Quantum Electrodynamics (QED) and its cousin, Quantum Chromodynamics, cannot be "rotten to the core". They are among the most successful theories in all of science; they allow predictions through pure calculation which are found to be true to a dozen decimal places (or more).
"Truth" can be said to mean "in conformance with the way the Universe behaves", and these theories certainly are "true". That is, they reveal part of the way the universe behaves. They are not absolute truth; they are subject to revision/extension/modification. But they certainly reveal something of the truth.
--Boris
So what? I could come up with a theory describing particles as incredibly small kennels with photons as even smaller St Bernards running around with barrels of "energy" on their collars. I could create a bunch of experimentally determined parameters for how these St Bernards interact with the kennels (precise to 12 decimal places). Would you believe my theory or say it was ridiculous at its core?
You wrote in an earlier post that you were/are an engineer. Go read Dodd's "Atoms and Light: Interactions", especially chapter 6, and tell me if that changes your view of photons and QM. I can put a paper I wrote on it out on the web if you're interested. It's a condensed version of his semiclassical Compton Effect theory. Also, check out Cole's semiclassical simulations of simple atomic states.