There are many reasons to vote for John Kerry for president on
Nov. 2. The most pressing ones being President George W. Bush’s
poor stewardship of this country over the last four years and his
failure to lead in the world when a strong coalition is needed to
wipe out a threat to us all.
There are many reasons to vote for John Kerry for president on Nov. 2. The most pressing ones being President George W. Bush’s poor stewardship of this country over the last four years and his failure to lead in the world when a strong coalition is needed to wipe out a threat to us all.
We like many of Kerry’s policies on issues ranging from supporting federal funding of embryonic stem cell research to protecting the environment; from extending the assault weapons ban to properly equipping our military personnel; from endorsing sensible reforms to the Patriot Act to overhauling the Medicare drug plan.
But our support for Kerry is also the result of deep dissatisfaction with Bush.
Bush was elected in 2000 after losing the popular vote but winning the electoral college vote and following a controversial and still highly disputed Supreme Court decision.
Instead of working to heal the deep divisions in this country by governing from a moderate position, Bush reverted to the far right. What’s even harder to understand is the way Bush squandered American unity and world sympathy generated by the Sept. 11 attacks.
As a result, this nation is more deeply divided at home and more isolated in the world than before Bush took office.
While our armed forces were fighting in Afghanistan to capture Al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden, who were responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks, Bush inexplicably turned his attention to an imagined threat in Iraq.
As his reasons for invading Iraq evaporated, Bush’s justifications shifted from weapons of mass destruction, to toppling a brutal dictator, to exporting democracy. The Bush administration frequently, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways, linked Iraq and the events of Sept. 11, a connection that simply did not exist.
The Bush administration bungled prewar diplomacy, leaving America with few allies willing to send substantial numbers of troops to the effort.
Now, after more than 1,100 dead and more than 7,700 injured American soldiers, countless dead and injured Iraqis, numerous terrifying kidnappings and gruesome beheadings, and tens of billions of dollars, we know the truth: Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction and no capability to build or acquire them. Why? Because the sanctions imposed by the United Nations were working.
Now Iraq is a prime recruiting site for future terrorists. Al Qaeda and other groups have recognized this and are hurrying to take control in a country that Bush has been unable to secure.
As a result of Bush’s mishandling of the post-invasion period in Iraq (the time after the mission was supposedly accomplished), America’s short- and long-term safety has been greatly diminished.
Meanwhile, at home, Bush pushed a tax cut that primarily benefited wealthy Americans. The result is that the budget surplus Bush inherited when he took office is now a record deficit. This year’s deficit alone is $477 billion.
According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, Bush’s tax cuts are responsible for 58 percent of the budget deficit. The cost of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, antiterrorism efforts, homeland security and Sept. 11 recovery account for 20 percent of the deficit. The remaining 22 percent is attributed to non-war defense and non-defense budget increases.
We are also seeing the result of Bush’s policies that shift health care to local governments while burdening them with unfunded mandates for homeland security, education, and election reform in California and South Valley. The nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities says that these policies have cost states at least $185 billion over four years. It’s in part thanks to Bush that our local governments and school districts are hiking fees, raising taxes and slashing services.
As with any presidential election that features an incumbent, ask yourself this simple question: Is the nation better off now than it was four years ago? By any measure, the answer is no. This nation is in worse fiscal condition. The economy is floundering. Our relations with our allies are severely strained. The nation is deeply divided. Worst of all, our military is stretched thin, and our security at home and abroad has been reduced. This nation cannot afford four more years of George W. Bush.
America needs a president who will be a capable, wise commander-in-chief, who speaks the truth to the nation, who is knowledgable about complex issues, and a skilled diplomat who can restore the damaged relationships with our allies.
We urge you to vote for John Kerry for president.
