An interesting Kerry endorsement

John Eisenhower, son of Dwight D. (Ike) Eisenhower is a life long republican. For reasons best expressed in his own words (here's the the original), he's decided on a change of heart this time and endorsed Kerry. I see Wikipedia has also picked it up. (thanks Robert!)

Today many people are rightly concerned about our precious individual freedoms, our privacy, the basis of our democracy. Of course we must fight terrorism, but have we irresponsibly gone overboard in doing so? I wonder. In 1960, President Eisenhower told the Republican convention, “If ever we put any other value above (our) liberty, and above principle, we shall lose both.” I would appreciate hearing such warnings from the Republican Party of today.

I also recalled Eisenhower being very wary of the military industrial complex, a machine of enormous influence which he'd experienced from a very close perspective. He warned us in his last address. Here's a part of what he had to say...

In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.

We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together.

I can see how someone raised on Ike's values and beliefs and accustomed to the behavior of the mid twentieth century Republican party might eventually grow disillusioned.