The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Spokesman Stein

12.22.05 @ 12:01AM

YULE CHEER
May I mention the unmentionable?

To the staff and news people at The American Spectator! A blessed Christmas and a wonderful prosperous New Year's. I have enjoyed reading every news item you print on the net. You guys and gals keep me sane (kinda). Thanks!
-- Clasina Segura
New Iberia, Louisiana

BEN'S NEW JOB
Re: Ben Stein's A Patriot Acts:

Ben, please, seek an appointment as the President's PR guy. Your writing style and his speaking style are perfectly matched. More important, your words on paper are undoubtedly the words in his mind. These common sense but powerful and compelling messages are the ones that President Bush should be shouting from his bully pulpit at every opportunity!
-- Doug Nichols
Seattle, Washington

Dr. Stein should be the new White House spokesman. He would even be better than Ari Fleischer was. (Boy, do we miss him). He simply hits the nail on the head every time. Brilliant!
-- John P.
Elmhurst, Illinois

How wonderful it is to have someone like Ben who is able to state so clearly what most of us believe, but can't always find the words.

Right on, Ben!!!
-- Tom O'Reilly
South Portland, Maine

Ben has done it again. His common sense and insight are wonderful. Maybe we all needed a little slap in the head to bring us back to our senses, Ben slapped us. Good load of ammunition here to toss at our other enemies. Anyway, Merry Christmas to all and God Bless us, everyone.
-- Pete Chagnon

If the RATS are willing to torpedo 300 million Americans should they ever regain power, what are 25 million Iraqis to them?
-- Andrew J. Macfadyen, M.D.
Omaha, Nebraska

You miss the point, friend. We should not have to wait until someone is harmed before calling for some really hard questions regarding the Patriot Act. You see, Ben, the U.S. Constitution may be at stake here, and we should be asking some questions about all this. Asking questions, challenging the President is good American-ism. That your article appears on the same internet page that carries an ad equating the ACLU with communism suggests that a broad understanding of American history -- including vigorous dissent -- is missing here. Freedom was gained at a hell of a price, Ben, and while previous presidential actions have undercut those freedoms for periods of time, they were so stated by the Presidents doing the curtailing! But, Ben, "this President" denies he is undercutting the Constitution, even for the duration of the war. Yet, your argument in defense of Bush's moves admits we are chipping away at the Constitution. We can't debate this both ways: either the President is correct in saying that his actions do NOT undermine the Constitution, or YOU are correct in saying they do, and we can justify doing so by referring to past actions by presidents. So, which way is it? Is Bush correct? Or are you correct? You're defending Bush with an argument he denies!

That one justice, appointed to his post by a Republican says there are serious legal questions in Bush's moves, and in light of that question resigned his post, suggests there may be something afoot here, Ben, that needs airing. After all, we are all in it together.

Has anyone been hurt by the Patriot Act and wire-tapping? That is NOT the point here, Ben. The point is one of constitutional philosophy, as well as freedom. That officials have admitted they have gone beyond what the Patriot Act intended, that the agencies, by law, directed to spy on foreign sources have spied ON AMERICANS, is a strong indication the law has been broken. Are you willing to wait until someone is "hurt" by Bush's actions before taking a different stance? Is that your criteria? Someone being hurt? Ben, by the time someone is hurt, history tells us it's too late.

When the populace allows the leadership of a nation to break the laws of that country, and does not question those acts, we come close to the actions of the 1930s in Europe. You see, Ben, America lost a lot of lives in securing freedom; we have a knee jerk reaction to question every effort to chip away at those freedoms, regardless of the circumstances. Such is the glory of American Freedom.

Sure, question moves by our leaders appears to undercut those leaders. But to NOT question, undercuts the very root of American Freedom.

So, Ben, be glad the questions are being raised. Remember, your guy is in power, your party is in power -- and all should be well with the country. If the right-minded people are in control you should have no problem. Oh yeah, Ben, IF it turns out that your guy and his people HAVE broken laws, will you be ready to stand up as a good American and demand they be impeached as you did when a previously thoughtless president behaved miserably in his private life? After all, we are asking questions this time that affect the lives â€" and deaths â€" of Americans. Last time, Ben, it was one man's zipper we were dealing with; this time it's the lives of young Americans, and the very freedoms they are supposedly dying for.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Education, Trade, Mainstream Media, Television, Religion, Global Warming, Books, Hollywood, Constitution, Law, Supreme Court, Military, Iraq, Iran, Russia, NATO, North Korea, Communism, Libertarianism, Energy, Oil