Letters to the Editor
Kevin C
Published Letters: 142 Editor's Choice: 23
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@ rocky57
[Read the article: Does "Obama Girl" help Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Arguably the fatal mistake with the Clinton health care plan is that it gave away too much to the insurance companies--which then went on and attacked it anyway. A second point could be that Americans are more comfortable with divided government in the long run. And finally, that the congressional Democrats weren't doing themselves any favors either with the (similar to today) standard end of a long period in power petty scandals and whatnot.
I'm not arguing that FDR didn't leave the party in arguably better shape--I'm arguing that going back 60 years isn't a compelling message (particularly since that Democratic party also had a "solid South" of segregation focused Democrats). The only memory that the vast majority of potential voters hold of a reasonably successful Democratic presidency is the Clinton years--where real incomes rose, employment rose, etc. Bubble or not, why dismiss that as a horrible time that you wouldn't want to go back to?
Republicans have screwed themselves royally by being allowed to have a free hand and completely botched it--why run against partisan politics rather than against Republican incompetence?
Bush's policies have put our standing in the toilet and killed thousands. Is that really as bad as the indiscipline shown by Monica Lewinsky and allowing the Republican congressional takeover of 1992. Have we been brainwashed so much by the press taking Republican talking points at face value that we can't see that perhaps the message that "partisan politics is bad" isn't necessarily stronger than "Democratic Presidents do a better job than Republican presidents, look at the facts."
Republicans aren't sharing credit for Reagan with the Democratic Congresses of the time--why should they? If you feel like giving Newt Gingrich credit that's fine--but nuance doesn't play well in elections...
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@ Rocky57
[Read the article: Does "Obama Girl" help Obama?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]So Gore was sick of the Clintons and distanced himself from them and ran a more populist campaign. Clinton had a 65% approaval rating and Gore allowed the press to force him to distance himself from something that nobody was overly concerned about at that point anyway. And lost to a dumbass from TX.
Ok, perhaps if Clinton hadn't poisoned the press' attitude towards Gore by association, things would have been different. Still, though, despite the inside the Beltway conventional wisdom Bill was, and is, popular in polls with the hoi polloi. So maybe running against him as a Democrat isn't the best approach.
Just something to think about.
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Ecce homo
[Read the article: Some free advice for Obama]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Admit that -b-m- is just a man? That is heresy.
Please do not even ask someone to think along those lines.
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I can't wait for the excuses to start coming
[Read the article: Report: Spitzer caught on federal wiretap]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]My money's on "sex addict." Seriously, though, I have never liked Spitzer--he has always seemed kind of sanctimonius. I also don't like his shake downs of companies as AG--if you can prosecute, prosecute, but it makes me uncomfortable someone just threatens companies and gets them to settle.
Anyway, I think this is similar to what might be McCain's undoing--someone who is so certain of their superiority that they don't bother with restraining themselves. They are moral, so anything they do is moral by definiton...
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Abortion in NY
[Read the article: Report: Spitzer caught on federal wiretap]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As abortion was legal in NY before Roe vs. Wade, I don't see why it would be illegal if it were struck down...
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David Paterson
[Read the article: Report: Spitzer caught on federal wiretap]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It was kind of funny that the NY State site for the Lt. Governor was having problems loading. I guess everyone else is checking it out too...
But anyway--a black man AND blind. That's kind of cool. A blow for racial and disabled equality thanks to Eliot Spitzer--may be the most important thing he's accomplished in his career.
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The Mann act
[Read the article: Report: Spitzer caught on federal wiretap]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]At least contributed this punchline (from Bennett Cerf, no less).
The joke is kind of long, but I like the punchline. Feel free to fill in the joke portion yourselves.
"Transporting gulls across staid lions for immortal porpoises."
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@ AlecsMom
[Read the article: Report: Spitzer caught on federal wiretap]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Is having sex really that debasing? There is absolutely, 100% no chance that some prostitutes are not suffering sex slaves?
I'd think that legalized prostitution would be better for women--for one thing women are much more likely to insist their partners use condoms when they are in legal settings. That's not to say that all exploitation goes away--but it does give people an incentive to stay on the good side of whatever regulations that are put in place. Now all that women in the business have are the protection of their pimp/madam/crooked cop/what have you.
Do you think a $5,500 an hour prostitute is likely to be suffering the same way a sex slave in an underground bordello is? There's room here for nuance.
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"Democracy is an illusion"
[Read the article: "Battle in Seattle" rocks Austin]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Because the police step in to protect property? Property rights are the cornerstone of Democracy. Like it or not it is the petit bourgeoise that bring democracy.
Like it or not, the rule of law and property rights are a cornerstone of any democratic society. So peaceful protests are ok, but vandalism is not.
On another point, the WTO round has collapsed due to disagreements between the US and Europe and each other and the US and Europe versus Brazil, China, and India. Not really so much due to Seattle protesters.
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What happens
[Read the article: Another day, another $200 billion liquidity injection]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The securities aren't being held by the Treasury, they're being held by the Fed. This is the same Fed that makes $7 billion plus a year through seignorage. Regardless, though, the firms are obliged to return the Treasuries--and if they go bankrupt the AAA tranches are probably not 100% worthless (at least not yet).
So it is unlikely that the taxpayer will have to pony up even if the banks/brokerage houses default.
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Andrew
[Read the article: "Battle in Seattle" rocks Austin]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Nobody is saying street protests are universally bad, but to credit them with the breakdown of the Doha round is kind of reaching.
Do you really think the Bush administration and the Republican Congress (who were in power for most of the round) let anti-globalization protestors shape their agenda?