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1.9.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 4)

Ahhh, Mr. Lord, thank you. As I see Huckabee and McCain lead in Iowa and New Hampshire, I keep wondering what happened to conservatives. I heard David Frum on Laura Ingraham's show yesterday talking about how conservatives had to change to meet the country where it is rather than moving the country toward conservatism, and I got depressed. Your article is a reminder of first principles.

The over-the-top spending of the Republican Congress under Bush has threatened the conservative movement -- that old "compassionate conservatism" is anything but and will lead to the ant heap of totalitarianism Reagan so eloquently and bravely described.

I think that's why the Republican Party is so out of sorts -- who is enunciating conservative first principles? Romney and Thompson seem to be the only ones. Thompson probably can't get elected, and the other Republicans are trying to take Romney down.

Listen to Reagan, Rush and Mr. Lord -- there our country lies.
-- Deborah Durkee
Marietta, Georgia

Kudos to Jeffrey Lord for his inspiring article on how Ronald Reagan made conservatism the most dynamic element of the American political landscape. What is most striking in the 10 points is how the ideal of freedom as a "divine right" underpins them all. That one concept differentiates true Reagan conservatives and Republicans from their liberal, Democrat, RINO and paleo-conservative (Pat Buchanan) counterparts. It also explains why those NOT committed to the spreading of freedom never understood Ronald Reagan and don't get George W. Bush.

While Bill Clinton is still searching for a respectable legacy President Reagan's is alive and well in the free people of Eastern Europe and much of Latin America. Prayerfully Iraq, Afghanistan and the entire Middle East will soon find themselves solid citizens of the free world thanks to the extension of that dream.

The principle of extending freedom to the people of the world is the lasting legacy of Ronald Reagan to the United States and the world. If Republicans ever turn their back on that standard then it will be true that not only is the Reagan coalition dead, but the Republican Party is no longer the Party of Ronald Reagan.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Jacksonville, North Carolina

HE'S HUGE
Re: Philip Klein's The Richardson Juggernaut:

One thing conservatives need to keep in mind as they consider voting this year the Democrat Congress, that gained power thanks to the conservative melt down in 2006, has increased government spending since October 1, 2007 by 9%. For all those that lambasted the last Republican Congress for spending this should be a wake up call that despite their flaws the Republicans are still more effective in controlling government spending, keeping your taxes low and defending the country. Punishing Republicans and throwing away elections are not only bad politics for the GOP, but the nation and hard working Americans.

Whether it is Bill's spouse, Oprah's poodle, the ambulance chasers heart throb or the longest of shots a Democrat in the White House augurs badly for the country on spending, taxes, illegal aliens and keeping the country safe from fanatical Muslim terrorists.
-- Michael Tomlinson

OBAMA REPORTING FOR DUTY
Re: Philip Klein's Barack to Square One:

The Democrats have always had better luck with likeable unknowns (Jack Kennedy, Jimmy Carter in 1976, Bill Clinton, etc.) than they have with known quantities Lyndon Johnson, Hubert Humphrey, Jimmy Carter in 1980, etc.), and Barack Obama fits the bill nicely.

He's a charming, eloquent and charismatic figure who comes off as comfortable in his own skin. In modern campaigning, where sound bites are the rule and depth is hard to demonstrate to those who lack it, these are difficult traits to beat, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done.

Obama's Achilles' heel is his lack of experience and training. He's not simply a rookie, he's a rookie who has only held national office for a couple of years. When confronted with questions that he cannot answer on the fly, he is as likely as not to make some very obvious public gaffes, as he did when he proposed invading Pakistan.

The way to beat a likable, pleasant fellow who hasn't got a clue about policy is to highlight his ignorance and force him to take positions on the fly which can then be brought up during debates. Force voters to confront his inadequacies in experience and judgment without being vicious about it.

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Transportation, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, Business, Sports, Law, Iraq, Pakistan, Conservatism