Letters to the Editor
masaccio
Published Letters: 237 Editor's Choice: 16
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I asked my congressman why he voted to condemn moveon
[Read the article: The Susan Estrich Complex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am quite fond of my congressman, Jim Cooper, a fiscally conservative, moderate democrat, who voted for the inane moveon resolution. I called to ask why and talked to his press person. He told me that Jim voted on the merits of the resolution, and doesn't think moveon should have run an ad which distracted from the serious war issue, and which was essentially, as he read it, a personal assault on Petraeus. I pointed out that there were no merits to be voted on, that the entire thing was a political stunt by the republicans, and had angered the base. I defend my guy, here and elsewhere, because I am fiscally conservative myself, so I asked how effective I will be in defending Cooper if he votes to condemn those of us who really are the activists?
I believe that Jim is a principled person, and that in his view he voted for the resolution for principled reasons. I believe he does not see the damage he did to the activists in the party, including the thousands of Moveon members in his district. I think he fails to take into account the fact that the republicans are not going to act on any basis other than the politics of the administration, and will use any opening to attack the democratic party, thus seriously impeding the ability of the Democrats to enact sensible policy, this or any other year.
I hope others will make this point to their congresspeople.
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Note the term "Contractors"
[Read the article: The dark truth about Blackwater]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The people working for Blackwater are not actually employees, but are supposedly independent contractors. This means that there is no withholding of FICA and income taxes, and that the people aren't covered by workers compensation insurance, and they cannot unionize,among a host of other things.
It is easy to say that most of them are professionals, but the numbers don't bear that out at all. There is no indication that any of them don't scream and shoot at civilians, and throw frozen water bottles at cars, and drive on the wrong side of the street. Do our soldiers do that?
Rome, anyone?
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No wonder my head hurts
[Read the article: The conservative vision of America, by National Review]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]a deep suspicion of the power of the state; a preference for liberty over equality; patriotism; a belief in established institutions and hierarchies; skepticism about the idea of progress; and elitism. . . . .
Deep suspicion of the power of the state coupled with a belief in established institutions and hierarchies, and elitism. I must have missed the part where conservatives believe that internal consistency is not an element of rational thought.
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Down here in the South
[Read the article: Nepotistic tough guys and their coddling parents]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]We say: the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.
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Amend the bankruptcy code
[Read the article: Super Conduit to the rescue!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A partial solution to the subprime problem is to amend the bankruptcy code to permit Chapter 13 debtors to modify the terms of their notes and mortgages. There is a proposal in the House to do this, and Senator Durbin has promised to take this step. The idea is that a homeowner would be able to ask the bankruptcy judge to reduce the amount of the note to the value of the home, and set an interest rate at market levels, and get rid of prepayment penalties. This would not help every debtor, but it would help many.
It also cuts the Gordian Know that is created by CDOs requiring consents to changes in the underlying mortgages, and it will reprice the securities in a realistic way, by setting the notes at fair market value, which should cause losses smaller than foreclosure.
It doesn't help real estate speculators, because it is available only in Chapter 13. And, best of all, it doesn't cost the government anything.
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But the real question is
[Read the article: What you missed while watching the Red Sox win]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Romney ... look{s} younger, like a boy -- a bad boy who is not wearing his lapel pin."
But the real question is, is he a naughty boy, a naughty, nasty boy.
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Two thoughts
[Read the article: Not taking it to the streets]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]1. The Viet Nam era demonstrations failed too. Nothing mattered. Nixon had the ability to keep killing Vietnamese and Cambodians and Americans right up to the bitter end of his presidency, and if he had not been driven from office, I don't doubt that he would have kept killing right up to January 20, 1977. Our big chance to stop this war was before it started, and the demonstrations were the only thing available to the people, governed as we were by cowardly frightened republicans, and pusillanimous democrats, all too scared to pay attention to the rational among us.
2. The failure to stop the Viet Nam war was the thing that drove so many of us lefties into despair over politics, so much so that many of us just dropped out except for doing our civic duty. It wasn't until I started reading blogs that my righteous anger resurfaced, but even I feel the despair of the anti-war group, the sense that no one represents our views.
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@ hollyh
[Read the article: We're prejudiced, now what?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thanks for the comment. Your comment should be moved to the front page to provide a deeper understanding of the material.
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But Think!
[Read the article: When results don't matter]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]How much worse other nations would have hated us if not for the estimable Ms. Hughes.
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Money
[Read the article: The Ron Paul phenomenon]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'll bet Paul has raised money from people who don't usually contribute to politicians, just like Dean did in 2004. I won't be giving in the presidential election this time, because all of the candidates are raking in money from people whose principle demand is that the Dems act like Reps. I learned in the last election that presidential candidates don't care about my few thousands. They want millions.
Not so in congressional elections. My contributions to Donna Edwards and Victoria Wulsin make a difference to those candidates, and set the stage for real change in the future.