Since 1923, Time Magazine has, according to its website, “covered topics that impact readers’ everyday lives. Each week, it captures the excitement of the news, providing analysis and perspective to more Americans than any other news source.” In fact, 4,034,091 people received a copy of Time Magazine via subscription this year – giving Time the distinction of being the magazine with the highest subscription price paid by the most subscribers – and a 44% total circulation market share. In addition, 22 million people read it each week from the newsstand – making Time the newsstand sales leader as well, with a 46% total newsstand sales market share. These two accomplishments, combined with the fact that it has been in publication for 81 years – ranks Time as the undisputed leader among newsmagazines.

So why – pray tell – did they nominate George W. Bush as their “Person of the Year” for 2004?

On Sunday, December 19th, Time’s Managing Editor James Kelly announced that the magazine had chosen Bush as its “Person of the Year” for, “sticking to his guns (literally and figuratively), for reshaping the rules of politics to fit his ten-gallon-hat leadership style – and for persuading a majority of voters that he deserved to be in the White House for another four years.” This is not the first time that Time Magazine has given Bush this “honor.” President Bush was also Time’s choice for “Person of the Year” in 2000 after winning the most controversial presidential election in American history – despite the fact that he lost the popular vote.

Besides the fact that I have now lost all respect for Time Magazine – don’t you have to be a person to be chosen as “Person of the Year?”

In my opinion, Time Magazine’s choice of George W. Bush as the 2004 “Person of the Year” is as disgusting as when they chose Adolf Hitler in 1938, Joseph Stalin in 1939 and 1942 – and the Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979. In the last 355 days, he has murdered over 800 soldiers by sending them to Iraq to make himself, his Vice President and his “base” of wealthy Republicans money. He has told the American people that he is, “not that concerned” about Osama Bin Laden and that he, “[doesn’t] really think about him very much.” He used September 11th and the relatives of those we lost to squirm back into the White House for another four years – and he has said many memorable statements that have proven his intelligence – or lack thereof – including these:

And yet – despite all of this – a magazine with a reputation like Time has chosen this “person” as the “Person of the Year.” Amazing.

Time says that their chose for “Person of the Year” must be, “the person or persons who most affected the news and our lives, for good or for ill, and embodied what was important about the year, for better or for worse.” In the past, they have chosen some truly deserving people when it came to awarding a second “person of the Year” award, like when they gave a double nod to Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, Dwight Eisenhower, Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Bill Clinton – but this year – they have made a most egregious error that rivals journalism’s error of errors this year. It was on July 6, 2004 when the New York Post ran the headline, “Kerry’s Choice: Dem Picks Gephardt As VP Candidate” – and to think Time Magazine would do worse.

It is no secret that I absolutely hate our President and would not outstretch my hand if he were to shake it. I just can’t believe that a magazine as influential as Time would not realize George W. Bush’s real plot and intentions. His goal is not a safer and stronger America – but a richer and more powerful George W. Bush. As our President, he is not an Abraham Lincoln, or a John F. Kennedy, or a Thomas Jefferson – he is a Richard Nixon, a Scott Peterson and an Osama Bin Laden all rolled into one. He is filling his oil drums with the blood of our men and women in uniform. He is dangling a one hundred thousand dollar a year tax-free salary in the faces of civilian workers who are voluntarily abandoning their families for a year at a time so they can be captured and beheaded. He is gambling the future of our lives and the lives of generations who will succeed us by engaging the wrong enemy in the “war on terror” while the real enemy continues to freely exist and successfully broadcast his messages of hate. He has still, to this day, not apologized to the families of fallen soldiers – and worst of all – he has four more years to further pull this country and all who live in it into further debt, further recession – and further destruction.

Bravo Time Magazine. How about next year – you choose Osama Bin Laden?