Source Notes 6

Kerry-Specter Bill Would Create Jobs, Stimulus, Infrastructure Investment (John Kerry, 11/19/2008)

Summary:

A press release by John Kerry’s office announced the introduction of the High-Speed Rail For America Act of 2008 in Washington D.C. by John Kerry and Arlen Specter on November 19, 2008.  This source directly relates to my topic question by emphasizing the attempts of two senators to pass a bill that would finance the development of 11 high-speed rail corridors across the United States.

Topic:

High-Speed Rail Policy

Category:

Institutional

What is it?

A Press Release

Publication Information:

The release is from John Kerry’s official Senate website and is entitled “Senator John Kerry The Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”  The release was published on November 19, 2008 in Washington D.C.

Author:

No Author Listed

Location:

http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=305116

Accessed:

February 3, 2009

Support:

John Kerry, a senator from Massachusetts

Arlen Specter, a senator from Pennsylvania

Sherrod Brown, a senator from Ohio

Bob Casey, a senator from Pennsylvania

Hillary Clinton, a senator from New York

Chris Dodd, a senator from Connecticut

Dianne Feinstein, a senator from California

Daniel Inouye, a senator from Hawaii

Frank Lautenberg, a senator from New Jersey

Joe Lieberman, a senator from Connecticut

Bob Menendez, a senator from New Jersey

Chuck Schumer, a senator from New York

Olympia Snowe, a senator from Maine

Debbie Stabenow, a senator from Michigan

Sheldon Whitehouse, a senator from Rhode Island

Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York City

Ed Rendell, governor of Pennsylvania

John Kerry and Arlen Specter introduced the High-Speed Rail for America Act of 2008 and voiced support for it in the press release.  All the other senators mentioned c0-sponsored the bill, but made no specific comments in the release.  Michael Bloomberg emphasized the importance of high-speed rail in a modern infrastructure.  Ed Rendell commented that high-speed rail investment would provide America with good jobs that cannot be outsourced.

Audience and Agenda:

According to Quantcast, there was approximately 13,000 people visiting Kerry’s senate website in mid-November, which is around the time this press release came out.  The highest proportions of these people were male, post-graduates, listed as “another ethnicity,” and of a more affluent socioeconomic standing.  Most people visiting the site are probably from Massachusetts, the east coast, or any U.S. citizen interested in high-speed rail.  They use this source to stay informed on what John Kerry is doing.  They expect professional releases tailored to fit John Kerry’s view.

John Kerry’s office funded the press release to reach people in Massachusetts, the east coast, and all across the country who are interested in national politics and high-speed rail.  The release is trying to gain support for the bill that Kerry and Specter introduced, and probably trying to bring attention to their more general legislative efforts in Washington D.C.  It was the senate office assisting John Kerry that created the actual release about the bill.

Usefulness:

This document was created by assistants convening with John Kerry on how to advertise his part in creating the bill.  Before he and Spector introduced the bill, they had to know that the political climate is favorable for a push for high-speed rail.

Advertising of the bill and of John Kerry was the purpose of the release.   He is one of the politicians most involved in high-speed rail.

The release is trying to address anybody interested in Kerry’s policies or high-speed rail policy itself.  The legislation will also reach the desks of the politicians who will ultimately decide whether or not to give funds to high-speed rail.

The source leaves out any information about the environmental impact of high-speed rail corridors.  It also leaves out any information about the overall costs to establish one working high-speed rail line, much less 11 corridors.  The source also leaves out information about political opposition to the bill.  Finally, it leaves out the opinions of politicians outside the northeastern United States.  Kerry’s press releases can be seen as textual cheerleaders.

Focusing on the opinion of one or more politicians, this source relates to Source Notes 27, Source Notes 22, and Source Notes 8.  Focusing on a specific piece of legislation, this source relates to Source Notes 2, Source Notes 7, Source Notes 12, Source Notes 21, and Source Notes 15.

Works Cited:

“Kerry-Specter Bill.”  John Kerry.  <http://kerry.senate.gov/cfm/record.cfm?id=305116>

John Kerry.  <http://kerry.senate.gov/index.cfm>

“http://kerry.senate.gov/.”  Quantcast.  <http://www.quantcast.com/kerry.senate.gov>

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Filed under: Institutional