Elect. Up next, Democrat John kerry concedes defeat on the 2004 president ial election, he lost to george w. Bush who won a second term, the event took place in boston. [applause] thank you, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much, you just have no idea how warming and generous that welcome is, your love is, your affection. Im gratified by it. I am sorry that we got here a little bit late and a little bit short. Earlier today, i spoke to president bush and offered him and laura our congratulations on their victory. We had a good conversation. We talked about the danger of division in our country, and the needs, the desperate need, for unity for finding the common ground, coming together. Today i hope that we can begin the healing. [applause] in america, it is vital that every vote counts and that every vote be counted. But the outcome should be decided by voters not by a protracted legal process. I would not give up this fight if there was a chance that we would prevail, it is now clear that all the provisional ballots are counted, which they will be, there wont be enough outstanding votes for us to be able to win ohio. And therefore, we cannot win this election. My friends, it was here that we began our campaign for the presidency. And all we had was hope and a vision for a better america. It was a privilege and a gift to spend two years traveling the country, coming to know so many of you. I wish that i could just wrap you up in my arms and embrace each and every one of you individually all across this nation. I think you from the bottom of my heart them. [applause] thank you, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We love you. We still have your back. Thank you for that. And i assure you, you watch, i will still have your some. I will always be particularly grateful to the colleague you just heard from who became a partner, my very Close Friends and extraordinary leader, john edwards. I thank him for everything he did. [applause] john and i would be the first to tell you that we owe so much to our families, they are here with us today, they were with us every single step of the way, they sustained us, they win out on their own and they multiplied our campaign all across this country. No one did this more with grace and with courage and candor that i love that my wife teresa. [applause] thank you, thank you. And our children were there every single step of the way. It was unbelievable. Vanessa, alex, chris, andre and john from my family and Elizabeth Edwards who is so remarkable and strong and so smart. John and kate to win out there on their own just like my daughters stud, and also emma and jack were up beyond their bedtime just like a lot of us. I want to thank my crewmates and my friends from 35 years ago, that great brand of brothers that crisscrossed this country on my behalf in 2004. Thank you. They have the courage to speak the truth back then and they spoke again this year, for that i will be forever grateful. Thanks also, as i look around here to friends, family, this is a lifetime. Some are from college, friends made across the years and then all across the miles of this campaign. You are so special. You brought the gift of your passion for our country and the possibilities of change and that will stay with us and with this country forever. Thanks to the democrats and republicans and independents who stood with us, and everyone who voted, no matter who their candidate was. And thanks to my absolutely unbelievable, and dedicateds staff led by a Wonderful Campaign manager mary beth cahill. Win. There is so much written about campaigns, there is so much that americans never get to see, i wish they could all spend a day on a campaign and see how hard these folks work to make america better. It is its own unbelievable contribution to our democracy and it is a gift to everybody. Especially to me, im grateful to every one of you. I think your families, and i thank you for the sacrifices you have made and to all the volunteers, all across the country who gave so much of themselves. Thank you to william field, a sixyearold who collected 680 dollars in quarters and dollars at a time selling bracelets in the summer to change america. [applause] thanks to Michael Benson from florida who i saw holding a container of money and he had raided his piggy bank and wanted to contribute. An 11 year old who started kids for carry all across the country. I think of the brigades of students and people, young and old, who took time to travel, time off from work, they were on vacation, and they decided to work in states far and wide. They brave the hot days of summer, the cold days of the fall and winter to knock on doors. Because they were determined to open the doors of opportunity to all americans. They worked their hearts out and i wish, you dont know how much, that i could have brought this race home for you, for them. I say to them now, dont lose faith. What you did made a difference. And building on itself [applause] building on itself, we go on to make a difference another day. I promise you that that time will come. The time will come, the election will come when your work and your ballots will change the world and it is worth fighting for. I want to especially say to the american people, in this journey, you have given me the honor and gift of listening and learning from you. I have visited your homes, your churches, your community halls, i have heard your stories and struggles, i know your hopes. They are part of me now, and i will never forget you and i will never stop fighting for you. [applause] you may not understand completely in what ways, but it is true when i say to you that you have taught me and tested me and lifted me up and meet me stronger. I did my best to express my vision and hopes for america, we worked hard, and we fought hard, and we wished that things couldve turned out differently. But in an american election, there are no losers. Because whether or not our candidates are successful, the next morning we all wake up as americans. And that [applause] that is the greatest privilege and the most remarkable good fortune that can come to us on earth. With that gift also comes obligation. We are recurrent now to Work Together for the good of our country. In the days ahead, we must find common cause. We must join in common efforts, without remorse or recrimination, without anger or rancor. America is in need of unity. And longing for a larger measure of compassion. I hope president bush will advance those values in the coming years. I pledge to do my part to try to bridge the partisan divide i know this is a difficult time for my supporters but i ask all of you to join in doing that. Now more than ever with soldiers in harms way we must succeed in iraq and win the war on terror. I will also do everything in my power to ensure that my party, a proud Democratic Party stands two to our best hopes and ideals. I believe that we started in this campaign will not end here. Our fight goes on to put america back to work and make our economy a great engine of job growth. A real fight goes on to make Affordable Health care a accessible right for all americans. Our fight goes on to protect america to achieve a quality, to push the frontiers of discovery and to restore americas reputation. Where are we . I believe this will all happen and sooner than we may think because we are america. And america always moves forward. I have been honored to represent the citizens of this commonwealth in the United States senate now for 20 years. And i pledge to them that in the years ahead, i will fight on for the people and the principles that have learned and lived with here in massachusetts. Im proud of what we stood for in this campaign, and of what we accomplished. When we began, no one thought it was possible to even make this a close race. But we stood for real change. Change that would make a real difference in the life of our nation and the lives of our families. And we define that choice to america. I will never forget the wonderful people who came to our values, who stood in our rope lines, put their hopes in our hands and vested in each and every one of us. I saw in them the truth that america is not only great but it is good. So here [applause] so with a grateful heart, i leave this campaign with a prayer that has greater meaning to me now that ive come to know and our vast country. So thank you. What a pleasure its been to do so. The prayer is simple. God bless america. Thank you. [applause] [applause] weeknights this month were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of whats available every weekend on cspan 3. Tuesday night, former u. S. Senator sam nunn reflect on the cold war, 75 years after it began. Senator nunn served from 1972 to 1987 as a democrat from georgia. And as Senate Arms Committee chair from 1987 to 1985. After leaving the senate he founded the Nuclear Threat initiative. Senator nunn talks about his experience during the cupid missile crisis. Leadership from truman to george h. W. Bush. Foreign leaders to inflict events during the cold war as well as the continuing threat of nuclear conflict. Watch tuesday at 8 pm eastern and enjoy American History tv every weekend on cspan 3. Tuesday morning, facebook ceo mark zuckerberg, and twitters ceo, jack dorsey answer questions about censorship, suppression of New York Post articles and the companys handling of the 2020 election. Theyll testify in front of the Senate Judiciary committee online on cspan. Org or you can listen on the free cspan radio app. He defeated