Letter to the editor RE: The "Debate"

[Gimpy]

Below is the letter I've sent to every local and major national newspaper and national news media source and/or their local affiliates.

#################

Two major points came across in last nights presidential debate.

(1)John Kerry showed strength, conviction, and a steady command of the facts. He offered clear plans for Iraq and fighting terrorism around the world.

(2)George Bush has a record of failure to defend, and he failed to defend it. The president just gave us more of the same shallow promises and stubborness to valid criticism that he has in the past.

Last night Mr. Bush sounded unconvincing when he had to make his case before the facts presented during Mr. Kerry's withering criticism, particularly Kerry's repeated insistence that the invasion had diverted attention from the true center of the war on terror in Afghanistan.

Mr. Kerry found the most effective line of argument when he told the audience that "Iraq was not even close to the center of the war on terror" and that the president had "rushed the war in Iraq without a plan to win the peace." It is the strongest and most sensible critique of the administration's actions yet delivered by Senator Kerry.

But when Mr. Bush jabbed at the senator with a reminder about his infamous comment on voting for a war appropriation before he voted against it, Mr. Kerry responded effectively. While saying he had made a mistake in the way he had expressed himself, the senator said: "But the president made a mistake in invading Iraq. Which is worse?"

President Bush said just last week, "As a result of the American military, the Taliban is no longer in existence."

I suppose we'll never really know whether Mr. Bush misspoke, or whether he really is that clueless. But his claim was in tune with his re-election strategy, demonstrated once again in last night's debate: a president who has done immense damage to America's respect and position throughout the world hopes to stubbornly convince us his actions are "working" by claiming that failure is success.

Americans got a "wake up" call last night. And John Kerry is the man to answer that call!

This debate made it clear: John Kerry is a leader we can trust to tell us the truth when it comes to our nation's security.

################