Fighting The Tide officially endorses John Kerry for President.

And here’s the short list why.

IRAQ--Kerry would not have exploited the war on terrorism to start an unnecessary war based on flimsy information. Kerry would have kept the pressure in Afghanistan and on Al Qaida. He would have let the inspectors finish their job, so there wouldn’t be a need for an invasion. If that invasion force had been in Afghanistan and Pakistan, there’d be no Al Qaida left in the region.

SADDAM--Sure Saddam might still be in power. But the Deulfer report shows us sanctions and inspections were working. Saddam was neutered and in control of little of his country. Whatever political oppression the Iraqis endured, the current devastation is worse and a civil war would make far worse. And every indication is that we are trading a secular tyranny for a democratically chosen theocratic tyranny (just like the experts said would happen). It wasn’t in America’s interest to open this can of worms yet.

TERRORISM--Reducing the threat by Al Qaida requires an international effort. The U.S. cannot go it alone. The sensible approach (which is Kerry’s approach) is to turn Al Qaida friends into U.S. friends, thereby limiting the places they can go for resources and shelter. The only way Bush’s plan can win is if we invade and occupy every nation in the Middle East. That, we cannot do.

TAXES--It’s not a real tax cut if you have to take out loans to make up for it. Bush’s “cuts” were actually tax deferments. What you didn’t pay under Bush, you will have to pay later under somebody else--with interest. This reckless deficit spending is made worse by the fact that Bush is taking out loans in the names of middle class families and giving most of it to his rich buddies. No thanks.

CRONYISM--Bush has put lobbyists and CEOs at the head of virtually every agency. This is like hiring the Godfather as Chief of Police. We need a better government than THAT.

ENVIRONMENT--Continuing his policies from his governor days, Bush has extended his policy of immediate liquidation of all natural resources to the national scene. If the legacy of a man is what he leaves to the next generation, this is Bush at his worst.

HEALTH CARE--Bush has sided with the profiteers every single time. His health care plan does nothing to help those in need. And denying access to cheap Canadian drugs is simply indefensible.

SOCIAL SECURITY--Kerry may not have much of a fix, but Bush's plan to allow investments would cripple it. The first rule of problem solving is to not make it worse.

LEADERSHIP--Admittedly, this question is out on Kerry. But the facts are in with Bush, and he’s miserable. Certain people think Bush is a “good leader” only because they’re told over and over that he’s a good leader. But a cursory check of the facts show he is anything but. The only people following Bush are corporations, GOP sycophants and Tony Blair. The rest of the world ain’t buying his message. At every opportunity, Bush has shown poor judgment and made the wrong choice. We shouldn't reward him for it.

CHARACTER--Kerry spent his 20s and 30s fighting drugs, Bush spent his 20s and 30s taking drugs (and being a drunk). Kerry had the courage to speak out against Viet Nam, Bush had the courage to skip guard duty. Kerry keeps his religion private, Bush wears his on his sleeve. Kerry can change his mind when presented new facts, Bush refuses to regardless of the facts. Kerry has a history of standing against corruption in government, Bush has a history of facilitating it. And Kerry speaks to me as if we both have a brain, Bush speaks to me as if we’re both imbeciles.

I could take every category and break it down into dozens of instances to prove my point. But that would be a book. And there are dozens of those published already. Suffice to say, the authors of the majority of anti-Bush books have been written by policy experts such as Richard Clark and Peter G. Peterson, while the majority of pro-Bush books have been written by hack pundits such as Sean Hannity and Ann Coulter.

‘Nuff said.