A powerful advocate for Kerry

Via Liberal Oasis, Kristen Bretweister, who lost her husband in WTC 2, on CNN:

WOODRUFF: Here in Washington a short time ago, five women who lost husbands on 9/11 publicly endorsed John Kerry for president. Kristen Breitweiser of New Jersey is leading the charge, and she is with me now here in Washington.

Why do this, Ms. Breitweiser?

KRISTEN BREITWEISER, 9/11 WIDOW: I think because I spent, along with the other 9/11 family members, three years trying to get 9/11 issues addressed by this administration. And it's been a long fight, and I use the word fight because that's what it was. And I think it's disappointing to be this far removed from 9/11 and to still not feel as safe as we could be feeling.

It's been a long three years, and we tried to get failures addressed. We tried to have accountability assigned, and it's just not happening under this administration. And I have a five-year-old daughter. I want to know that I'm safer than I am right now. And President Bush has not put me in that place, and I believe Senator Kerry will.

WOODRUFF: You said that you voted for George W. Bush in 2000. What has turned you around?

BREITWEISER: I think my own personal experience in the last three years, where I'd hoped that President Bush -- someone that I voted for, that my husband voted for -- would have been my biggest ally in trying to correct the problems that occurred on the morning of September 11th and trying to make this nation safer.

And what I found out, for the last three years, is that he was our biggest adversary. And I'm very disappointed...

WOODRUFF: Specifically because he what?

BREITWEISER: With regard to the 9/11 Commission, President Bush: fought the creation of the commission; fought the legislative language to make sure the commission was set up in a bipartisan manner; fought the funding of the commission; fought an extension for the commission; fought access to individuals and documents.

This commission was very important because it was going to make sure that we learn from the mistakes that occurred in 9/11 and, in a sense, honor the lost lives by making sure that in the next attack -- which we know is going to happen -- more lives would be saved.

WOODRUFF: But in the last analysis, the president did come around on most of that, didn't he?

BREITWEISER: He came around after he was backed into a corner and after a 90-8 vote in the Senate. And it was a long year. And I wonder, what if the president had started his own commission in the days after 9/11, much like happened in Pearl Harbor. Maybe this wouldn't be a campaign issue this year. Maybe national security would be taken care of. Maybe I would feel safe. Maybe I wouldn't be so scared three years since 9/11.

And I think it's terribly sad that it is an issue in this campaign, because it's an issue -- because it hasn't been taken care of.

WOODRUFF: Are you going to get involved in his campaign? Will you campaign for him?

You were just telling me that you haven't flown in an airplane since 9/11.

BREITWEISER: I have not flown in an airplane since 9/11. When I see planes in the sky, I have flashbacks of the plane entering my husband's building.

I have committed to the campaign that I will travel. I want to get the word out. I want the people in this country to understand that national security must be a priority -- a priority in action, not just in words.

And I'm willing to get on a plane. And assuming I can do that, I will do that. And that is how committed I am, and how much I believe in Senator Kerry being our president.

WOODRUFF: Some people are going to ask, were you in any way used by this campaign? Are they in any way taking advantage of your obvious and understandable emotions in order to get you to...

BREITWEISER: And I can tell you from my heart, I reached out to the Kerry campaign. I reached out after the Republican convention that was in New York, and I felt that listening to people talk about 9/11 as incessantly as it was done during the campaign -- or the convention in New York, if you're going to use 9/11, use it to make this nation safer than it was on 9/11. And that's not being done. If you're going to use 9/11, if you're going to be impassioned about the lives lost on 9/11, then do so by making us safer. Don't use 9/11 to go to war in a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 -- not on my husband's name. The war in Iraq has increased recruitment of al Qaeda. It has increased animosity and hatred toward Americans.

I want to know that I'm safer. I lost my husband. I want to know that my daughter and I are safer. And President Bush hasn't one [sic] that. As much as we have begged and pleaded and screamed to try to get these problems fixed, to try and become safer living in this country, it just hasn't happened.

Kristen Breitweiser, who lost her husband on 9/11, we thank you very much for coming to talk with us today.

BREITWEISER: Thank you for having me.

WOODRUFF: We appreciate it.