Letters to the Editor
Philadelphia Steve
Published Letters: 445 Editor's Choice: 3
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Wrong words?
[Read the article: Obama is saying the wrong things about Afghanistan]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is the exactly the standard, and trap, that Conservatives and the White House have been using for the past seven years: Ignore the blatant blunders, lies and fantasies that come from George W. Bush, his surrogates and John McCain (but I repeat myself); while simultaneously demanding that anyone who points out the Bush disasters have an absolutely foolproof plan that is absolutely perfect in every way and meets the Conservative-set standards for acceptability. This is, of course, set as being in line with whatever the White House story of the day is.
For all of the nit picking that can, and will, be used to discredit any plans that Barak Obama may have, or develop, I will still prefer those to continuation of the NeoConservative “plans” that have led us to where we are today, and are guaranteed to be continued under a McCain Administration: Particularly in that critical Iraq-Pakistan border region.
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Taxes
[Read the article: More bad news for McCain on Iraq]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Re: "Then why the hell did Bush demand tax cuts on the eve of launching a never-ending $2 billion-a-week war?"
Because George W. Bush does not believe that anyone making more than $1 millin a year should pay any taxes at all, on anything. As Leona Helmsley said, "taxes are for the little people".
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John McCain's "Base" actually asked questions?
[Read the article: McCain digs himself in deeper]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]HP:
Actually John McCain was a D student at Anapolis, not West Point. He, like George W. Bush, would not have even been in the college he was in were it not for Daddy's influence.
It appears time for the Right-wing noise machine to ratchet up the volume on "Obama is a Wahabbi Muslim" stories" along side the "Barak Obama agrees with the Rev Wright speeches" (although the two contradict each other, Conservatives will have no problem believing both at one time).
The Bush Administratio has had no problem for more than seven years putting out self-contradictory statements and outright falshoods, so actually being questioned by the usually somnamulent media reporters must feel totally alien to Republicans.
I wonder if they will try a few more barbecues?
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Flip Flop?
[Read the article: In battleground states, bad news for Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Salon seems to be this week's biggest flip-flopper.
Wasn't it just a couple of days ago we were treated to "Obama in a blowout" articles here?
Now we're "counting our chickens..."
The fact is the Presidential Election of 2008 will be very close.
Republicans will exploit racial/religious bigotry in every way immaginable, with e-mails and stand-ins hinting at the threat of a NEGRO President with MUSLIM sympathies.
The hate will be papable, and ther are sufficient Americans (probably 1/3 of the elctorate) who will never, ever vote for anything other than a white candidate to provide a guaranteed Republcan base.
Add to that a full-scale White House push, using tax money of course, to discredit everything that Barak Obama says, using every agency of the government (all the Loyal Bushies that Rove installed) to campaign for "American" (meaning Republican) values, all on government time, of course.
Finally, when the Bush family tells their large donors to give, the money will flow and, no matter what you read now, Republicans will still, overall, outspend Democrats 1.5 to 1.
America will be lucky if it does not have Bush III after election day 2008. Luckier still if it survives whatever Supreme Court challenges are likely to be launched to overturn any results the White House does not like.
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Letting them go
[Read the article: The disappearing movie critic]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This is no different than every other aspect of the news business. The Philadelphia Inquirer was acquired a year ago, and immediatly fired 25% of their news staff (all areas). Now, what was once a paper noted for great reporting (almost every year getting a Pullitzer in something), now runs mostly wire copy.
The networks are no different. Watch your average newscast. The anchor will usually lead off a story with, "Today's Los Angeles Times reported...". This means, instead of doing their own research, the networks are reading a newspaper to us over the air. And that lead in is usually followed by "commentary" from someone supplied to them by an industry group, or political oepratives: None of whom have to be paid by the network.
No one is checking facts, dong research, or even "reporting" any more. Movie reviews are just another aspect of this trend.
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Chasing?
[Read the article: "People of the world -- look at Berlin!"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Re: "Will we chase the ghost of Bin Laden forever, no matter how much it costs us in life, limb, and security?"
In case you hadn't notice, catching Osama bin Laden has not been a priority of the US Government for years.
http://www.depresident.com/bushisms.asp
"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
- George W. Bush, 3/13/2002
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Goodwin's Law
[Read the article: Report: More than 200,000 watched Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The first onein a debate who brings up Hitler, loses.
It did not take long for the John McCain faithful to do that here.
For Conservatives, remember that Saint Ronald Reagan also gave speeches in Germany, even laying wreaths at cemetaries that included German SS (Nazi) troops. Of course, whe HE did it, it was DIFFERENT, wasn't it?
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Republican reaction
[Read the article: Obama's political brilliance in Berlin]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I expect that Republicans will now start playing up the theme that anyone who is liked outside of the US must "Hate America". The GOP has, after all, made a virtue of being hated by the people who were once our allies, especially those in democratic countries.
Hate is about all the John McCain campaign has left, so we can expect that card to be played at every turn, from now until November.