The following is a letter to the editor that I submitted to the Richmond Times Dispatch on December 11, 2003, and was published on December 22. Editor, Times Dispatch: Not long ago, President Bush said that he "looked into Vladimir Putin's soul" and knew that he could trust the former KBG spymaster.  Since that time, Putin has jailed those who oppose his policies and has been less than supportive of our war on terrorism.  Despite Putin's embrace of a flat tax system and rejection of the Kyoto Protocol, he has shown himself to be unworthy of the trust of the West.  What does this say about Bush's abilities to judge others and make decisions that will impact our future?  Will he next "look into the soul" of Iran's Khamenei and tell us that he trusts him not to explode a nuclear bomb over Israel?  I have a difficult time trusting the judgment of a president who relies on mystical senses to make decisions. It is a striking commentary on the current state of philosophy in America that Bush is currently the lesser of many evils in the race for president in 2004. Our leaders must embrace reason over faith.  This is the only way that we can end the states that sponsor terrorism.  -Bob Murphy. Richmond