Hamsters For Kerry

Hamsters For Kerry: "You may be asking yourself, 'Why are hamsters organizing to support John Kerry?' That's a good question. This is the good answer.

At the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Alexandra Kerry told a rapt audience the heroic story of her father and a hamster named Licorice. Here, in part, is what she said:

'It's great to be here tonight. It hasn't been easy to sift through years of memories about my father and find those few that might best tell you who John Kerry really is. Let me just begin with one July day when Vanessa and I were kids. It's a silly story, but it's true, and it's one of my favorite memories of my father. We were standing on a dock waiting for a boat to take us on a summer trip. Vanessa, the scientist, had packed all her animals including her favorite hamster. Our over-zealous golden retriever got tangled in his leash and knocked the hamster cage off the dock. We watched as Licorice, the unlucky hamster bubbled down to a watery doom. That might have been the end of the story. But my dad jumped in, grabbed an oar, fished the cage from the water, hunched over the soggy hamster and began to administer CPR. There were some reports of mouth-to-mouth, but, I admit that's probably a trick of memory. He was never quite right after that, but Licorice lived. Like I said, it may sound silly. We still laugh about it today. But, to us it was serious and that's what mattered to my father.' "



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