BuzzFlash Reader Contribution

Who Supports Kerry?

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Miriam Raftery

Debates and news reports offer a barrage of statistics that confuse some voters. Look past the hype to discover who stands behind John Kerry. This list speaks for itself, reflecting the high caliber of Kerry's leadership. In fact, Kerry is supported by an unprecedented broad coalition of military leaders, corporate executives, labor unions, environmental groups, scientists, women's organizations, minority leaders, economic experts, educators, and senior diplomats--including prominent Republicans and Democrats.

12 RETIRED U.S. ADMIRALS & GENERALS ENDORSE KERRY FOR PRESIDENT:

Active-duty military officers are prohibited from speaking out against the President. However, a coalition of retired U.S. military leaders believes that John Kerry offers a stronger, more secure America. They include:

Admiral William Crowe, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (the highest-ranking officer in the officer in the U.S. military)

General John M. Shalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
General Wesley K. Clark (former NATO Supreme Allied Commander)

Admiral Stansfield Turner, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, only woman to achieve the rank of three-star general in the U.S. Army

General Joseph Hoar (former Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Central Command and Chief of Staff at Central Command during the first Gulf War)

Admiral Turner observed that Bush "has got us into a morass in both Iraq and Afghanistan. John Kerry …would be a much better commander-in-chief."

Lieutenant General Edward D. Baca, retired Chief of the National Guard Bureau, has two children in the military. "I know that John Kerry will never send them in harm’s way, without exhausting all means of diplomacy," he says, adding that Kerry "will make sure that they are part of an armed force as best equipped, best training, and most respected in the world."

Read the full list of military leaders for Kerry.

JOHN EISENHOWER, SON OF PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER,, A LIFE-LONG REPUBLICAN, HAS ENDORSED KERRY.

Eisenhower criticizes today’s Republican party for failing to be responsible, citing the $440 billion budget deficit. He faults the GOP’s failure to respect other nations in foreign affairs and criticizes Bush's ill-advised invasion of Iraq without provocation. He also criticizes the President's failure to show concern for middle class voters and small businesses. He also warns of the dangers posed by the Bush administration taking away individual freedoms--the basis of Democracy. "If ever we put any other value above (our) liberty, and above principle, we shall lose both," he observed, quoting his father’s 1960 address to the Republican convention. "Senator Kerry, in whom I am willing to place my trust, has demonstrated that he is courageous…competent, and concerned with fighting the dangers associated with the widening socio-economic gap in this country. I will vote for him enthusiastically."

Read the full text of Eisenhower’s thought-provoking article.

OVER 200 CORPORATE LEADERS REPRESENTING SOME OF AMERICA’S LARGEST COMPANIES HAVE ENDORSED KERRY FOR PRESIDENT, BELIEVING HIS ECONOMIC POLICIES ARE BEST FOR AMERICA.

THEY INCLUDE:

Charles Gifford, chairman, Bank of America Corp.
Charles Phillips, president of Oracle Corp.
Lee Iacocca, former chairman, Chrysler Corp.
Peter Chernin, chief operating officer, News Corp.
Richard Fisher, chairman emeritus, Morgan Stanley
Irwin Jacobs, chairman and CEO, Qualcomm
Jeffrey Raikes, vice president, Microsoft
Daniel Rosensweig, chief operating officer, Yahoo
Jim Sinegal, president and CEO, CostCo
Eric Schmidt, CEO, Google

Jim Sinegal, president and CEO of Costco, states, "The Bush administration’s policies have undermined the strength of the American economy and made American businesses less competitive."

Owsley Brown, CEO of Brown-Forman Group, observes, "John Kerry has good plans to restore fiscal discipline and repair our relationships with the world. We should not be running up huge national bills without the foresight to see how we will pay them off."

See the full list of business leaders for Kerry.

ALL MAJOR ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS ENDORSE KERRY, INCLUDING THE SIERRA CLUB, LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS, FRIENDS OF THE EARTH, AND DEFENDERS OF WILDLIFE ACTION FUND.

John Kerry has one of the strongest records of environmental support in the U.S. Senate. By contrast, the League of Conservation Voters (a moderate organization) warns that President Bush "has compiled the worst environmental record in the history of our nation."

Read more about the candidates’ environmental records.

THE CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS SUPPORTS KERRY.

Rep. Robert Menendez, the highest ranking Latino in Congress, says a Kerry president will make "the homeland safe for our families and bringing good, well-paying jobs" for Hispanics.

Learn more about Bush and Kerry’s stands on Hispanic issues.

16 AFRICAN AMERICAN ECONOMISTS ENDORSE KERRY.

In a joint statement, the group concluded that George W. Bush "has the worst record of any President in the post World War II era in pursuing policies to create jobs" adding that "Senator Kerry’s policies are more likely to help the economic well-being of all voters, particularly African-Americans."

Read more about what a Kerry presidency will mean for African Americans.

LABOR UNIONS SUPPORT KERRY BECAUSE OF HIS "LIFETIME VOTING RECORD ON IMPORTANT WORKING FAMILY ISSUES," according to the AFL-CIO.

Read the AFL-CIO endorsement of Kerry.

MORE UNIONS SUPPORT KERRY FOR PRESIDENT.

HERE ARE JUST A FEW:

AFL-CIO
International Brotherhood of Police Officers
New York State Professional Firefighters Association
International Association of Fire Fighters
Air Line Pilots Association
American Federation of Government Employees
American Federation of Teachers
American Nurses Association
Communication Workers of America
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
National Coalition of Public Safety Officers
Retail, Wholesale & Department Store Union
United Farm Workers
United Steelworkers of America
United Mine Workers

See the complete list of labor organizations.

ALEXIS HERMAN (1st AFRICAN AMERICAN SECRETARY OF LABOR, APPONTED BY PRESIDENT CLINTON) SUPPORTS KERRY.

"John Kerry will protect our civil rights and support education," she says, adding that Bush has consistently made "the wrong choices for African Americans." Read more here.

48 NOBEL PRIZE-WINNING SCIENTISTS ENDORSE KERRY, INCLUDING MANY REPUBLICANS, IN AN UNPRECEDENTED SHOW OF UNITY.

In an open letter to the American people, these scientific leaders warn that President Bush and his administration "are compromising our future," adding that "by ignoring scientific consensus on critical issues such as global warming, they are threatening the earth’s future..Jonn Kerry will change all this…He will stimulate the development and deployment of technologies to meet our economic, energy, environmental, health and security needs." The Nobel Prize winning scientists are among a group of 4,000 scientists who now support Kerry for President. (An Internet search for scientists supporting Bush didn’t find a single one.)

Read the list of Nobel Prize winning scientists for Kerry.

169 BUSINESS SCHOOL PROFESSORS (INCLUDING 50 FROM HARVARD, BUSH’S OWN ALMA MATER) WARN THAT BUSH’S FAILED ECONOMIC POLICIES ARE LEADING AMERICAN IN THE "WRONG DIRECTION."

In a letter to President Bush, the professors conclude, "Your policy of slashing taxes—primarily for those at the upper reaches of the income distribution—has not worked…Nearly every economic indicator has deteriorated since you took office…We believe that your tax policy has exacerbated the problem of inequality in the United States, which has worrisome implications for the economy as a whole."

Read details of the business professors’ concerns about Bush.

180 FORMER U.S. AMBASSADORS, INCLUDING SOME APPOINTED BY REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTS RONALD REAGAN AND GEORGE H.W. BUSH, ENDORSE KERRY FOR PRESIDENT.

"The Bush Administration’s go-it-alone policies are making Americans less safe at home and abroad," the group concludes. "John Kerry has the experience, strength and wisdom to lead us in fighting the war on terrorism, winning the peace in Iraq, making America more secure, and restoring America as the beacon of democracy and freedom in the world."

Read why these top diplomats no longer support Bush.

26 SENIOR EX-DIPLOMATS SPEAK OUT AGAINST BUSH

"We just felt that things were so serious, that America’s leadership role in the world has been attenuated to such a terrible degree by both the style and substance of the administration’s approach," said William C. Harrop. Ambassador to Israel under Bush’s father, Harrop has also served under Presidents Reagan and Carter. Jack F. Matlock Jr., appointed by Reagan as ambassador to the Soviet Union, added, "Ever since Franklin Roosevelt, the U.S. has built up alliances in order to amplify its own power. But now we have alienated many of our closest allies…the relationships that we worked so hard to build up have simply been shattered by the current administration."

See what other diplomatic leaders have to say about Bush.

ALLIANCE FOR RETIRED AMERICANS (ARA), A SENIOR CITIZENS’ ORGANIZATION, ENDORSES KERRY.

Over 60,000 seniors have dropped membership in AARP, another seniors organization, to protest AARP’s support of the Bush administration’s Medicare reform bill, a measure described by ARA as "riddled with waste and handouts to drug companies."

Read this letter to learn why the ARA believes Kerry will do a better job than Bush at representing senior citizens.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD ENDORSED KERRY, THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THAT THE ASSOCIATION HAS EVER ENDORSED A CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENT.

"There has never been a more frightening time for the future of reproductive rights," the group warned, citing the Bush administrations "war on choice" and invasion of medical privacy for women.

For more information on how Bush has restricted women’s rights.

NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR WOMEN (NOW) SUPPORTS KERRY.

NOW/PAC chair Kim Gandy observed, "Kerry vowed to work toward closing the gender wage gap, something the current administration has never made one of their priorities. In fact the pay gap between women and men has expanded during this administration—the first time in over 25 years."

Read why NOW believes every woman should vote for Kerry.

MARSHALL WHITMANN, FORMER TOP AIDE TO REPUBLICAN SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN, ENDORSES KERRY.

Whitmann warns that the Bush administration supports an agenda that "seeks to reward the wealthy" while undermining international alliances needed to prevail against terrorism. "If George W. Bush is re-elected," he warns, "unlimited corporate power, cynicism and division will ride high in the saddle."

Read Whitmann’s full endorsement statement.

FORMER AMBASSADOR JOE WILSON ENDORSES KERRY.

(Wilson is the Bush administration official whose wife, Valerie Plume, a CIA operative, had her name leaked to the press by the White House, compromising her safety The White House action came after Wilson blew the whistle on the administration’s false claim to the United Nations that Iraq had purchased nuclear materials, a claim which relied on documents that the White House already knew were forged.

DOZENS OF NATIVE AMERICAN TRIBAL LEADERS ENDORSE KERRY.

View the complete list of Native American Tribal Leaders who support Kerry.

BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONAL WOMEN/USA PAC SUPPORT KERRY FOR PRESIDENT.

BPW/PAC Chair Leslie Wilkins cites the Bush administration’s "elimination of overtime pay for more than 8 million American workers, its attack on Title IX, its removal of essential information about and for women from government websites and information centers, and the President’s hostility toward reproductive rights" as reasons for the endorsement.

Read the candidates’ positions regarding issues affecting working women.

THE FAMILY FARM ASSOCIATION ENDORSES KERRY

"...for his commitment to addressing the serious challenges facing rural communities."

Read more about why farmers support Kerry.

EDUCATORS SUPPORT KERRY: THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF TEACHERS AND THE NATIONAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION BOTH ENDORSE KERRY.

"We believe in an America where every child comes to school ready to learn…Where every student is held to high standards and every school has the resources and responsibility to meet those standards," the Democratic platform states. Educators have voiced concerns over Bush’s failure to fund the "No Child Left Behind" law and were alarmed when the President called the NEA "a terrorist organization."

Learn more about why teachers think Kerry is the best candidate for our schools and our children.

EUROPEAN ALLIES OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORT KERRY.

Eight out of ten U.S. allies overwhelmingly hope to see President Bush defeated by John Kerry, according to a survey conducted in major newspapers overseas. Citizens in Britain, Canada, Spain, France, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Mexico say that their view of the U.S. has worsened since Bush took office. Among European allies, only the population in Russia supports Bush. Ordinary citizens in nations that are strong U.S. allies support Kerry, often by a landslide. By large margins, people throughout the world believe that the U.S. war on Iraq has not helped to reduce terrorism. (Note: Kofi Anan, secretary-general of the United Nations, has not endorsed a candidate in the U.S. Presidential election. However, he has condemned Bush's invasion of Iraq as a violation of international law. The 9/11 Commission, U.N. weapons inspectors, the CIA, and the U.S. Secretary of Defense all now admit that Iraq has no weapons of mass destruction--the prime justification that Bush gave for launching war on Iraq.

Read why U.S. allies have grave concerns about Bush’s leadership.

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION

Addendum:

Jersey girls/"9/11 wives take on government and win"

"...the women said they had run into so much resistance from the Bush team on the 9/11 investigation that last Tuesday, they endorsed Kerry for president."

Leading U.S. Pediatricians Warn That Bush Policies Are 'Wrong Prescription' for America's Children

"America's most prominent pediatricians -- including bestselling author Dr. T. Berry Brazelton and six past presidents of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) -- issued a joint statement today condemning President George W. Bush's neglect of child health concerns, as well as objecting to other administration policies that are harmful to the well-being of children."