Exhibit A

Quick note: this blog will now be a mirror for my diary at Daily Kos. While I am grateful to my readership sticking with my sporadic posting, you're a pretty small group, and the goal of the Justice Log is to make a difference. On to the post...

The difference between Bush and Kerry in a nutshell.

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) - In the city that saw a historic 19th century debate, John Kerry called for monthly debates with President Bush to elevate the tenor of a campaign that's opened with a relentlessly negative tone.

"Surely, if the attack ads can start now, at least we can agree to start a real discussion about America's future," said Kerry, speaking Saturday to about 500 people packed into a school gymnasium.

"America shouldn't have to put up with eight months of sniping," said Kerry. "We need to get off that detour and back into the true path of democracy."

...

"Today campaigns too often generate more heat than light, firing up partisans while leaving increasing numbers out in the cold," said Kerry. "Everyone in politics shares the blame, but I have come here today because I believe this campaign should be different."

...

"After calling Republicans crooks and liars, running 17 negative ads over 15,000 times and spending $6.3 million attacking the president, John Kerry is calling for a civil debate on the issues," said Schmidt. "John Kerry should finish the debate with himself."

Emphasis mine.

Now let's see. One of these campaigns has admitted that both sides engage in negative advertising. One campaign has attempted to change the tone. One campaign has made an effort to engage the country in real issues. One campaign was represented by its candidate.

The other campaign enumerated its opponent's negativity without even referring to its own vast slate of attacks. The other refused to even consider debate. The other campaign desperately wants to avoid issues and record because it can run on neither. The other was represented by a flunky -- not its candidate, not its chairman, not its brain, not even one of its better-known representatives.

I recognize that, to a certain point, reality is subjective. But understanding that subjectivity requires also accepting that others' realities continue to affect them no matter what one's own personal beliefs are. Facts, regardless of these subjective beliefs, remain stubborn things, and form the basis of what we call "truth."

One campaign cares about truth and reason. One cares about dogma and power. I leave it to the reader to determine which is which.

(/) Roland X
Captain ABBA