At Cape Canaveral, Kerry urges higher US priority for science

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- Campaigning at the heart of the US space program, Democratic presidential hopeful John F. Kerry said yesterday that America needs a leader who will ''push the curve of discovery" in science as president, and he urged independents and Republicans to give his candidacy a look, suggesting Republicans should stop automatically voting for politicians from their own party.

Working after just a few hours' sleep following a surprise appearance at the Red-Sox Yankees game and a midnight flight, Kerry appeared a little rusty and tired at a forum in the Kennedy Space Center. But the partisan crowd appeared delighted that Kerry chose to spend the first day of the Democratic National Convention with them. He took questions on topics ranging from health care to national security, and his voice bristled as he answered one woman who felt that America had become more hated and isolated since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

''Never in 35 years have I seen the United States as much the target, as much derided and disrespected as we are today, where Americans when they travel abroad are at risk," he said. ''Our athletes at the Olympics have been warned against excessive display of American pride, wrapping themselves in the flag, etc., if they win. I want to get it back to the place where America is a beacon to the world."

Kerry repeated his past pledge to reach out to Republicans and moderates, but with a different twist, arguing that people are stuck in partisan voting habits.

''I want to talk to Republicans and independents, who kind of have an automatic response -- 'Who are you going to vote for? I'm a Republican, I've always voted Republican, I'm going to vote Republican. Or I'm an Independent,' or whatever. Stop and think! Stop and think about what's happening in America!" he nearly shouted. ''If you're a conservative, there's nothing conservative about piling debt on the shoulders of our children and driving up the deficit as far as the eye can see."

Later, at the forum, Kerry said he aspired to set ground-breaking goals, like President Kennedy's call in the early 1960s to put a man on the moon. ''We need to push the curve of discovery -- we need a president who believes in science and who's prepared to invest America's efforts to cure Parkinson's and AIDS and diabetes and Alzheimer's and do stem-cell research. Let's go forward."

The Bush campaign issued a spate of statements from Florida Republicans denouncing Kerry as too liberal for state voters, and decrying some of his Senate votes to cut funding for space programs.

Patrick Healy can be reached at phealy@globe.com.