Bush's Hometown Texas Newspaper Endorses Kerry (Updated: Full Crawford Editorial)

The weekly Lone Star Iconoclast of Crawford Texas (Bush's adopted hometown) endorsed Bush in 2000. When your hometown endorses a candidate that's when they brag about the "the paper that knows a candidate best."

What does it mean though when they change their mind?

Reuters Today

CRAWFORD, Texas (Reuters) - The newspaper in President Bush's adopted hometown of Crawford threw its support on Tuesday behind Bush's Democratic rival, Sen. John Kerry.

The weekly Lone Star Iconoclast criticized Bush's handling of the war in Iraq and for turning budget surpluses into record deficits. The editorial also criticized Bush's proposals on Social Security and Medicare.

"The publishers of The Iconoclast endorsed Bush four years ago, based on the things he promised, not on this smoke-screened agenda," the newspaper said in its editorial. "Today, we are endorsing his opponent, John Kerry."

It urged "Texans not to rate the candidate by his hometown or even his political party, but instead by where he intends to take the country."

Bush spends many of his weekends and holidays at his Crawford, Texas, ranch.

The Iconoclast's publisher and editor-in-chief, W. Leon Smith, said the newspaper is sent to Bush's ranch each week. "But I don't know if he reads it," Smith said.

The Kerry campaign welcomed the endorsement in an email to reporters.

Perhaps it means they were paying close attention to the broken promises of candidate Bush. They also might have been in a unique postion to get ticked off when he came home for vacation so much after helping send him to Washington in the first place.

But to go from an endorsement to calling out your hometown boy's "smoke screen agenda" and doubting the very "direction" he intends to take the country is a yehaw short of rounding up a posse.

I'll bring the rope.

[edit on 28-9-2004 by RANT]

Found the article: news.iconoclast-texas.com...

Kerry Will Restore American Dignity
2004 Iconoclast Presidential Endorsement

Few Americans would have voted for George W. Bush four years ago if he had promised that, as President, he would:

~Empty the Social Security trust fund by $507 billion to help offset fiscal irresponsibility and at the same time slash Social Security benefits.

~Cut Medicare by 17 percent and reduce veterans' benefits and military pay.

~Eliminate overtime pay for millions of Americans and raise oil prices by 50 percent.

~Give tax cuts to businesses that sent American jobs overseas, and, in fact, by policy encourage their departure.

~Give away billions of tax dollars in government contracts without competitive bids.

~Involve this country in a deadly and highly questionable war, and

~Take a budget surplus and turn it into the worst deficit in the history of the United States, creating a debt in just four years that will take generations to repay.

These were elements of a hidden agenda that surfaced only after he took office.

The publishers of The Iconoclast endorsed Bush four years ago, based on the things he promised, not on this smoke-screened agenda.

Today, we are endorsing his opponent, John Kerry, based not only on the things that Bush has delivered, but also on the vision of a return to normality that Kerry says our country needs.

(snip)

In those dark hours after the World Trade Center attacks, Americans rallied together with a new sense of patriotism. We were ready to follow Bush's lead through any travail.

He let us down.

When he finally emerged from his hide-outs on remote military bases well after the first crucial hours following the attack, he gave sound-bytes instead of solutions.

(snip)

Bush said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction trained on America. We believed him, just as we believed it when he reported that Iraq was the heart of terrorism. We trusted him.


The Iconoclast, the President's hometown newspaper, took Bush on his word and editorialized in favor of the invasion. The newspaper's publisher promoted Bush and the invasion of Iraq to Londoners in a BBC interview during the time that the administration was wooing the support of Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Again, he let us down.

Once and for all, George Bush was President of the United States on that day. No one else. He had been President nine months, he had been officially warned of just such an attack a full month before it happened. As President, ultimately he and only he was responsible for our failure to avert those attacks.

We should expect that a sitting President would vacation less, if at all, and instead tend to the business of running the country, especially if he is, as he likes to boast, a "wartime president." America is in service 365 days a year. We don't need a part-time President who does not show up for duty as Commander-In-Chief until he is forced to, and who is in a constant state of blameless denial when things don't get done.

(snip)

Kerry's four-point plan for Iraq is realistic, wise, strong, and correct. With the help from our European and Middle Eastern allies, his plan is to train Iraqi security forces, involve Iraqis in their rebuilding and constitution-writing processes, forgive Iraq's multi-billion dollar debts, and convene a regional conference with Iraq's neighbors in order to secure a pledge of respect for Iraq's borders and non-interference in Iraq's internal affairs.

(snip)

The re-election of George W. Bush would be a mandate to continue on our present course of chaos. We cannot afford to double the debt that we already have. We need to be moving in the opposite direction.

John Kerry has 30 years of experience looking out for the American people and can navigate our country back to prosperity and re-instill in America the dignity she so craves and deserves. He has served us well as a highly decorated Vietnam veteran and has had a successful career as a district attorney, lieutenant governor, and senator.

Kerry has a positive vision for America, plus the proven intelligence, good sense, and guts to make it happen.

That's why The Iconoclast urges Texans not to rate the candidate by his hometown or even his political party, but instead by where he intends to take the country.

The Iconoclast wholeheartedly endorses John Kerry.

(Added bold and italics showing bullets.)


You tell 'em Crawford!!!

These people endorsed Bush 4 years ago. :shk:

It just shows it's never to late to change course and correct horrible, horrible mistakes.

All the news that's fit to print.

Oh this is so good. And hilarious too.

Go home Bush! Actually... Home doesn't want you... Go to Germany or something.

It would appear those in Crawford do know Bush best:

We should expect that a sitting President would vacation less, if at all, and instead tend to the business of running the country, especially if he is, as he likes to boast, a "wartime president." America is in service 365 days a year. We don't need a part-time President who does not show up for duty as Commander-In-Chief until he is forced to, and who is in a constant state of blameless denial when things don't get done.

I'm calling my Uncle in Texas tonight to secure hard copies.

They HATE Bush now. AFTER endorsing him last time. Go figure.

Originally posted by RANT
They HATE Bush now. AFTER endorsing him last time. Go figure.

Well, they are obviously flip-floppers! Anyone can see that!

I might move to Crawford, Texas now. I never knew this country was home to such an enlightened journalistic community...

...that's why Karen "wears boxers" Hughes had her size 12's dogging the baked Earth down in Crawford! To do some damage control!!
That paper....such a flip flopper!

Newspapers endorsing ANY candidate is a bad idea. I look to media for information not indoctrination. Then again I guess it is better to declare your stance ahead of time than to lie about being impartial.

I love it! Whooda thunk them Texans would endorse a freakin' yankee liberal over a fellow good 'ol boy? He sho has screwed it up good.

Here's another one:

DISPATCH FROM CRAWFORD, TEXAS
Local Paper Snubs Favorite Son

By Peter Wallsten, Times Staff Writer


CRAWFORD, Texas � President Bush may be leading in the national polls, but Tuesday he awoke at his ranch in conservative central Texas to some surprising news: The hometown newspaper had endorsed his Democratic challenger, Sen. John F. Kerry.
www.latimes.com...

this is just a marketing scheme to get thier name out and free publicity. Wanna bet how many new subscriptions they have sold to Democrats since this came out.

Originally posted by Apoc
Newspapers endorsing ANY candidate is a bad idea. I look to media for information not indoctrination. Then again I guess it is better to declare your stance ahead of time than to lie about being impartial.

Newspapers don't do it; their editorial page does. It's no symantics - the editorial page is designed to give opinion & does so on a daily basis. All of them do.
Yeah.......marketing scheme......that's the ticket! Jayzus forbid it has anything to do with his record!