The American Spectator

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3.18.04 @ 12:01AM

A SOBER STRATEGY
Re: John Corry's The Intelligence Game:

Mr. Corry's column and others pointing out the administration's mistakes about WMD existence in Iraq is disturbing, but isn't another way of looking at it that the Bush administration took a worst-case scenario view, given the conflicting data and Hussein's many attempts to obtain WMD's in the past?

American intelligence has had so many glaring failures over the years, frequently underestimating other countries' capabilities, that it was arguably correct to assume the worst. Hussein had tried to assassinate a former U.S. president and likely had links to al Qaeda after all.

What would have been the consequences of leaving him power and watching the sanctions erode? Perhaps just what Bush officials predicted, a WMD attack on the U.S. via some terrorist cutout.
-- Richard Clement
Richmond, Virginia

CHILLED BORDEAUX
Re: Jacob Laksin's Europe Talks Terrorism:

I'll write briefly about this article, since it was mentioned in Yahoo's European newspages, and in my sense symbolizes all the problem that Americans have in understanding terrorism. You seem to believe that terrorism started existing after the Twin Towers, and you act accordingly. Europeans have been the aim of terrorists' attacks for the last 30-40 years, so we are used to it, and we know a whole lot more about it. So if you're not happy with the way we deal with it, just sit back and watch. You'll still be fumbling in Iraq while we'll have solved it.

And if I remember well, wasn't it your precious Mr. Bush who ashamedly copied the whole Barcelona process launched 11 years ago by the EU and presented it as the new innovative strategy of the White House to stem terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa? That was obviously because we don't understand a thing about it...

That article was quite laughable, and I thank you for it, it is good to have something to laugh at in these times.
-- Dr. Patrick Rosa
Groupe de Sciences Moléculaires
Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux
Pessac Cedex, France

COOK KERRY
Re: Steve Hornbeck's John Kerry Issue The Indignation Proclamation:

While much has been written citing John Kerry's assertion that Republicans are "the most crooked, you know, lying group [he's] ever seen," nothing I've read has touched on his choice of venues for having said that: Chicago, Cook County, Illinois -- home of the famous Daley clan and world-renowned for its scrupulous electoral uprightness.

Irony really is lost on you, n'est-ce pas, Senator? Let's hope that sarcasm isn't.
-- Stephen Foulard
Houston, Texas

SELF-IMPLOSION
Re: David Hogberg's John Dean Kerry:

I agree with Mr. Hoberg that Senator Kerry is imploding, and for many of the same reasons. Not the ranting, screaming implosion of Howard Dean, but the slow, grind-your-teeth meltdown of an arrogant blue-blood who is bereft of ideas and cannot relate to ordinary Americans. Kerry had several months of free press, almost constant criticizing of President Bush, and received softball questions from the liberal media establishment (LME) and the other candidates. He came away from all of this with a 2-3 point edge in the polls! Even worse for Kerry, after a few Bush ads it now it looks like he's down 2-3 points!

Kerry's two biggest issues (Iraq and the economy) are both getting better for Bush. As for leadership, let me get this straight -- John Kerry was mad about the Vietnam war, so he threw someone else's medal away?

When the Bush team gets rolling and starts telling Americans the truth about Kerry's liberal record (ADA 95), even the ruthless Bob Shrum or the liberal media establishment won't be able to keep this guy from crumbling. Great insight by Mr. Hoberg.
-- Regis Dansdill

Letter to the Editor

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