The Press [Coeur d'Alene, ID]

Sunday, October 24, 2004

President Bush is the proven leader

        No risk, no reward.

        That's a time-honored business axiom, but it does not translate to politics, particularly those of presidential proportions.

        With the future of the planet at stake, Democratic challenger Sen. John Kerry is too great a risk.  Other than popping up on the political horizon from time to time as a potential persidential candidate, what have we known about Sen. Kerry, his position on important issues, his leadership qualities or lack thereof?  Before he asserted himself effectively in televised debates that began only weeks ago, much of the nation had little more than a vague picture of the candidate.  That's because he had done so little to distinguish himself in two decades of public service.

        We believe we still don't know John Kerry well enough to hand him the keys to the nation's car -- particularly not when that car is being fueled by foreign interests and fired upon by terrorists.  Nor has Kerry convinced us that his panacea for America's problems will work.  Taxing the heck out of a handful of wealthy Americans won't assure health care for all, revitalize the ailing Social Security System, or foot the bill for all the other programs he's promised to fully support while cutting the budget deficit in half.

        To us, the choice is clear: Four more years for George W. Bush.

        By his own admission, President Bush has appointed some weak advisers who ultimately failed him.  But what we know of our 43rd president is that he is the only candidate qualified to lead our nationa in these most treacherous times.

        Virtually every serious domestic criticism Sen. Kerry has leveled at the president -- job loss, rising deficit, widening health care costs and concerns -- can be traced to one specific, fateful date: Sept. 11, 2001.  If you believe President Bush is responsible for the terrorist attacks that day, then you can blame him for those things Sen. Kerry hammers over and over again.

        We don't, and we don't believe other conscientious, compassionate Americans should, either.

        That unique disaster renders many of Sen. Kerry's criticisms moot.  Perhaps no other president in 72 years will have overseen a net loss of jobs, no other president in history will have handed out tax cuts during a time of war, and no other president in history will have seen so dramatic a swing in budget surplus to deficit.  But the salient point is, no other president in history endured 9-11, then went to war against terrorism.  That we, as a nation, are as strong as we are today is testament to the president's abilities to guide our country through unprecedented peril.

        This newspaper has been steadfast in support of the president for his decision to invade Iraq and bring down Saddam Hussein, and we're not about to quake at the knees now.  With every additional American injury and death, we share the pain of our president.  This is not a popular war, but it is crucial that we persevere and crush terrorism at its roots.  If you've wondered why there hasn't been another successful terrorist act on American soil, the answer may be this: Because the cowards are on the run and, therefore, are in no position for an offensive.

        We believe President Bush is the only candidate who can successfully wage war against tyranny abroad while helping America heal the domestic wounds suffered three years ago in the terrorist attacks.  We encourage you to join us in supporting President George W. Bush on Nov. 2.
 
 

Copyright © 2004 Hagadone Newspaper Network.  Reprinted by permission.  (Mike Patrick 03/24/06)