George Bush is pure scum. His far-right pandering to his rural Christian rube supporters on gay marriage, his use of the tax code to reward the "I call you my base" rich at the expense of the middle class, his utter bullshit justifications for a needless war that now appears to be sliding, inexorably, into a foreign-policy catastrophe not seen since America's humiliating Saigon '75 exit, all make Bush unworthy to serve as president. Given Bush's track record, egregious mistakes, and ultra-conservative instincts, the Democrats could have nominated anyone--Tucker "Dick" Carlson, Jenna Jamison, a bloody scab--and we would have endorsed him, her or it. Instead the Ds, somewhat miraculously, did something smart: They nominated Massachusetts Senator John Kerry. I like Kerry as much as I hate Bush. No, really. I mean it. Really. He's tough--his heroic service in Vietnam proves that, especially when compared to Bush, who had daddy pull strings for him so he didn't have to fight in a war he supposedly supported. Kerry is a man of integrity, as his willingness to step forward and speak out eloquently, after his return stateside, against the Vietnam War, shows. He is smart (he tore Bush apart in the debates), informed, and experienced. Only in a debased campaign process would thoughtful deliberation be treated as inferior to chuckle headed simple-mindedness. Since World War II, the United States has operated as the center of strong international alliances. We need those alliances more than ever as we face the long-term threat of Islamic extremism. But Bush and the Neocon ideologues who run his foreign policy have thumbed their noses at the world, embracing a doctrine of de facto unilateralism and proclaiming America to be unbound by any limitation--legal, moral, (truthful!) or otherwise. That they are shortsighted fools and amoral liars has been proven beyond any doubt by the disgusting photos from Abu Ghraib and by the fact that nearly 90 percent of the cost in lives and money of Bush's misbegotten Iraq adventure falls on the U.S. With respect to domestic policy, Bush is passionate about only one thing: tax cuts for the wealthy. Those tax cuts have failed to deliver the promised benefits of jobs and a vibrant economy, so what does Bush offer? More tax cuts for the wealthy, and ever larger deficits. Kerry is genuinely concerned for the well-being of working Americans. In the final debate, he highlighted his fundamental differences with Bush by supporting a boost to the minimum wage, which is at its lowest level since 1990 (adjusted for inflation), saying he was "tired of politicians who talk about family values but don't value families." Bush, who doesn't give two shits in a cat's ass about the working poor, had no response. Four more years of Bush is a recipe for (further) disaster. Believe in America again: vote for the badass from Massachusetts.