Letters to the Editor
georgepo
Published Letters: 5
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Senator Hothead
[Read the article: Senator Hothead]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]After watching McCain on This Week yesterday, I've been surprised that there hasnt been much comment about how he behaved in that interview. I saw someone who couldnt control himself well, and trying hard, but unsuccessfully in my view, to appear as someone who couldnt deny his reputation but tossed it off as merely "passion" and long ago stories. The way he cut off many questions, one has to wonder how he could ever take advice from anyone, or more importantly, how his advisors could stay on the job dealing with that every day.
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Maybe McCain aint so smart
[Read the article: John McCain and Bush's torture powers]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The only question I have about this article is its assumption that McCain has participated in this charade willingly or was just duped by the Administration and never understood what was going on.
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Hardball Politics
[Read the article: Obama responds to Wright]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I have a theory about the Pastor Wright speaking tour presently underway, which all the pundits are saying is Obama's worst nightmare, and which Obama appears to be validating by seemingly distancing himself from Wright. This seems to be the same political "trick" as McCain's "protestations" about the North Carolina Republican Party's ads linking the local Dems to Wright/Obama. McCain can appear to take the high road but actually making the NC ad effectively run nationally.
In Obama's case, I cant believe Wright would be doing this only in the interest of "clearing his name and defending the black church" without some coordination with the Obama campaign. I believe the calculation is that by Wright speaking out now, Democrats will get the issue out on their time table. The Republicans werent going to let the issue die, but probably would have preferred to resurrect it closer to November, which they still can do, but now Obama has the issue out and in a format which they can control.
I suspect part of the calculation is a determination of which voters will be influenced to change their vote on this issue. The hard right white workers will never change so it makes no difference. The African American vote cannot be taken for granted, thus the need to keep them energized which Wright is doing well. The key sector is the middle independent white group who I suspect might be influenced to resolve any guilt they may feel, and Wright, frankly, seems a much milder and intelligent black spokeman, not in the Jackson/Sharpton mold.
Of course, its all a calculation and if I'm right, it's truly hardball.
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Whacking McClelland
[Read the article: Scott McClellan: The beatings continue]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]One of McClelland's arguments rings true, namely that the Administration came to Washington with a resume of competence so despite misgivings about the seeming rush to war with Iraq, they were given the benefit of the doubt. McClelland was generally dismissed by the media as a buffoon during his time as Press Secretary, thus making it doubly difficult for the big ego news anchors to admit missing the fact that the emporer had no clothes. The Administration's annoyance with McClelland is his breaking of the unwritten rules which Pres. Bush tried to get across when he patted him on the back at his departure ceremony, to remind him that any discussions about his time at the WH should wait until they were in rockers down in Texas.
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McCain dodging questions on surge timeline
[Read the article: McCain dodging questions on surge timeline?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It would seem that what McCain misstates is less important than the way he says it. Why not more commentary on what it reveals about his character? When McCain unceremonously dumped Phil Gramm after the "whining" comment, why no question about what that revealed? Most reasonable politicians would have found some reasonable excuse for such a poorly chosen characterization of what most have said was probably not too inaccurate. Instead, McCain was vicious with his Ukraine ambassador comment. Is this the personality we want fingering a button?
I hope Klein's commentary today gets that issue more exposed.