Last time The Iconoclast endorsed bush, and now they regret it. This is an extraordinary editorial, especially considering it’s in shrub’s hometown paper.
Kerry Will Restore American Dignity
2004 Iconoclast Presidential EndorsementFew Americans would have voted for George W. Bush four years ago if he had promised that, as President, he would:
— Empty the Social Security trust fund by $507 billion to help offset fiscal irresponsibility and at the same time slash Social Security benefits.
— Cut Medicare by 17 percent and reduce veterans’ benefits and military pay.
— Eliminate overtime pay for millions of Americans and raise oil prices by 50 percent.
— Give tax cuts to businesses that sent American jobs overseas, and, in fact, by policy encourage their departure.
— Give away billions of tax dollars in government contracts without competitive bids.
— Involve this country in a deadly and highly questionable war, and
— Take a budget surplus and turn it into the worst deficit in the history of the United States, creating a debt in just four years that will take generations to repay.
These were elements of a hidden agenda that surfaced only after he took office.
The publishers of The Iconoclast endorsed Bush four years ago, based on the things he promised, not on this smoke-screened agenda.Today, we are endorsing his opponent, John Kerry, based not only on the things that Bush has delivered, but also on the vision of a return to normality that Kerry says our country needs…..
In those dark hours after the World Trade Center attacks, Americans rallied together with a new sense of patriotism. We were ready to follow Bush’s lead through any travail.
He let us down.
When he finally emerged from his hide-outs on remote military bases well after the first crucial hours following the attack, he gave sound-bytes instead of solutions….
Bush said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction trained on America. We believed him, just as we believed it when he reported that Iraq was the heart of terrorism. We trusted him.
The Iconoclast, the President’s hometown newspaper, took Bush on his word and editorialized in favor of the invasion. The newspaper’s publisher promoted Bush and the invasion of Iraq to Londoners in a BBC interview during the time that the administration was wooing the support of Prime Minister Tony Blair.
Again, he let us down.
Once and for all, George Bush was President of the United States on that day. No one else. He had been President nine months, he had been officially warned of just such an attack a full month before it happened. As President, ultimately he and only he was responsible for our failure to avert those attacks.
We should expect that a sitting President would vacation less, if at all, and instead tend to the business of running the country, especially if he is, as he likes to boast, a “wartime president.” America is in service 365 days a year. We don’t need a part-time President who does not show up for duty as Commander-In-Chief until he is forced to, and who is in a constant state of blameless denial when things don’t get done…
Kerry’s four-point plan for Iraq is realistic, wise, strong, and correct. With the help from our European and Middle Eastern allies, his plan is to train Iraqi security forces, involve Iraqis in their rebuilding and constitution-writing processes, forgive Iraq’s multi-billion dollar debts, and convene a regional conference with Iraq’s neighbors in order to secure a pledge of respect for Iraq’s borders and non-interference in Iraq’s internal affairs…
The re-election of George W. Bush would be a mandate to continue on our present course of chaos. We cannot afford to double the debt that we already have. We need to be moving in the opposite direction.
John Kerry has 30 years of experience looking out for the American people and can navigate our country back to prosperity and re-instill in America the dignity she so craves and deserves. He has served us well as a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and has had a successful career as a district attorney, lieutenant governor, and senator.
Kerry has a positive vision for America, plus the proven intelligence, good sense, and guts to make it happen.
That’s why The Iconoclast urges Texans not to rate the candidate by his hometown or even his political party, but instead by where he intends to take the country.The Iconoclast wholeheartedly endorses John Kerry.
Hopefully more endorsements will follow. Via DK.
1
By Carol Johansen
I love the editorial on Kerry. It is the BEST! I would certainly forward it on to a lot of people but how can I do it? I hope for an early re-
sponse.
September 30, 2004 @ 9:50 am | Comment
2
By Linda
RAH RAH! We need more like the Shrub’s hometown paper to speak the truth.
How much more of this good ole boy can we take? How much longer can he fool half the country into thinking he’s like them… just a common, everyday kinda guy with the same cares and concerns that they have!
That’s BS! And he shovels it out better than anyone, ever.
September 30, 2004 @ 11:55 am | Comment
3
By lyn anderson
Good job of stating the facts without sounding as if you are out to get “W” Surely do hope that people pay attention to and follow your advice. I would like to buy a copy of your newspaper with that article in it.
September 30, 2004 @ 5:59 pm | Comment
4
By Janie Tomaz
SHAME ON YOU! You are the typical hate mongrels. Bush didn’t cause 9-11 and we’ve had only 3 years to recover. Your comments about hiding out, 9-11 being his fault and taking vacation show the American people how filled with hate you are. Clinton got many warning signals and did not allow agencies like FBI and CIA to share information. When bashing Bush, you seem to leave out these big details along with many others. How sad for your Republican employees to see this betrayal, or is it a requirement to be a Democrat to work there? John Kerry talks a big game, and if he wins, will prove he doesn’t walk the talk. How sad for your town to see this betrayal. The morale has to be low, and friendships may never recover. Janie Tomaz from Waukesha, Wi.
October 1, 2004 @ 5:51 am | Comment
5
By Amy
Ease up Janie. The article was not thrown together with haste as your post surely was. It was thoughtful, thorough and right on the money. Read it again. You need to digest the truth.
October 1, 2004 @ 5:20 pm | Comment
6
By Carol J. Rhodes
Editor: I would like to address you by name, but after searching your entire web site, I cannot find it.
If it was not for President Bush, Crawford would be just another wide place in the road. How dare you endorse Kerry! I do not know how you will be able to show your face around town. Perhaps there are a few folks who will agree with you, but I’ll bet not many. Lots of luck with increasing your subscriber base!
October 1, 2004 @ 6:18 pm | Comment
7
By richard
Carol, you may be feeling lonely in a few weeks as more and more newspapers, even in Texas, endorse John Kerry. Bush is a fraud, a weakling, a chimp, a shyster, a liar and, all in all, a miserable failure. Thank God for objective editors who have the courage and the fortitude to endorse the right man, even if that choice is unpopular with the majority of its readers. Hopefully more and more of these readers will come around as Kerry’s strengths continue to make themselves known (they’ve been drowned out by such charlatans and liars as the Smear Boat Veterans and other Karl Rove operatives). This editorial was a work of art, and a great step forward in the country’s move toward liberty and a real president.
October 1, 2004 @ 7:28 pm | Comment
8
By Ruth Drew
Bush has lead us into a war based on lies and motivated by power and greed and at the same time has systematically been nailing down the coffin of our democracy!
As a fellow Texan I applaud you for speaking out. This is one of the best editorials I have read in recent memory.
Thank you for being what the American press should be. In case everyone has forgotten, anyone who holds public office is accouontable.
October 2, 2004 @ 3:10 pm | Comment
9
By Bill White
Right from the beginning I knew that this was going to be a catastrophe when the rest of the world wouldn’t come on board. Now we’re supossed to hate them because they wouldn’t bow under to us. Republicans think that we are right and the rest of the world is wrong.
President Kerry is going to have one big mess to take care of.
October 8, 2004 @ 10:26 am | Comment
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By richard
Bill, you are totally right-on. I feel sorry for Kerry in a way if he wins — it’ll be a thankless, horrible job, and there’s simply not much he can do about the festering wound called Iraq. Lose-lose situation if there ever was one.
Remember what the world was like under Clinton, when our allies actually respected us? Or even after 911, when the whole world was “an American.” That bush allowed us to sink to most-despised-nation status — that is the greatest blight on his record. (One of any.)
October 8, 2004 @ 10:50 am | Comment
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By millie rosencrans
Bush did not cause 9/11 but he did not prevent it either. He had received warnings in January 2001. Then a specific warning in July 2001, a briefing at Crawford on August 6,2001 mentioning that Osama was preparing to attack very soon and it was going to be with hijacked airplanes and the World Trade Center was a possible target.
October 14, 2004 @ 8:50 am | Comment
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By Beverly
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Many of “my fellow American’s” need to send in their thank you’s also.
October 18, 2004 @ 10:04 am | Comment
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By Bill Weible
Great editorial. All I can add is this: If W has done such a bang-up job, why are the polls even close?
October 20, 2004 @ 11:01 am | Comment