To the Editor:

Among the sea of smears on John Kerry by the Republican right wing, noneis more absurd than the charge that John Kerry is a “liberal weak onterrorism.” John Kerry is a true war hero. He had the courage to comehome and try to end another corrupt war we now know to be based on lies.Kerry’s prewar cautions against invading Iraq are confirmed everyday;the diasppearance of a massive cache of explosives in Iraq that we werewarned long ago to protect,is still another in the long chain of excusesand failures to protect the nation against terrorism by the Bushadministration. John Kerry wisely voted against the $87 Billion giveawayto Haliburton, disguised by Bush as “support for our troops.” Haliburtonis soon to be investigated again, by the Army Corps of Engineers Mr.Kerry has the respect of world leaders needed to marshal internationalforces in the fight against the terrorist threat. Bush has shattered theworld’s trust, and is despised worldwide for his destructive arrogance.The threat to democracy Bush now poses was detailed long ago in WalterLippmann’s 1954 masterpiece, THE PUBLIC PHILOSOPHY. Lippman’spredictions sadly have come true.

John Kerry is also a conservative in the true American sense. He willwork to save Medicare, Social Security, our constitutional rights, andthe environment – the earth we walk on and the air we breathe – whichhave been assaulted under Bush. In the Vietnam war where Kerrydistinguished himself, Bush was effectively a draft-dodger, with ahistory of drug abuse, who never even fulfilled his Guardresponsibilities. To call Bush a conservative is an illusion. He is a”tax-and-spend radical” ruining our country, bankrupting the federalgovernment, and lining the pockets of the wealthy few. His Iraq disasterhas made the terrorism problem worse. Bush has embarrassed and shamedour nation before the world. September 11th happened on HIS watch. Forthe sake of our future and the world’s furture, on November 2nd, heshould be removed from office. We need John Kerry in the White House torestore our nation’s prosperity, health, and dignity.

Jim Harris, Ph.D.