Teresa Heinz Kerry set out to give the Democratic Party and American voters a more personal view of her husband, U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry.

But she started by explaining her own background. "My name is Teresa Heinz Kerry," she said. "By now it will come as no surprise that I have something to say."

Heinz Kerry was making light of an incident earlier this week, when she told a Pittsburgh newspaper reporter to "shove it."

Earlier Tuesday, Heinz Kerry said she stood by her comments, saying she was defending herself against being misquoted. Observers felt she hadn't necessarily done herself or her husband any harm.

Heinz Kerry was among several speakers Tuesday night who aimed to shift the focus away from her and onto the candidate, and to his lifetime of public service.

Their goal is to break a statistical dead heat in the polls against Republican President George W. Bush.
She said her husband "earned his medals the old-fashioned way -- by putting his life on the life for his country."

That was almost certainly a veiled dig at Bush, whom many have accused of shirking his military responsibilities in the 1970s. Kerry is a decorated Vietnam veteran.

"He will always, always be first in the line of fire. But he also knows the importance of getting it right," Heinz Kerry said.

Earlier in the evening, fellow Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy told the crowd the nation needs ''a genuine uniter'' -- and "not a divider who only claims to be a uniter."

Despite a caution from the Kerry camp not to get into Bush-bashing, Kennedy spoke firmly against the president, and against White House's handling of the war in Iraq.

The invasion of Iraq, Kennedy said, "made it harder to win the real war on terrorism, the war against al Qaeda. None of this had to happen."

"The goals of the American people are every bit as high as they were more than 200 years ago," said Kennedy. "If America is failing to reach them today, it's not because our ideals need replacing, it's because our president needs replacing."

Later on, Ron Reagan, Jr., the son of the late Republican president, made an impassioned speech promoting the importance of stem cell research. His father, former president Ronald Reagan Sr., battled Alzheimer's for more than 10 years before his death last spring. Alzheimer's is just one of many diseases that could benefit from stem cell research.

Reagan steered clear of putting his support either with the Democrats or the Republicans. "The speech I am about to make should not have anything to do with partisanship," he said.

He acknowledged that politicians opposed to stem cell research often cite religious reasons. "The theology of the few should not be allowed to forestall the health of the many."

Reagan told the story of a 13-year-old girl suffering from a severe case of juvenile diabetes. "Every day she fights to have a future. What excuse should we offer if we fail her now?" he asked. "That facing political opposition we lost our nerve? That even though we knew better we did nothing?"

At the end of his speech, Reagan urged the crowd to "please cast a vote for embryonic stem cell research."

There are a few Republicans that support stem cell research, but the Democratic party has largely taken on the responsibility of promoting the issue.