Letters to the Editor
Nita Martin
Published Letters: 271 Editor's Choice: 62
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It's the war, stupid
[Read the article: The "option" of checks and balances]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is much more insidious than Bush and Company breaking the law in order to pursue warrantless spying, and then getting a retroactive free pass, and a newly ordained secret court process to hide future transgressions. It all goes back to starting a war of your choosing, without reasonable cause or authorizations, and then using YOUR WAR as an excuse for YOUR AGENDA. In other words, start a war, when you can't win it, rename it something that is essentially a perpetual state, then give yourself a blank check drawn on the "this is war account", so that you can do anything, anywhere, to anyone, and not be held accountable, before or after the fact.
As for Arlen Specter. Nice going. I almost thought he had a spine for a moment there. No it turns out he isn't a tough talker, but just a shill to push the administration back one step while allowing them to advance ten. Shame on Arlen Specter. But what can you expect from a man who once stood up for one of America's most notorious murderers. Once a defender of slime, always a defender of slime. Oh, and murderers. George Bush is just so much more successful at it than Ira Einhorn.
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You can't have it both ways
[Read the article: Paging Kenneth Blackwell]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]By claiming that leaking Plame's identity is within the scope of their "official duties", wouldn't Rove and Cheney be setting themselves up to be accountable for their breach of national security? It's a crime to "out" a CIA operative. By hiding behind their "official duties", they may be stepping into a much bigger hole.
One can only hope that Plame's lawyer doesn't expect this to go forward on the strength of the Paula Jones precedent, but that this is just a way to force Rove and Cheney to choose between two roads to accountability. I'm hoping it doesn't come down to Paula Jones and that we all get to see the geniuses argue why exposing Plame's identity was their duty.
In any case, this trial and its run-up will be a welcome respite from the violent news in Iraq and the Middle East. Seeing Rove and Cheney hoisted on either version of their own pitard....that's entertainment.
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We need another Ann Richards
[Read the article: Truth to power: Ann Richards, 1933-2006]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]While campaigning for John Kerry as part of "Military Moms With a Mission", I had the wonderful opportunity of sharing a roundtable "stage" with Ann Richards, and it was one of the most rewarding afternoons I have spent.
In addition to being intelligent, supremely articulate and having the ability to hit a point with razor sharp aaccuracy, she had something lacking in even the few intelligent politicians we now see -- class. Ann Richards was a classy lady. She managed to make the most scathing political commentary and still seem elegant. Because she was. In contemplating why this might be the case, I came up with this...she was bitingly critical when need be, but she (unlike the current cadre of nincompoops) wasn't arrogant, petty or vindictive. She wanted the truth, not the spin. She wanted it for us...not a doctored version of it spread out for her own ego gratification. She had empathy.
Ann Richards was a genuine American. And we are poorer for the loss of her presence among us.
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More than a day late...
[Read the article: Kerry to Swift Boaters: Bring it on, again]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Two years ago I stood on a stage in Philadelphia and introduced John Kerry to 40,000 people. As "Military Moms With a Mission" a group of us had dropped our lives and hit 20 states to desperately bring the message of changing the occupant of the White House. When Kerry mentioned a marine going on-line to buy his own helmut, he was talking about my son.
Unfortunately....while we "Moms" were verbally kicking the asses of the Swift Boaters, and going "off message" to say loudly and pointedly anywhere we could get press coverage, "Bush lied", we waited for a little blood and guts to show up in the Kerry Camp.
But alas. He wimped his way politely through oceans of dirty politics and dirty tricks. I told my friend I was going to whisper in his ear at the podium...."Will you PLEASE start kicking some ass!" I didn't do it. Neither did he.
What a pity that he now has the gumption. IT'S A LITTLE LATE, JOHN!!
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Dying for a win
[Read the article: In Iraq, are there any good options left?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Today my son is in Iraq. This is the third deployment between my two Marine sons and the most dangerous to date. It has been a nightmare, but I know that others have suffered far more. For those who have suffered the loss of precious life after the futility of this misconceived exercise in hubris has been fully viewed and acknowledged by all but its architects, the pain must be unbearable.
With each deployment, it has become increasingly obvious that we are mired in failure. And that failure has increased exponentially as the determination of this President and his cohorts to pursue a course of needless loss of life and loss of liberty as become cast in stone. At least until after the elections.
It is beyond despicable that George Bush and his band of arrogant incompetents are holding onto their "stay the course" rhetoric in the face of escalating American and Iraqi casualties...all for the sake of saving face and retaining power. Holding on until November 7 qualifies them all for undisputed classification as callous thugs and garden-variety murderers. Deliberately sending our troops into harms way now is nothing more, or less, than recklessness on a scale that is virtually incomprehensible.
If this isn't criminality, what is?