BOSTON — On a day reserved for remembrance, President Bush and Sen. John Kerry stepped off the campaign trail Saturday to mark the three-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with warm words for the victims' families.
At the ornate Boston Opera House, Kerry told the Massachusetts families who lost their relatives that day that "the American spirit endures." In Washington, Bush said in a live radio address that the terrorist attacks were "a turning point for our nation."
In recent days, Bush and Kerry have sharply ratcheted up their attacks on one another. Kerry has charged that Bush is mishandling the war on terrorism and the war in Iraq, while Bush has accused Kerry of being too indecisive to properly manage the nation's security.
Despite efforts to publicly strike an apolitical stance, Kerry released a statement Saturday calling on Bush to release the 2001 Scowcroft Commission report, which made recommendations to Bush about strengthening and overhauling the nation's intelligence services.
"The White House has held this important report under wraps for nearly three years while resisting efforts to strengthen the intelligence services that are essential to preventing terrorist attacks and protecting our nation," Kerry said. "What is the White House hiding?"
Steve Schmidt, a spokesman for the Bush campaign, would not respond to the charge.
"John Kerry made a decision to launch political attacks on Sept. 11th, and that's the Kerry campaign's prerogative, and the Bush campaign will not respond to it until Sept. 12th," Schmidt said. "Today is a day of remembrance."
Kerry officials said they were releasing the statement to influence congressional hearings on intelligence matters scheduled to take place this week.
At the White House, the president assembled White House staffers and family members on the sunny South Lawn for a moment of silence before bringing family members of Sept. 11 victims and emergency response workers into the Oval Office for his radio address.
"We saw the goals of a determined enemy, to expand the scale of their murder, and force America to retreat from the world," Bush said. "And our nation accepted a mission: We will defeat this enemy."
Bush said the nation is safer than it was three years ago, but it is not safe yet.
"The United States is determined to stay on the offensive and to pursue the terrorists wherever they train or sleep or attempt to set down roots," Bush said. "We will not relent until the terrorists who plot murder against our people are found and dealt with."
In Boston, where the two planes that struck the New York's World Trade Center originated, Kerry placed three white lilies tied with red, white and blue ribbons on the low granite memorial to the victims in the Boston Garden. As a small private plane towed a large American flag overhead, Kerry read the engraved inscription of the names of the Massachusetts victims.
Later, inside the Opera House for an emotional tribute, many of the victims' family members praised Kerry for his support.
"For three years, he has been a compassionate presence at all of our family events," said Linda Plazonja, referring to the Massachusetts 9-11 Fund's activities.
Sonia Puopolo, whose mother was killed, said she would always be grateful for the kindness and love that Kerry and his wife, Teresa, showed her family.