pro-Republican paper in Florida won't endorse Bush again

[drumwolf]

The Tampa Tribune is a conservative paper which endorsed Bush in 2000, and they're not endorsing Kerry this year..... but here's the kicker: they're also not endorsing Bush either.

Read their editorial, "Why We Cannot Endorse President Bush For Re-Election."

http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGBU3UEHF0E.html

We find ourselves in a position unimaginable four years ago when we strongly endorsed for president a fiscal conservative and "moderate man of mainstream convictions'' who promised to wield military muscle only as a last resort and to resist the lure of "nation building."

As stewards of the Tribune's editorial voice, we find it unimaginable to not be lending our voice to the chorus of conservative-leaning newspapers endorsing the president's re-election. We had fully expected to stand with Bush, whom we endorsed in 2000 because his politics generally reflected ours: a strong military, fiscal conservatism, personal responsibility and small government. We knew him to be a popular governor of Texas who fought for lower taxes, less government and a pro-business constitution.

But we are unable to endorse President Bush for re-election because of his mishandling of the war in Iraq, his record deficit spending, his assault on open government and his failed promise to be a "uniter not a divider" within the United States and the world.

Neither can we endorse Sen. Kerry, whose undistinguished Senate record stands at odds with our conservative principles and whose positions on the Iraq war - the central issue in this campaign - have been difficult to distinguish or differentiate.

The Tribune has endorsed a Republican for president ever since Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1952, with one exception. We did not endorse in the 1964 presidential race because, as we said at the time, "it is our feeling that unless a newspaper can recommend a candidate with complete conviction that he be the better choice for the office, it should make no endorsement."

It would be nice, obviously, if they endorsed Kerry. But hey, I'll settle for seeing a Republican paper in a swing state refusing to endorse Bush.

[lfs5]

1. Maybe More Powerful Because They Didn't Endorse Kerry--

Proves their true conservative principles...and clearly shows they don't believe the Bush Administraton measures up. Now, that's damning testimony!