This is from The Pilot John Edwards hometown paper; the same one Cheney decided to quote during his debate: Any way here it is:
President George W. Bush says that he's a conservative. And that the opposite of conservative is "liberal" -- which is what his Democratic opponent, Sen. John Kerry, is. He thinks that's all voters in conservative places like Moore County need to know.
But conservative is not just the opposite of "liberal." It is also the opposite of "reckless." And Bush has behaved more recklessly than any president in living memory by, among other things, rushing America into an unnecessary war on a faulty pretext.
This reckless war, manned by a backdoor draft of reservists, has kill-ed more than 1,000 Americans and left thousands maimed. It has stretch-ed our military to the breaking point and diverted resources and attention away from the real war on terror and the real nuclear threats in Iran and North Korea. It has isolated the United States and made us weaker, not stronger. What's conservative about that?
Conservative is also the opposite of "imprudent." Bush's administration has imprudently and insultingly thumbed its nose at world opinion at a time when we need real allies, not just token "coalition partners." The shattering events of 9/11 produced a worldwide wellspring of sympathy for our country. Yet in three years of arrogant, go-alone cowboyism, this administration has squandered all that good will. What's conservative about that?
A Pattern of Broken Promises
Another antonym of conservative is "fiscally irresponsible." This president, through irresponsible fiscal policies such as ill-advised tax cuts benefiting mostly the wealthiest citizens, has turned a record surplus into a record deficit. He is the first president in three-quarters of a century to preside over a net loss in jobs. He wants to subject Social Security to a risky privatization scheme. What's conservative about any of that?
Conservatives are supposed to defend individual constitutional rights and oppose arbitrary governmental power wielded in secret. Bush has surrounded himself with scary ideologues who nurse "neocon" agendas. His administration has misled and distorted. It has punished enemies and tried to silence critics. It has rewarded corporate cronies with no-bid contracts. It has refused to admit mistakes. That's conservative?
Bush promised to be a "compassionate" conservative, to pursue "a more humble foreign policy," to be "a uniter, not a divider." He has broken all those promises. He has divided us as no other president before him. He has caused damage that will take a generation to repair. He has betrayed true conservatives, many of whom have begun distancing themselves from him.
Time for a Change
Only reluctantly do we advocate a change of leadership in a time of crisis. But the United States simply cannot afford four more years of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. The Pilot recommends that voters replace them with John Kerry and Moore County's own Sen. John Edwards.
Kerry has his weaknesses, to be sure. He sometimes comes across as wooden and wonky. In some ways, the energetic, engaging and self-made Edwards would have made a stronger candidate. But Kerry has grown in stature and substance. He showed in the debates that he has a lot more to offer than just the fact that's he's not George W. Bush -- though that's a big plus.
At home, Kerry would act to shrink the budget deficits brought on by the Bush policy of combining Reaganite tax cuts with LBJ-like spending. He would pursue a sensible -- and conservative -- "pay-as-you-go" philosophy. He would not seek to stir up religious conflict on issues like abortion or stem-cell research. He would reverse Bush's dismal record on the environment. He would pursue policies to reduce the disgracefully high number of medically uninsured.
Abroad, Kerry would have his hands full picking up the pieces from Bush's Iraq misadventure. But he would begin the necessary process of restoring America's image in the world. He would do it by pursuing the kinds of wise policies that guided Bush's conservative father -- policies that call for the application of diplomacy and consensus-building where possible before taking drastic action. And, no, that doesn't mean giving France or the U.N. a veto over strikes against terrorists.
In short, we believe John Kerry and John Edwards would oversee an open, humane administration that would be like a breath of fresh air to a country that desperately needs one.
