Crawford, TX paper endorses Kerry

[asheris]

The one and only paper in Crawford, Texas* has endorsed John Kerry for President.

The bulk of their endorsement describes how an editorial board that endorsed Bush four years ago has come to the realization that Bush is not what he claims to be. How he has let them (and us) down time and again. How he cannot be relied upon.

Few 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.

...

When examined based on all the facts, Kerry's voting record is enviable and echoes that of many Bush allies who are aghast at how the Bush administration has destroyed the American economy. Compared to Bush on economic issues, Kerry would be an arch-conservative, providing for Americans first. He has what it takes to right our wronged economy.

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.

(alternate link)


Added 9/30:
* Crawford Texas, population 705 (2000 census; est. 751 in 2002)
According to the 2000 census, there were 260 households in Crawford, with an average household size of 2.71.

The Iconoclast has a weekly circulation of 425- all of Crawford and much of the immediate area.

Comments

[asheris.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, and Security- if Bush were all that good on security, why was he consistently ignoring anything having to do with the topic up until 9/11/2001?

He had warnings from the previous administration, who even presented the incoming administration with a complete plan for taking out bin Laden. Bush's people chucked it.

He had warnings from his own intelligence people that something big was coming. He ignored it.

We were getting warnings from other countries that they were hearing chatter about something big in the works- Bush et al brushed that off.

The August 6 PDB, "bin Laden determined to strike in US", included mention of plane hijackings and possible targets such as Washington DC and New York City. Nope- blew that off, too.


Since 9/11:
No additional funding for the Border Patrol. Coast Guard funding is being "trimmed". STILL no plan in place for inspecting ships, especially container ships, entering our seaports. Promised funding for first-responders to get anti-terrorism equipment and training has been skimpy and poorly directed. And that's just the beginning.

How are we dealing with security? We're not. We're getting pretty words, and nothing tangible.

Ashcroft made huge announcements when they were busy rounding up "suspected terrorists". Now we find he's going 0 for 5,000 on convictions. (Taking Liberties, by David Cole of The Nation.) Been holding these people without access to an attorney (illegal under the Constitution) and without charging them for months, and even years. Of course, Ashcroft isn't saying anything at all about how they made some pretty spectacular mistakes, and these people weren't actually terrorists after all.

At least, they weren't before- who knows how they'll be feeling now that their lives have been destroyed.


Iraq was not the source of the terrorists. Most of them came from Saudi Arabia, our "good friend". bin Laden and many of his people are (or were, anyway) in Afghanistan. Attacking Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with the "war on terror".

Making things up is NOT strength or leadership. Refusing to change your mind in the face of clear evidence that you've made a mistake is not strength or leadership, either. That's being stubborn, and dare I say, stupid.