Operation 'Shame On You' is the brainchild of our very own Cyberactor here at Kos. The project involves writing letters to the editors of newspapers who endorsed Bush in 2000, pointing out that he hasn't done anything close to what they expected him to do.
My hometown newspaper is the Albuquerque Journal, home of the 18 foot high "WAR IS SO COOL!" headlines in March 2003, as well as a number of small but well-written articles on more liberal viewpoints. So it's not a complete certainty that they'll endorse Bush, but I have my suspicions.
So, I decided to let the Journal know that Bush has let them down on every single thing they praised him for in 2000.
Their October 29, 2000 article announcing their endorsement is here.
And here's my letter, that I just sent to them:
In the 2000 presidential race, the Albuquerque Journal endorsed George W. Bush based on what they expected him to do should he take office. Some of these expectations clearly were not matched by George W. Bush's subsequent actions over the last four years.
For instance, the Journal argued that during Bill Clinton's presidency "deployments of U.S. troops in non-military situations have spread resources too thin, sapping readiness...", implying that the Bush administration would not make this mistake. However, top military experts and even Republicans have said our troops are spread too thin. The deployment of more and more National Guard units to Iraq means that we are unprepared to take on threats such as North Korea, and almost more worrisome, terrorist events here in the United States.
Also, the Journal argued that Bush's education policies as governor of Texas would translate to strong education policies as president. However, in 2003 alone, Bush's No Child Left Behind program fell $32 billion short of its goal, leaving schools and taxpayers to make up the difference, if they could. In New Mexico, which ranks 46th in the nation in high school graduation rates, this is a truly dangerous funding gap.
Finally, the Journal stated that "Bush favors across-the-board relief for all income brackets...". Instead, in April 2004, 49% of Americans found that their taxes had actually gone up since Bush took office. Also, 39% of his tax cuts went to the wealthiest families in America: not millionaires, but billionaires.
The Albuquerque Journal might endorse a candidate this election year. It would be good for the Journal's credibility if they take into account that what they praised about George W. Bush in 2000 was nowhere close to what he's actually done as President.
Page X. Xxxxxxx
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Has your newspaper endorsed Bush or Kerry? If they haven't endorsed anyone yet, find out who they endorsed in 2000, and if it was Bush, tell them "Shame on you!"