Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 240 Editor's Choice: 37
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@ Mike Lep
[Read the article: Media mischaracterizes Clark comments, Obama backs away]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well, I think a lot of how it comes out has to do with the set up by the interviewer:
SCHIEFFER: I have to say, Barack Obama has not had any of those experiences either, nor has he ridden in a fighter plane and gotten shot down. I mean --
CLARK: Well, I don't think riding in a fighter plane and getting shot down is a qualification to be president.
SCHIEFFER: Really?
CLARK: But Barack is not -- he is not running on the fact that he has made these national security pronouncements. He's running on his other strengths. He's running on the strengths of character, on the strengths of his communication skills, on the strengths of his judgment -- and those are qualities that we seek in our national leadership.
It's not like Clark just came out with that phrasing, it was in response to the interviewer. Then again, this whole thing is silly becasue, guess what, being a fighter pilot and a POW, in fact, is meaningless in regards to qualifying for the job of President.
Having enough of a spine to stand up to stupid fake attacks int eh media probably should be though. While Obama was not my first choice (go John Edwards and/or Stephan Colbert!) I really didn't expect him to disappoint me as much as he has in the last week.
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@mikelx
[Read the article: Media mischaracterizes Clark comments, Obama backs away]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The problem is that Clark never critcized McCain's service records. Not once, in fact he praised it. He just pointed out that the experience gained in that service in no way applies to his qualifications for the Presidency.
Obama certainly could say - and believe he more or less has in the past - that McCain served bravely and that, despite this, Obama is the better candidate. Being in the military is no more a qualification for being president than being the CEO of a failed oil concern is. If anyone knows this it's Wesley Clark (You can see what it got him...).
I wonder if the sudden increase in stupid, "move the the center" (i.e. way right) stuff coming from Obama is in any way related to bringing on Clinton advisors post-primary, because this is exactly the sort of stuff that made me not want her.
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Balance on Family Planning too?
[Read the article: On the faith-based initiative, Obama's way isn't Bush's way]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am assuming that if Obama is going to do this to support religious groups, he is also going to restore domestic and international funding to health care organizations that provide abortion as a family planning option, something that the Bush administration and many religieous organizations have tried to prevent across the board since "every dollar you give them for non-abortion related work is a dollar they don't have to raise for their abortion related work".
I know that since he is a democrat I should assume that Obama plans to do this, but if he is going to publicly pledge to support religious groups as a pandar to evangelicals, I would like a little pro-choice pander tossed in too.
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@CeliaInSF
[Read the article: On the faith-based initiative, Obama's way isn't Bush's way]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As an athiest who used to volunteer as a teacher at Glide Memorial Church's "Computers and You" program in San Francisco I can attest that it is possible for a religious organization to run a completely secular program that actually seemed to help people without any expectations or proselytizing.
While working there I never felt any kind of religious pressure or even messaging from anyone involved in the program. The only thing that mattered was helping underpriviliged kids learn about computers and helping their parents learn computer skills that could help them get jobs (hopefully they have moved on from WordPerfect now...).
It was a great experience and, since it was 18 years ago, one that I sometimes forget about when confronted with the idea of state fundinjg of "faith-based" groups. The last decade and a half has so poisoned me against religious organizations that I forget that in addition to the Focus on the Families and the megachurchs there are people of faith out there who actually want to do good for the sake of doing good, and who can work with people of no faith (me - actually pretty anti-faith) and do good work together.
Despite my distaste for organized religion and superstition in general I think I can safely say that I would be happy to support more programs run the way that "Computers and You" was at Glide.
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CeliaInSF
[Read the article: On the faith-based initiative, Obama's way isn't Bush's way]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Both purely secular and relgious based groups do a good job of delivering services in that paradigm though."
Agreed - I don't think the Glide program was especially enhanced by being associated with a church , but it certainly wasn't diminished by it. It is all in how the sponsoring organization approaches the program.
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"it has all the insightfulness and emotional impact of McCain's green-screen speech."
[Read the article: Tuesday's campaign roundup]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I thought the green screen speech was amazing. Here I was foolishly convinced that NOTHING could make Madonna's "Vogue" culturally relevant again...
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Not that new...
[Read the article: Erasing the age lines from a résumé]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]30 has been the younger generation's "god your old!" cut off point for a long time. I seem to recall some folks that used to say "Never trust anyone over 30"; I am not sure what happened to them though. I can only assume that some of them are involved in the producing, packing and marketing of Amy Winehouse...
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Weaker Blend
[Read the article: The meaning of Starbucks]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]So...now the coffee will better match the music?
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Um...
[Read the article: "The Dark Knight"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Batman's Butler, player by Michael Caine is Alfred, not Arthur...
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@BoyKyote
[Read the article: "The Dark Knight"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well, I am a giant dork...
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Yes...
[Read the article: McCain campaign adopts Bush's respect for free expression]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]But will they get those damned kids off his lawn?
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One more similarity...
[Read the article: Quote of the day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In the comics Batman is unable to kill the Joker, or even put him away permanently, in Real Life Bush is unable to kill or capture Bin Laden.
At least in the comics Batman makes an effort, while in real life Bush is unconcerned.
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@Alkaline
[Read the article: Quote of the day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Actually, you make a good point. In the modern comics at least Batman goes from fighting gangsters to increasingly radicalized supervillians largely as a result of his presence in Gotham. Sort of like Al Queda in Iraq.
Batman and Bush are more and more alike with each post, except for the whole killing thing...