The Case against Bush and for Kerry has just gotten stronger, read on. 

 

            “W” stands for wrong.  President Bush says he provides steady leadership, but steady leadership is worthless, because it has consistently taken  us in the wrong direction.  Steady leadership is no virtue when you relentlessly pursue the wrong policies. 

 

(Furthermore, there are several examples when he has changed his course of action, when pressured to do so, including finally agreeing to a 9-11 commission, a year too late, and finally agreeing to have his National Security Advisor testify at it.  He seems to be excused for the times that he flip flops.) 

 

            That is what this election is about, and that is why we need new leadership in Washington DC, both in the White House and at Capitol Hill.  We cannot afford four more years of bad decisions. 

 

Top Examples of taking us in the wrong direction.

 

1.         Pursuing a war against Iraq with faulty intelligence.  

 

a.         This is a war that could have waited, as we now know there was no imminent threat and no substantial connection with terrorists.  There were no weapons of mass destruction, and no discernable relationship with Al Qaeda.    As President,  Kerry will only pursue war as a last resort, and with a complete coalition.  He will hold Saddam Hussein accountable for his crimes.  (Also, there were other ways to accomplish regime change without a large scale invasion, that depletes our military’s ability to focus on terrorism.) 

 

b.         We also know that Bush’s reliance on faulty intelligence, caused him to under estimate the cost of the war, in terms of American lives and in terms of monetary cost.  It appears that this Administration decided to go to war against Iraq, and then cherry picked the faulty intelligence to support it, while disregarding stronger intelligence that did not support going to war.  As President,  Kerry will let the intelligence drive the policy, not the other way around.  Kerry has said that Bush failed to follow the advice of some of his best advisors.

 

c.         Former Defense Secretary Schlessinger’s Commission has said that this under estimating the resources needed for the Iraq war led to the prison abuses that contradict our values and have tarnished our image, internationally.   I appears that this Administration based their assessment of what was needed in a post war Iraq, on a best scenario, including us being greeted as liberators, and Iraq’s oil paying for the war.  As President,  if we have to go to war, Kerry will send our troops with the best possible plan, based on a worst possible scenario, and they will have all the resources they need from the start.   

 

d.         Had he allowed weapons inspections to continue, and had he listened to his own advisors, he could have put this war on hold until further progress was made in the war on terror.  As President, Kerry would have allowed weapons inspections to continue, and held Saddam Hussein accountable with the support of a real coalition of allies. 

 

e.         In the meantime, we could have brought more international pressure on Saddam Hussein to prove he is not pursuing development of weapons, and hold him accountable for his part in the corruption regarding the oil for food program.  This was the wrong war at the wrong time.  As President, Kerry will use better judgement in deciding which war to fight, and when, and only  when it is necessary.

 

2.         Mismanaging our foreign policy and the war in terror.   

 

a.         This Administration has squandered the good will we received from 9-11, to pursue an unnecessary war in Iraq, and a get tough, go it alone strategy.  As a result, we are less respected abroad, and we are less likely to get the help from long standing allies to fight terrorism.  A successful war on terror has to be an international effort to succeed, so the terrorists will have few, if any, places to hide.  As President,  Kerry will re-establish our alliances, to improve the success of the war on terror.

 

b.         This Administration has pulled out of long term treaties like the ABM treaty, in order to pursue a questionable missile defense system that will provide lots of tax dollars to the a corporation of the defense industry.  As President,  Kerry will strengthen our alliances by honoring our agreements or respectfully seeking revisions when needed. 

 

c.         As stated above, the war in Iraq was a distraction from the real war on terror.  Consequently, we are less safe.  As President,  Kerry will seek the participation of more nations to bring peace to Iraq.   He will never mislead us into war. 

 

d.         The Iraq war diverted our military from the real war on terror, and has sapped them of many of their resources to fight terrorism.   As President, Kerry will double our special forces,  increase our troop strength,  fight a smarter war on terror, and compensate for the mistakes of this Administration.

 

e.         Much of our National Reserves have been called up to go to Iraq, and consequently are not here to help defend our homeland.  As President,  Kerry will not misuse our National Reserves as a back door draft. 

 

f.          We have underfunded our first responders and under inspected our ports, partly because of the unplanned cost of the war in Iraq, combined with a relentless pursuit of tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthy, while further burdening the middle class.  As President,  Kerry will fund our first responders and port inspections, restore tax fairness to what it was in the Clinton era.  

 

g.         As a result of the above, we are less safe now, than we could be, as reported by the 9-11 Commission.   As President,  Kerry will implement the suggestions of the 9-11 Commission.

 

h.         This Administration has focused on military power as the fundamental solution to fighting the war on terror, but has not addressed the seeds of terror.  The 9-11 Commission has said that this is also an important part of fighting terror, forming a better understanding and line of communication with the law abiding elements of the Arab and Islam part of the world.   As President, Kerry will seek better understanding and communication with the Arab and Islam part of the world, while still pursuing the perpetrators of terror.  

 

i.          No one has suggested we be more “sensitive” to our real enemies, but even the President has said on two occasions that we need to be more sensitive to the Arab & Islam part of the world.  As President, Kerry will wage a more effective, comprehensive and undistracted war on terror, while striving to improve our relations with law abiding nations. 

 

j.          President Bush and the Conservative Republican Congressional leadership  have colluded to allow the assault weapons ban to end on September 13, 2004 at 12:00 midnight, in exchange for an endorsement from the NRA?  We are fighting a war on terror and we are going to let terrorists buy semi-automatic assault weapons!   GOD HELP US!  Some Democrats have distanced themselves from opposing the end to this ban because they fear the wrath of the NRA.  About 2/3 of the American people want the assault weapons ban to continue.  The NRA has about 4 million members, out of nearly 300 million US citizens, and they are intimidating our Congress to defy the will of about 200 million Americans?  One can only conclude that President Bush and the Conservative Republican Congressional leadership are not serious about making America safer, and we should show them the door on November 3rd.  Meanwhile, as President, Kerry will do what Bush promised to do in 2000.  He will push Congress to pass a bill renewing a ban on assault weapons, and he will sign it, NRA wrath not withstanding, especially if we give him a Democratic majority in both houses of Congress.

 

3.         Mismanaging the economy. 

 

a.         This Administration’s relentless pursuit of tax cuts that primarily benefit the wealthiest in our society have put more of a burden on the middle class, in more ways than one.   As President, Kerry will leave the tax cuts as is for the middle class, and return to the Clinton era of tax rates for the wealthy, a time when the wealthy got richer, as the middle class did better.

 

b.         The tax cut has shifted the tax burden more to the middle class, while also cutting or under funding programs that invest in the growth of the middle class, such as education and health care.   As President, Kerry will return the tax burden for the wealthy, back to where it was during the Clinton era, but with the middle class tax cuts of this Administration still in place. 

 

c.         This Administration has been indifferent to job losses in America.  They have suggested that, by giving tax cuts to the wealthy, they will in turn create jobs for the middle class.  We just have to be patient.  As President, Kerry will close corporate loop holes that encourage avoiding taxes by moving overseas.  Kerry will provide corporate tax incentives for providing jobs in America. 

 

d.         That is like giving water to those who are not thirsty, and then telling us thirsty folks that some of the water will fall off the whiskers of the non-thirsty to replenish us, if we are just patient enough.  As President, Kerry will invest directly in the middle class with programs that help them work, get educated and have health care.

 

e.         Remember the old Hoover - Bush slogan, we are turning the corner?   How many think this Administration would tell us that the corner is just beyond election day, we just have to be patient?   As President, Kerry will respect the intelligence of American voters. 

 

f.          The number living in poverty has increased under this Administration.  Who pays for that?  What little we do for the impoverished is paid for with middle class tax dollars, and sets up a wedge of the middle class resenting the poor.   As President,  Kerry & Edwards will help grow the middle class by helping the working poor achieve more, through a living wage, and access to education, job training and health care. 

 

g.         The number of citizens without health insurance has increased under this Administration.  Who pays for that?   The middle class with their tax dollars pay for catastrophic health care for the uninsured.   As President, Kerry will help more Americans and most children have access to health care similar to that given to Congress. 

 

h.         This Administration says it will provide tax credits for money saved for health care, but who can afford to save for health care, when most middle class Americans are in debt.   As President, Kerry will help more Americans and most children have access to health care similar to that given to Congress. 

i.          This Administration has been slow to address out sourcing, again almost with indifference to American workers who have lost their jobs.   As President, Kerry will provide corporate tax incentives to provide jobs in America. 

 

j.          This is the first time our country has pursued large tax cuts during war time.    As President, Kerry will return the tax burden for the wealthy, back to where it was during the Clinton era, but with the middle class tax cuts of this Administration still in place.

 

k.         This Administration took a surplus that could have started to pay down our national debt, and squandered it on tax cuts and a questionable war, resulting in record deficits, and a large increase in our national debt.  As President, Kerry will return to a pay as you go level of responsibility in government, and will cut the deficit in half within 4 years.  

 

l.          We have maxed out our nation’s credit card, and only make interest payments on it, virtually flushing a billion dollars a day, down the toilet.  That alone could pay for most of the defense budget.   Anyone that manages their own finances, knows this type of financing is a recipe for disaster.   Alan Greenspan has suggested that the deficit are a problem, but wants to reduce middle class Social Security entitlements in the future, rather than restoring Clinton era tax rates for the wealthy.  As President,  Kerry will return the tax burden for the wealthy, back to where it was during the Clinton era, but with the middle class tax cuts of this Administration still in place.

 

4.         The Bush Administration has consistently made decisions favorable to Corporations at the expense of the American people.   Once again, steady leadership fails us. 

 

a.         The first Bush run for President was funded by the wealthiest corporate interests.  Enron was one of their biggest contributors.  We all know how much Enron watched out for its employees.   As President,  Kerry will put the needs of people first, and work with corporations who are willing to work with him, in bringing more jobs back to America. 

 

b.         Ed Gillespie, an Enron lobbyist, was elected chair of the Republican National Committee in July 2003.   This is what Public Citizen President, Joan Claybrook,  had to say about his selection, when it was announced in June of 2003.  "This is just one more step in the merger of the Republican Party and Corporate America. Ed Gillespie is a richly rewarded lobbyist who greased the wheels in Congress and the White House for Enron, one of the most crooked companies in U.S. history. And now he’s at the head of the GOP. That should tell citizens where President Bush’s interests lie."  As President,  Kerry will not sell America to the highest bidder. 

 

c.         This Administration has sided with defense contractors, by advocating funding of questionable weapons systems, like missile defense prior to 9-11, then using 9-11 to further advocate for it.  This Administration has used funding of all weapons systems as a litmus test for being fit to lead, and used key votes by Kerry, out of context, to suggest he is weak on defense.  And lets not forget the Cheney - Halliburton connection.  No bid contracts for Halliburton, while former CEO Cheney still gets deferred compensation from Halliburton.  As President,  Kerry will assure our safety and strength with a smarter more accountable defense budget, that addresses today’s defense needs, not the profit needs of defense contractors. 

 

d.         This Administration has sided with corporations against labor, by their indifference to outsourcing, and skewing overtime reform to the needs of corporations.   As President,  Kerry will respect the needs of labor as the back bone of a strong America.

 

e.         This Administration has sided with corporations on energy and other resources, against the well being of the environment.  They promoted the clear skies initiative that allows more air pollution, promoted an increase in arsenic in our drinking water, promoted a safe forest initiative that allows logging corporations more access to forests, and took us out of the Kyoto Global Warming agreement, even though this Administration has finally relented that global warming is a real threat to our environment.  This Administration favors drilling for oil in nature preserves, where there is not enough oil to significantly reduce our dependence on foreign oil.  As President,  Kerry will not make that false choice between prosperity and a clean environment.  Instead, he will pursue development of cutting edge environmentally friendly technologies and renewable resources, that preserve our environment and decrease our dependence on foreign sources of fossil fuel.  

 

5.         “W” is wrong on values.  

 

a.         The compassionate conservative is neither.  He is underfunded his “No child left behind” initiative, making it an unfunded mandate for states.  The initiative is teaching our children how to pass tests, rather than learning what is needed to succeed.  As President,  Kerry will increase the number of teachers, decrease class room size, and provide incentives for teaching in poverty areas. 

 

b.         This Administration uses wedge issues to divide us, so we won’t notice his incompetence.  Remember what President Clinton said on the first night of the Democratic National Convention, “They need for us to be divided.”  As President,  Kerry, with Edwards, will strive to bring us together again, and seek solutions that benefit all. 

 

c.         President Bush has called for a Constitutional Amendment banning gay marriage, and his 2004 Republican, which largely praises him for everything, does not even allow for civil compensation for same sex couples in lieu of marriage.  This despite the fact his Vice President has a lesbian daughter, and favors leaving this issue for the  states to decide, individually.  As President,  Kerry will allow states to decide where they stand on gay marriage, rather than impose a federal amendment on all states. 

 

d.         President Bush says he is pro-life, regarding abortion, but does not favor changing Roe vs Wade, saying he wants to bring about a culture more concerned with life.  This way, he can have it both ways, not appearing to be a threat to pro-choice advocates, but gaining support of pro-life advocates.  He did sign into law a ban on late term abortions, that does not allow for protection of the mother, so it is being challenged in the courts.  As President,  Kerry will preserve a women’s right to choose, allowing abortion to be legal, safe and rare, by assuring that other choices are available, and resources to limit unintended pregnancies are available. 

 

e.         President Bush states he does not want to change any aspect of the Patriot Act, and members of his Administration have tried to rationalize suspension of civil liberties and the Geneva Convention, because our Constitution does not categorically say what we have to honor in war time.  These actions would dishonor the civil liberties that are integral to America as we know it.  Suspension of them defeats the higher purpose of our nation, freedom.  Not honoring the Geneva Convention alienates allies and puts our troops in jeopardy, if they are ever captured.  We would not have the moral authority or international support to demand our troops be treated humanely, if they are ever captured.   As President,  Kerry will seek to amend the Patriot Act to minimize the areas where it reduces civil liberties for law abiding citizens.  As President,  Kerry will honor our treaties, agreements and the right to legal counsel for those accused of crimes against us.  At the same time, as a former Assistant District Attorney, he will justly enforce the laws of our land, assure our safety and advocate for the rights of victims and their families. 

 

f.          On Martin Luther King Day, in 2003, the Bush Administration announced that it would challenge the Affirmative Action policy of a Michigan State University.  As President, Kerry will support Affirmative Action, and not show blatant disrespect for a segment of our citizens. 

 

g.         Study Confirms Right Wing Stacking of Courts

(Taken from the democrats website.) A recent study from the non-partisan American Judicature Society reveals that George W. Bush has appointed the most conservative judges of any president in modern history. His appointments are more conservative than those of his father, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, and Richard Nixon. The study goes on to say that these judges will continue to impact America’s families years after Bush has left the White House.  "This study proves what we already knew: Bush’s judges base their decisions on their own right-wing ideology, not the U.S. Constitution," said Kate Michelman, Chair of the DNC’s Campaign to Save the Court., "If Bush is given the chance, he’ll appoint right-wing judges to the U.S. Supreme Court who will tip the balance of the court and turn the clock back on our hard-won rights."   As President, Kerry will appoint moderate judges who will  interpret the law based on the Constitution and respected decisions, not on an extreme ideology.