Most believe President Bush “lost” the first debate to Sen. Kerry, which is a shame since Mr. Kerry proposed some really unsound policies, including returning to the failed Clinton policy on Korea, or subjecting our right to use preemptive force to a “global test” where we would “go through another round of [UN] resolution, to sit down with those leaders, say, what do you need now, how much more will it take to get you to join us?”

His worst proposal involved nukes. Asked what is the most serious threat to national security, Kerry’s answer was “nuclear proliferation.” Minutes later, however, Kerry said that the U.S. should offer nuclear fuel to Iran to “test” their intentions and to entice them to “work a deal” to not develop nuclear weapons. This is the same appeasement strategy that, under Mr. Clinton, resulted in North Korea reprocessing the donated fuel and building atomic bombs.

I repeat: John Kerry is offering nuclear fuel to Iran, the sponsor of Hezbollah and Islamic Jihad and ally of al-Qaida.

Then Kerry ridiculed the president’s funding of bunker-busting nuclear weapons. But that is precisely the type of weapon we may need to destroy an enemy’s nuclear manufacturing capability.

President Bush, conversely, will not be giving nuclear fuel to Iran, is keeping sanctions on Iran, is working to get the Security Council involved, is implementing the strategic missile defense system, and has stated resolutely that Iran will not be allowed to have nuclear weapons.

Scott Gardner, Auburn