The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Why They Do It

11.29.06 @ 12:01AM

TRUE VICTIMS
Re: William Tucker's From O.J. to Anita O'Day:

William Tucker is one of the few thoughtful commentators I have read on the subject of OJ Simpson and WHY I DID IT. Thank you for publishing him. His piece is flawless but for one detail. I did not pay OJ $3.5 million. This was a number given to the media in an attempt to discredit my work. I did not pay OJ. I paid a six figure amount to a company I was told was owned by his children who are the true victims of the crime.

Thank you for your accurate reporting.
-- Judith Regan

So happy to read Mr. Tucker's heartfelt tribute to Anita. Caught her some years ago in Scottsdale, and, yes, it was good!

And, true, she certainly did rank among the best; nobody will probably ever touch Sass (AKA Sarah Vaughn) or Lady Day (who really wasn't much of a lady -- talk about a tough history!), but she was up there with Nancy Wilson, Blossom Dearie and a very few others. Carman MacRae was another winner and a very dynamite person; she once tried getting this "oh-fey" to enjoy soul food in Minton's. Didn't seem to work, never could cotton to those greens.

Glad he remembered her!
-- Geoff Brandt

Regarding your column about the O.J. Simpson book, why do you refer to this double murderer by his nickname? Why don't you refer to him as "Simpson." The jocular, whimsical use of "O.J." when referring to this animal is disgusting.
-- Charles Heifet

LAWLESS LEFTISM
Re: Jorge Amador's Lopez Obrador's Election Fraud:

Mr. Amador's article regarding Lopez Obrador provided a comprehensive summary of the situation in Mexico, but there is one point that he should have stressed more. Simply put, Lopez Obrador and his ilk in the PRD (the Party of the Democratic Revolution, Lopez Obrador's party) are not committed to democracy or the rule of law. Instead, they are traditional radical leftists committed to an authoritarian all powerful state with complete control of the economy. Very much in the tradition of the far left, when they speak of a "democratic revolution" they are invoking the worn out idea that they, as the vanguard, know what is best and must speak for the poor, and must have complete control of the state to implement their reforms. In order to fulfill their "mission" (which, of course, will involve many riches and power for them) these radical leftists believe that they must take power through any means necessary. Elections are a good thing if they win, but are illegitimate if they do not.

Indeed, Lopez Obrador, Manuel Camacho (Lopez Obrador's campaign manager) and the PRD leadership used to be members of the PRI (Mexico's former ruling party), an authoritarian left wing party if there ever was one. They left the PRI because the PRI veered to the right under Presidents Salinas and Zedillo in the 90s, began to deregulate the economy and sell off state industries and eventually, agreed to electoral reforms. The members of the PRD would have preferred that Mexico stay the course with its authoritarian left-wing system where elections were shams. It is little wonder that such men have no respect for Mexico's truly democratic institutions.

I would urge Mr. Calderon to deal harshly with Mr. Lopez Obrador. The fact of the matter is that Lopez Obrador wants power at any cost and any compromise will simply encourage the left to continue ignore Mexico's institutions to obtain their goals of "speaking for the poor." Can't Mr. Lopez Obrador be arrested for treason? You cannot declare yourself the "legitimate" president without violating some law!
-- Rob
Los Angeles, California

It's a good thing this Mexican election occurred when it did and not six years earlier in 2000. Had that happened, I have no doubt but that Al Gore would have adopted AMLO's tactics, and we should have had to put up with our own "parallel government" here in the U.S. Only left-wing candidates can get away with this kind of silly non-sense, because they represent the "people."
-- Stuart W. Settle
Richmond, Virginia

Wow! Imagine that; a national election in Mexico decided by a razor thin margin. In addition, the loser stages a prolonged humiliating national spectacle that does indeed make Al Gore appear statesmen-like and dignified. Who would have thunk it? Fortunately for Mexico, their MSM appear not to have caught up with their elitist, hand-wringing, American counterparts. How refreshing that the Mexican's appear not to care a whit about what the Europeans are saying about their election. Maybe the Mexican media are on to something here.
-- A. DiPentima

If Mexico is as corrupt as Mr. Obrador insists, it raises the question: Why would anyone want to be president of Mexico?
-- David Govett
Davis, California

GREAT LAKES RESULTS
Re: Mark G. Michaelsen's It Could Have Been Worse:

Letter to the Editor

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