Joe Biden embodies those words. He understands that the source of America’s strength — what truly makes us great — are the values and ideals that unite us. That’s what his life of service tells us. That is what his character and decency reflect. That’s why, at this fragile moment for our democracy, Joe Biden is the president we need.
