Friday, July 23, 2004

Koch's endorsement of Bush

Ed Koch on Bloomberg Radio:
Why Bush Must Be Re-elected

I support the re-election of President George W. Bush. Why? Because I believe one issue overwhelms all others: the president’s strong commitment to fight the forces of international terrorism regardless of the cost or how long it takes to achieve victory.

I do not agree with President Bush on a single major domestic issue, but in my view those issues pale in comparison with the threat of international terrorism.

This is an astounding statement.  Koch does not agree with Bush on a single major domestic issue, but argues that he must be re-elected.

Like Koch, I will vote on one issue and one issue alone.  Today radical Islamist terrorism is the greatest threat to the United States and to the world, and Bush is by far the stronger candidate on combating this threat.

Unlike Koch, I agree with Bush on some of his major domestic policies.  But I think the country and economy would survive Kerry's domestic policies.  These issues pale in comparison with the threat of international terrorism. 

Bush believes in taking the fight to the enemy: “We shall go after the terrorists and the countries that harbor them.” 

Bush understands that this will be a long hard war, and that it is our obligation to win it.  Bush understands that, as the 9/11 Commission reports,

Bin Ladin and Islamist terrorists mean exactly what they say: to them America is the font of all evil, the “head of the snake,” and it must be converted or destroyed.

It is not a position with which Americans can bargain or negotiate. With it there is no common ground—not even respect for life—on which to begin a dialogue. It can only be destroyed or utterly isolated.

Lifelong Democrat Ed Koch understands this.  I pray that the nation does too.

posted by David M @ 7/23/2004 09:09:00 AM   |