  Palm Beach Post George McEvoy There is something about a transcontinental woman, something mysteriously attractive, and Teresa Heinz Kerry has it in abundance.
She is Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo all in one. She is Lili Marlene underneath the lamplight, by the barrack gate. Oh, let's face it. I've got a thing for John Kerry's wife. At the Democratic convention this week in Boston, she spoke of Sen. Kerry's many combat decorations from the Vietnam War — three Purple Hearts among them: "John is a fighter," she said.
"He earned his medals the old-fashioned way, by putting his life on the line for his country. No one will defend this nation more vigorously than he will, and he will always be first in the line of fire. " She paused a moment and went on: "But he also knows the importance of getting it right. For him, the names of too many friends inscribed in the cold stone of the Vietnam Memorial testify to the awful toll exacted by leaders who mistake stubbornness for strength... " Besides his charming wife, Sen. Kerry had his praises sung by experts this week.
Former Vice President Al Gore opened things up with the best speech he ever gave. If he had spoken like that during his campaign for the presidency, George W. Bush by now would be a trivia question on Jeopardy! ( urlLink ... ) Democrats interviewed on TV needn't have fretted about whether Sen. Kerry would make a good acceptance speech.
Surrounded by men he served with in Vietnam, Sen. Kerry delivered a rouser that kept the crowd on its feet. He outlined his plans for revitalizing the economy, for creating jobs and easing the unemployment problem. He talked about making higher education available to more young people, and vowed that he would not privatize Social Security, as President Bush has threatened to do.
He got loud cheers when he said that as president, he would appoint an attorney general who has respect for the Constitution, an obvious dig at John Ashcroft. But he kept an optimistic note throughout, saying at one point — "The future doesn't belong to fear; it belongs to freedom. " And sitting in a box watching him, dressed all in white and smiling a Mona Lisa smile, was Teresa. I would have voted for Sen. Kerry anyway, but Teresa makes it a sure thing. 
