Letters to the Editor
Frank Smith, Bluff City, KS
Published Letters: 131 Editor's Choice: 15
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Westy and Petraeus? An apt comparison.
[Read the article: Different general, different war, same words: Westmoreland on Vietnam, Petraeus on Iraq]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I was unable to read the Salon.com posted transcript either, but I can guess what it said.
It should be noted that in 1967, Senate Democrats with the exception of Ernst Gruening and party-switcher Wayne Morse, had as much difficulty standing up to Lyndon Johnson as Republicans do to Bush today. Both were defeated for their reelection efforts in 1968.
I did, however, respond to a Kansas right wing blog before the Salon comments appeared. The blog urged Democrats to denounce the ad. Here's my snipped remarks as follows:
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In An Khe, Viet Nam on New Years Day 1968, I was reading similar “statistics” and “projections” in the Christmas issue of U.S. News and World Report, with Westmoreland’s famous fabrications printed as “news.” The problem was, I knew most of the “facts” printed therein were untrue and the rest was spin. I’d often seen the dead American bodies where the story claimed there were none, for instance. I wrote back and told the editors giving very specific detail that they’d been duped. I even wrote that I expected a major offensive would be inaugurated shortly. I never got a response. Thirty days later the Tet Offensive began.
History has judged that Westy betrayed us. I expect Petraeus may see the same fate.
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The Office of Public Integrity
[Read the article: FBI recorded Stevens' calls]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The OPI has shown its independence from the incredible partisianship of not only Alberto Gonzales but of John Ashcroft. As testimony has demonstrated in the conviction of former State Representative Tom Anderson of seven corruption-related felonies, they have been on this investigation since long before Bill Allen, the richest man in Alaska, was induced to start ratting on his fellow rodents over a year ago. Frank Prewitt, a lobbyist for Cornell Corrections (now Companies) was wearing a wire in these cases three years ago. The OPI and the USAG and his replacement in Alaska have waded on despite probably receiving political pressure to back off.
In former Rep. Pete Kott's trial, a week ago, convicted corrupter and former Veco CEO Bill Allen testified that he'd bribed Ted Stevens. His V.P., Rick Smith, also pled guilty to corruption. But no local or national media has publicized their contributions to other Senators around the U.S, despite all the furor about Norman Hsu, who never has bribed anyone, so far as is known, and even contributed to Rob Reiner's ballot initiative, "Kindergarten for all," hardly a place to buy patronage. I wonder if all these Republicans (and the lone Democrat) will give the money to charity?
It is expected that Ted's son Ben will be indicted in the near future. He is the former leader of the AK state senate. He took almost a quarter of a million from Allen in "consulting" fees, though no one ever knew if any actual consulting had been done after 2002, though $4,000 monthly payments continued.
The corruption involved for-profit prisons (one Cornell lobbyist has pled guilty), fisheries legislation and oil and gas industry favoritism.
Here's the list, besides Ted Stevens and Rep. Don Young (R-AK)
George Bush (R-TX)
Senators:
Thomas Coburn (R-OK)
John Ganske (Candidate R-IA, defeated)
Kit Bond (R-MO)
Mike McGavick (Candidate R-WA, defeated)
John Ensign (R-NV)
Connie Burns (R-MT defeated)
David Vitter (R-LA)
Jim DeMint (R-SC)
Richard Burr (R-NC)
George Nethercutt (Candidate, R-WA, defeated)
Arlen Specter (R-PA)
Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)
Daniel Inoye (D-HI)
Jim Talent (R-MO, defeated for reelection)
Norm Coleman (R-MN)
Greg Ganske (R-IA, defeated)
John Thune (R-SD)
John Sununu (R-NH)
Tim Hutchinson (R-AR, defeated)
Slade Gorton (R-WA, defeated)
Frank Murkowski(R-AK, defeated for reelection as Gov.)
And these Representatives:
Richard Pombo (R-CA)
Bob Beauprez (R-CO, defeated in Governor's race)
John Porter (R-NV)
Max Burns (R-GA, defeated twice for reelection)
Steve Pearce (R-NM)
Helen Chenoweth(R-ID retired and died)
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More contributions from Ted Steven's briber
[Read the article: FBI recorded Stevens' calls]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bill Allen also contributed to the following campaigns:
Senate
George Voinovitch (R-OH)
Willie Hensley (D-AK, defeated, general election)
House (Most of these are right wing fundamentalists)
Rick White (R-WA, defeated)
J.D. Hayworth (R-AZ, defeated)
Frank Cremans (R-OH, defeated)
Barbara Cubin (R-WY)
James Longley (R-ME, defeated)
James Bunn (R-OR, defeated)
Randy Tate (R-WA, defeated)
Rick Hill (R-WA, did not run again)
Dennis Rehberg (R-MT)
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Great commentary, but Schiavo had different aspects
[Read the article: The light's on, but is anybody home?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm not sure if I've ever seen a Salon article generate so much interesting and thoughtful response.
On the case of Schiavo, though, I think that "mishima666" had it pretty close to right. There was so little cerebral cortex left in that woman's skull that describing her remaining brain as "reptillian" would be grandiose.
What that entire mess was about was deliberate denial of "death with dignity," the Ashcroft-driven craziness that had doctors practicing legitimate medicine in Oregon pursued with far more Department of Justice zeal than transparent terrorists in Minnesota and Arizona.
The situation presented was a fundamentalist's and radical conservative's dream: A woman who, when prodded, exhibited the corporal equivalent of a banana slug sprinkled with salt. Frist was able to diagnose by viewing a video. Commander Codpiece, who found Katrina less important than spending a million taxpayer bucks to pick up a free guitar in California, could come rushing back from a vacation at Crawford to sign, with great pomp and circumstance, a piece of wholly useless legislation.
Operation Rescue West, those tax-evading scamsters whose ranks had been swelled by child molesters, clinic bombers and surgeon shooters was probably able to cart back to Kansas Baghdad-sized piles of uncounted cash in its "Truth (sic) Truck."
Something for everybody. Everybody that is, except for that poor near-carcass that had been lying in its own excrement for 15 years.