Larry lessig writes, “…every blog owes it to this space to state its case one way or the other, however briefly, so that the reality of November 3 doesn’t distort the views of where we are today.”

He has a good point. So let me enblog neé enshrine my endorsement of John Kerry for president: [Update: link to DW’s aggregation]

A significant portion of my decision comes from my dissatisfaction with George W. Bush in his term at the head of our country. He lied to the American people about the need for war in Iraq. I have an extreme distaste for politicians lying to their constituents, but when the lies involve life and death, I have an extreme disgust. Bush has brought religion into politics in a way never before done in this country. I find that innappropriate, bad for America, and as an atheist of Jewish and Catholic heritage, I find it offensive. Bush has repeatedly weakened environmental regulations, which shirks our responsibility to leave a suitable habitat for future generations in the name of short term economic gains. The level of secrecy and control and the curtailing of civil liberties introduced by the Bush administration makes me fear we are on the slippery slope to a police state. Finally, I am dismayed by Bush’s refusal to deal with reality, admit to mistakes, and have an honest dialogue about how move forward.

As for Kerry, I find him to be knowledgable and possessed of good judgement. I find his positions to be well thought out and in line with my values of democracy and society. That Kerry has served as long as he has in Washington and remained “clean” demonstrates an integrity that I hope will remain in his presidency. His willingness to stand up for what he believes is right and to fight for it inspires confidence and is an essential quality in leadership. And that “fight” is an important quality in taking on the problems that will be left behind by the current administration.

So there it is. I will cast my vote for John Kerry on Tuesday with anger and frustration at where we have been led in the last four years and with hope for the future of our nation.