Editor & Publisher: "Sen. John Kerry wrapped up a surprisingly one-sided victory in the race for 2004 newspaper endorsements with another solid performance on the closing Sunday of the race. Gaining 22 new papers to President Bush's 18, Kerry holds a 208-169 lead." That translate into 80% of major dailies. Figures for endorsements going back to 1940, compiled by legendary journalist Arthur E. Rowse in his book 'Drive-by Journalism," show that NO candidate, Dem or Repug has received that large a share of major new endorsements in that time - and possibly in ANY election in US history! The only one to come close was Richard Nixon in 1972 with 71%.

When even the corporate world, which has benefited so abundantly by Bush's give-to-the-rich program, proclaims that a liberal is actually the "lesser of two evils," you KNOW that Bush is bad, bad, news. Although the Economist, being ultraconservative, isn't enthusiastic about Kerry, and even spouts some of the classic rightwing propaganda BS about him, they think much, much less of G. W. Bush. Political Gateway reports: "The Economist's editor Bill Emmott said: 'It was a difficult call, given that we endorsed George Bush in 2000 and supported the war in Iraq. But in the end, we felt he has been too incompetent to deserve re-election.' Edited in London, The Economist -- with a global circulation of nearly 945,000 -- sells three times more copies in the United States than in Britain, and it is closely read in Washington's corridors of power. "

When the Denver Post endorsed Bush recently, it received immediate proof that its decision failed to represent its readers:A Post editor writes: "More than 700 readers have given us their thoughts on [the] endorsement, and they add up to a passionate dissent...Every letter we received was critical of the Post endorsement." I.e., NOT ONE LETTER supported the Post's decision (although we're sure on seeing the editorial the phony Freeper brigades will be mobilized after the fact). The editor states one of the typical excuses of Bushie minions: "An endorsement is meant to provide the newspaper's perspective..." As if the newspaper existed for and by itself - not for its readers, without whom it would cease to exist! But, afterall, spitting on the hand that feeds you IS the corporate way!

Economic Times Reports: "In the final stretch before the November 2 election, Hollywood is mobilising its troops to back Democratic White House hopeful John Kerry, or simply to encourage Americans to exercise their vote. From Basic Instinct star Sharon Stone, to hip-hop king P'Diddy, pop heartthrob Justin Timberlake to Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro, Tinseltown is using the full wattage of its star power to boost political causes. Traditionally-Democratic Hollywood has long given its star-spangled support to Kerry, but the final stretch of a campaign that has polarised the nation has seen a rallying of celebrities far beyond perennial star activists such as Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Sean Penn. 'Over the past four years, George Bush has made the wrong choices, disastrous choices, when it comes to the environment. It's time for a change,' [Leonard DiCaprio said]."

AFP: "Britain's respected Financial Times endorsed John Kerry as the best choice for US president, saying incumbent George W. Bush had polarized the world with his radical foreign policy and led a reckless economic policy. The paper, one of the world's leading financial dailies, called Bush "a polarizer, exploiting the war on terror to cow domestic opposition and divide the world into Them and Us." "Over the past three years, the gap between ambition and reality has created what could be termed a 'Bush bubble'," it said. During that time since the September 11 2001 attacks in the United States, Bush's "radical, faith-based politics" and his inability to recognize his mistakes had led to a disastrous occupation in Iraq and taken the wrong tack in the war on terrorism, it charged. "Mr. Bush's flaw is his stubborn reluctance to admit mistakes and to adjust personnel and policy. Blind faith in military power as a tool for change has too often influenced decision-making," it said."

"But while we have sharp differences with Kerry, we believe he has the qualities required for the presidency. He is more than 'anybody but Bush.' His instincts are decent. He is a man of high intelligence, deep knowledge and great resolve... He believes in cooperation with other countries and has the inclination and ability to bring America out of its current isolation and back into the family of nations. As a senator, he demonstrated concern for social welfare and has backed this up with enlightened policy proposals. He has supported civil rights and labor rights and opposed racism. He has supported the rights of women, including the right to an abortion. He has been an advocate of nuclear arms control and opposed the almost incomprehensibly provocative nuclear policies of the Bush Administration. He would rescind the most unfair of Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy. He would be a friend of the environment and return the United States to the negotiations on global warming."

Scott McConnell writes: "There is little in John Kerry's persona or platform that appeals to conservatives... But this election is not about John Kerry... It is, instead, an election about the presidency of George W. Bush... Bush has behaved like a caricature of what a right-wing president is supposed to be, and his continuation in office will discredit any sort of conservatism for generations. The launching of an invasion against a country that posed no threat to the U.S., the doling out of war profits and concessions to politically favored corporations, the financing of the war by ballooning the deficit to be passed on to the nation's children, the ceaseless drive to cut taxes for those outside the middle class and working poor... Bush has laid out a mad scheme to import immigrants to fill any job where the wage is so low that an American can't be found to do it--and you have a presidency that combines imperialist Right and open-borders Left in a uniquely noxious cocktail."

AFP: "For the first time in its 80-year history, the venerable New Yorker magazine has endorsed a presidential candidate, urging readers to vote for Democrat John Kerry. "He is plainly the better choice," the [editors] said. The commentary portrayed a President living within "a self-created bubble of faith-based affirmation" - unable to brook dissent and isolated from genuine debate...the magazine said Bush had short-changed the American public - the economy, health care, the environment, social security, the judiciary, national security, foreign policy, the war in Iraq, the fight against terrorism."In every crucial area of concern to Americans, Kerry offers a clear, corrective alternative to Bush's curious blend of smugness, radicalism, and demagoguery," it said. "Pollsters like to ask voters which candidate they'd most like to have a beer with, and on that metric Bush always wins. We prefer to ask which candidate is better suited to the governance of our nation."

Editor and Publisher: "Kerry continued his raid on newspapers that backed Bush in 2000, grabbing 24 new 'flip-flops,' plus The Washington Post, which was a major supporter of the war in Iraq. The Democrat has now won endorsements from at least 35 papers that went for Bush in 2000, while Bush has earned only two Gore papers. However, Bush got a prize in the key state of Ohio, The Columbus Dispatch. Kerry now leads Bush 125-96 in endorsements in E&P's exclusive tally, and he leads by about 16 million to 10 million in the circulation of backing papers. And more setbacks for Bush: The Detroit News, which has never endorsed a Democrat, and which backed Bush in 2000, announced that it would sit out the 2004 election, not happy with either candidate. The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, another Bush backer in 2000, said the same thing today in an editorial titled 'No One to Champion.' A third Bush supporter in 2000, The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa., also declared neutrality today."

Editor and Publisher reports:" ...E&P has learned from several sources at the Plain Dealer in Cleveland that the paper's nine-person editorial board decided earlier this week that it wanted to endorse Kerry, but Publisher Alex Machaskee, who has final say, has decided on Bush. The paper backed Bush in 2000. This has caused consternation in some quarters at the Plain Dealer, with sources telling E&P that the endorsement editorial, which was expected to run Sunday, was put off. One editor told E&P that some at the paper at pushing for, at least, a dissenting pro-Kerry column." Let the Plain Dealer know how YOU feel - at (800) 688-4802 or letters@plaind.com

AP: "Sen. John Kerry on Thursday accused President Bush of slowing scientific advancement after earning a special endorsement from the widow of actor Christopher Reeve, a proponent of the embryonic stem cell research on which the president has placed limits. The American people deserve a president who understands that when America invests in science and technology, we can build a stronger economy and create jobs for the 21st century," Kerry said during a campaign rally. "But George Bush has literally ... turned his back on the spirit of exploration and discovery." Reeve's widow, Dana, said her family has been grieving privately since her husband died Oct. 10. "My inclination would be to remain private for a good long while," she said. "But I came here today in support of John Kerry because this is so important. This is what Chris wanted."

Boston.com: "Boston's police patrolmen's union voted overwhelmingly to endorse John F. Kerry for president, months after the Democratic nominee refused to cross a police picket line during the union's bitter contract dispute. It was the first time the union has endorsed a Democratic presidential candidate, the union officials said." The Union even passed over hometown candidate Michael Dukakis in 1988 for George H.W. Bush. The union endorsed Bush again in 1992. The BPPA had previously endorsed Republican Ronald Reagan. Police leaders said the union endorsed Kerry in large part because he honored their picket line outside a meeting of the US Conference of Mayors meeting in Boston in June. They said the endorsement also proves false rumors that circulated during the union's contract battle that their threats to disrupt the Democratic National Convention were aimed at helping the Republicans."

St.Petersburg Times: "They talked about it Sunday night over glasses of wine in Hyde Park. They stewed over it Monday morning during tennis matches. They rehashed it over the phone with incredulous friends calling from out-of-state. Did you read the Tampa Tribune? They didn't endorse Bush for president. They didn't endorse anyone! The Tribune's Sunday editorial, in which the editorial board endorsed neither Republican George Bush nor Democrat John Kerry, has caused quite a stir in Tampa and beyond.For decades, the Tribune has been Tampa's conservative torch, endorsing Republicans for president every four years and supporting the party's emphasis on fiscal conservativism, small government and military muscle. But after four years, the editorial went on, Bush disappointed board members with 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.' "

Editor and Publisher reveals that in terms of readership base, Kerry leads Bush in newspaper endorsements by 8.7-3.3 million. "Among the papers endorsing Kerry [as of 10/17 are] The Miami Herald, the St. Petersburg Times, So Florida Sun-Sentinel in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Today in Melbourne, The Palm Beach Post, the Daytona Beach News-Journal, and the Bradenton Herald. In other battleground states, he picked up the Star-Tribune in Minneapolis and the Duluth News Tribune, the Dayton Daily News and Akron Beacon Journal in Ohio, and the Daily Camera in Boulder, Colo. Kerry also got the nod from...: The New York Times, The Boston Globe, San Jose Mercury-News, San Francisco Chronicle, The Sacramento Bee, The Fresno Bee, and The Modesto Bee; The Kansas City Star, The Roanoke (Va.) Times, the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, the Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader, the Mail Tribune in Medford, Ore., and The Press Democrat in Santa Rosa, Calif."

Common Dreams: "Sen. John Kerry answered our call last night,' said NOW/PAC Chair Kim Gandy. 'He made women's issues part of the debate and established his commitment to the fight for equality and justice.' Sen. Kerry addressed many issues important to women--he pledged to defend the landmark Roe v. Wade decision in the courts, promote pay equity, expand affordable health care, increase the minimum wage and protect affirmative action. Kerry successfully aligned himself with women by recognizing the detrimental policies imposed by the Bush administration. 'NOW/PAC urges its members and supporters to turn out in record numbers on Nov. 2 for John Kerry and all candidates who support women's rights,' said Gandy."

AP: "The New York Times yesterday endorsed John Kerry for president, praising the Democratic candidate for his willingness 'to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change...We have been impressed with Mr Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking - something that became more apparent once he was reined in by that two-minute debate light. He is blessedly willing to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change. He strikes us, above all, as a man with a strong moral core.' The Times' backing is one of the most coveted and influential of any endorsement during the US presidential campaign, although given the newspaper's somewhat left-of-centre tendency [LOL! This is coming from AP- which is slightly left of fascist!], not entirely unexpected.'We have been impressed with Mr Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking.'. As for Mr Bush, the Times had few kind words in calling for the end of his presidency, which the paper's editors referred to as 'disastrous'. "

Boston Globe opines, "Iraq, simply put, is out of control. Kerry is best qualified bring it under control, not least by reassuring the Iraqis themselves that the United States does not have permanent designs on their strategic bases or oil. On terrorism, Kerry understands that intelligence, police work, diplomacy, and economic development are the principal weapons against a diffuse but knowable enemy. At home, Kerry is a strong supporter of civil rights and women's rights. His nominees to the Supreme Court would not be likely to roll back decades of important gains for women and minorities. He would rein in the Bush deficit by restoring 1990s-era tax rates to the top brackets. Although we fear that rolling back the tax cuts will not produce enough revenue to halve the deficit and implement Kerry's ambitious healthcare plan, his priorities are right: to restore fiscal sanity and to reduce the number of Americans without health insurance -- at 45 million, a national scandal."

NY Times opines, "Senator John Kerry goes toward the election with a base that is built more on opposition to George W. Bush than loyalty to his own candidacy. But over the last year we have come to know Mr. Kerry as more than just an alternative to the status quo. We like what we've seen. He has qualities that could be the basis for a great chief executive, not just a modest improvement on the incumbent. We have been impressed with Mr. Kerry's wide knowledge and clear thinking - something that became more apparent once he was reined in by that two-minute debate light. He is blessedly willing to re-evaluate decisions when conditions change. And while Mr. Kerry's service in Vietnam was first over-promoted and then over-pilloried, his entire life has been devoted to public service, from the war to a series of elected offices. He strikes us, above all, as a man with a strong moral core." Read this enthusiastic endorsement, and send it to all your friends!

It isn't just that the Seattle Times - which endorsed Bush in 2000 - is endorsing John Kerry. It's that the paper had the guts and strength of conviction to take a stand at all! We applaud them! Before the NeoCon takeover of America's media, newspapers stood up and declared their support for the candidate they felt reflected their reader's needs and beliefs best. Now the media are Gollum-esque in their sneak-strategy. Instead of openly declaring that they endorse Bush, the bulk of major news outlets instead pack their "news" with pro-Bush material and anti-Kerry spin (even when stories purport to be simply covering Kerry's campaign). This is not just bad journalism, it is slinking cowardice of the worst stamp that besmirches the honor of every honest newsperson who once strode America's stage.

MSNBC: "John Kerry won the endorsement of 10 Nobel Prize-winning economists Wednesday as he attacked President Bush for policies that he said have led to the creation of only low-paying jobs. The Democratic presidential nominee released a letter from the economists saying the Bush administration had 'embarked on a reckless and extreme course that endangers the long-term economic health of our nation.' They cited 'poorly designed' tax cuts that instead of creating jobs have turned budget surpluses into enormous budget deficits, a 'fiscal irresponsibility threatens the long-term economic security and prosperity of our nation.' The endorsement, in the form of an open letter to American voters, was signed by George Akerlof, and Daniel McFadden of the University of California at Berkeley, Kenneth Arrow and William, Daniel Kahneman, Lawrence Klein, Douglass North, Paul Samuelson, Robert Solow and Joseph Stiglitz."

US Newswire: "In an unprecedented display of support from the military establishment, twelve retired generals and admirals endorsed John Kerry for president of the United States on Wednesday. These distinguished flag officers join the ranks of tens of thousands of veterans -- including over 500 veteran delegates in Boston Lieutenant General Edward D. Baca, Lieutenant General Daniel W. Christman, Admiral William J. Crowe, General Joseph Hoar, Lieutenant General Claudia J. Kennedy, General Merrill 'Tony' A. McPeak, Lieutenant General Donald Kerrick, General John M. Shalikashvili, Admiral Stansfield Turner, General Johnnie E. Wilson."

"Americans should realize that if they vote for George W. Bush's re-election, they really are voting for the architects of war - Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and the rest of that cabal of neoconservative ideologues and their corporate backers. I sadly have come to the conclusion that Bush is merely a frontman, an empty suit who is manipulated by the people in his administration. Bush has the most dangerously simplistic view of the world of any president in my memory. People who think of themselves as conservatives will really display their stupidity, as I did in the last election, by voting for Bush. Bush is as far from being a conservative as you can get. Well, he fooled me once, but he won't fool me twice. It is not at all conservative to balloon government spending, to vastly increase the power of government, to show contempt for the Constitution and the rule of law or... that giant fiscal and trade deficits don't matter."

"This newspaper, the first in the nation, endorses John Kerry for president. Unlike the current White House occupant, Kerry can lead America to a brighter, better future. He has shown the personal courage, compassion, intellect and skill to lead this country in a time of war abroad and economic troubles at home. He is a serious man for a serious time. Why make this endorsement now, when the election is months away? Because this race promises to be close and Pennsylvania is one of 18 swing states that can go to either candidate. For Kerry supporters to prevail they must do more than just vote, they must bring a ringer into this contest: the more than a million people in the region who did not vote in the last election. We believe these non-voters - who will have to be mobilized over the next few months - are the key to victory. On the next page, we outline a strategy to make sure Pennsylvania lands in the Kerry win column. We will further make the case for Kerry in future editorials."

John Kerry picked up the endorsement of 100 black mayors across America. "Senator Kerry believes that first defenders should be a priority," said Wellington Webb, former Mayor of Denver. "He is committed to working with our country's mayors and ensuring that [first responders] have the equipment needed to do their job safely and effectively." "The White House has allowed America's cities to languish," said Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, Detroit, Michigan. "As president, John Kerry would have a tremendous impact on small town America," said Mayor Floyd Griffin, Milledgeville, Georgia. "His message of economic development and creating jobs is crucial to areas like mine. Tip to the Kerry campaign: with a strong news story like this, you don't need to include any redundant Kerry "campaign slogan" lead ins or add ons. It puts off mainstream editors (which we're not, thank God but we have worked with them!) and weakens a press release's attraction as an easy-to-use news story.

"The Sierra Club - the nation's oldest, largest and most influential environmental group - today endorsed Senator John Kerry for President of the United States, citing his outstanding leadership in safe-guarding America's air, water and public lands. 'John Kerry will provide the environmental leadership that has been sorely missing in the Bush White House,' said Sierra Club President Larry Fahn. 'His commitment to environmental progress stands in stark contrast to the Bush administration's all-out assault on the environment and its record of putting polluting corporations before the American public's health and safety. 'John Kerry has spent his entire career promoting real solutions aimed at ensuring that America's air, water, and natural resources are protected for future generations.' "

US Newswire: "On behalf of the 750,000 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, President Edwin D. Hill today announced the union's endorsement of Senator John Kerry for President of the United States. 'America needs a leader who will address the pressing needs of working families, especially jobs. Kerry...has the courage and vision to lead this nation in challenging times,' Hill noted that for the past 3 years, working families have suffered while Bush has cut taxes for the wealthy and rewarded corporations for taking American jobs overseas. 'It's time for those who built this country to take it back. A nation that doesn't work for all its citizens no longer deserves to be called the land of opportunity. Working families need the support of a President who values their contributions to American society." Hill said the IBEW is already mobilizing its members and resources to an unprecedented degree in preparation for the November elections."