Many good points for Christians to support Kerry-Edwards on the site. I'm impressed by the author's open mind.
From the site:
Integrity
1. Sen. Kerry acts out of independent research and honest thought. He will not pressure government agencies to report what he wants to hear, as does the current administration.
2. He does not adjust his message on the basis of poll feedback, the desires of potential blocks of voters, or the private interests of groups of wealthy donors. Unlike the current administration, a Kerry administration would help the American government again be known for integrity and seen as worthy of trust.
3. He had the courage and integrity to do his duty during the Vietnam War, at great personal risk and cost, while the current President was apparently avoiding the draft and partying.
a) He had the courage and integrity to oppose that war publicly when he became convinced we were being lied to, and that the war was being continued for the benefit of key people in high places against the welfare of the country and of the world.
b) He has the integrity now to account for and take responsibility for his behavior during those years, unlike the current occupant of the White House.
4. He is not buddy-buddy with the Enron types who grotesquely exploited their own employees, blatantly manipulated California's energy markets for their own profits, and have influenced administration energy policies behind closed doors. He is not beholden to Halliburton, nor will he reward such people and institutions with enormous windfalls from the government at our expense.
5. He believes it is wrong and dangerous to unilaterally break treaty obligations, as the current Administration has done frequently. He believes we should return to a collaborative approach in international relations across the board.
6. He calls "No Child Left Behind" - the Administration's education reform bill - just what it is, an unfunded mandate that makes it much more difficult for school districts to do a good job of meeting the needs of children at the local level. And he points out that the legislation is under-funded by the Administration by an amount that would have been more than covered by the recent $87 billion request for Iraq adventures.
7. Where you disagree with him, you and those who share your concerns might actually have some influence. He does not shut down discussion on the basis of some ideological a priori, as does the current Administration. He actually listens to the people who are paying attention to what he says and does. He does not accuse those who disagree with him of being unpatriotic or anti-American, as does the current Administration.
8. Unlike our experience with the current resident of the White House, there will be no need to guess or read between the lines to know what he cares about and what he will really go to work on or be willing to invest American lives, money, and credibility in.
Responsibility
9. Much more should have been done by now to protect us from terrorists. Our ports are unprotected; air travel is not much safer than three years ago; Saudi connections to the attackers are kept from our eyes. He would place protection from terrorist acts on high priority, as did the Clinton administration, in contrast to the current administration's distraction from this crucial issue.
10. He knows how necessary US military might and presence are in promoting peace and stability around the world. He strongly advocates using the US military intelligently and cooperatively for those purposes. He supported our military entrance into Afghanistan.
11. He says that - having gone wrongly into Iraq (with poor evidence, unrealistic planning, and very few allies) - the US is now obligated to be in Iraq to provide stability for picking up the pieces and constituting a government of, by, and for Iraqis. He will energetically pursue a collaborative approach to this massive project.
12. Evenhandedness and effectiveness in dealing with Israelis and Palestinians is the Carter - Clinton legacy. He will restore that more balanced and productive approach to replace the dangerous practices we are engaged in now.
Other Christian Values
13. He is pro-choice, but not pro-abortion, and there is a difference. His personal and political integrity, and his deep concern for social values that reflect Christian morality, will surely lead to a reduction in the number of abortions world-wide during a Kerry administration - which has not been the case under the current allegedly "pro-life" administration.
14. He believes all Americans should have access to health care. He will pursue that goal from the White House for all of us.
15. He believes all Americans should have access to decent jobs. He will pursue that goal from the White House for all of us.
16. He believes in fiscal responsibility, unlike the current Administration and Congress.
a) He does not believe fiscal soundness requires pampering the wealthy while casting the unemployed, the working poor, and the middle class adrift from the benefits of living in this powerful economy.
b) He does not believe in "trickle down" economics - the idea that if you pile vastly more wealth on the already extremely wealthy, it will somehow "trickle down" to the rest of us. He will undo the massive tax-cut gifts this administration has given to the exceedingly wealthy. These gifts have not trickled down into jobs for the rest of us, but have generated record-setting and on-going deficits that will cripple the government for decades to come. Our children and grandchildren will pay dearly for our short-run excesses.
17. He believes in rural revitalization and in giving family farms a chance to come back as real players in the ag economy.
18. He believes in free trade, but only if labor and environmental standards are enforced for all trading partners. This will help eliminate the abuses that free trade is inflicting on the poor and working classes in other countries, and will make American business interests slower to take actions that undermine the welfare of American workers.
19. He opposes the so-called Patriot Act, and the destruction of American rights that it pursues. We are losing the freedoms the 9/11 attackers had hoped to make us lose; they have to that extent succeeded. We should, for example, be putting our money and effort into protecting our ports rather than secretly snooping into the library and bookstore records of American citizens.
20. He appreciates religious diversity and is concerned to see our government begin acting again in ways that honor the ethical standards underlying our great religious traditions.
Summary
Kerry - Edwards is a ticket of great intelligence, refreshing and crucial integrity, strong discipline, impressive experience in government and other positions of public responsibility, a value system highly compatible with Christian ethics, consistency between their speeches and their performance, and a strong and growing following.
Jesus said to judge them by their fruits. For many, that leads easily to support for regime change in Washington. Let's move on from the dishonesty and arrogance -- or at least incompetence -- of the current administration to the intelligence, integrity, and functionally Christian value system that a Kerry - Edwards administration would bring to our country and to the world. We really need it.
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