The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Hillary Out of Grapeshot

5.9.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 3 of 4)

McCain comes from a culture with a herd mentality, i.e. the Senate, his first and only impulse will be to get along by going along.
-- Charles E. Umhey Jr., MD

Quin Hillyer has one good point. John McCain is better than either of his opponents. But I cannot bring myself to believe or trust someone who seven short years ago was negotiating his departure from the Republican Party AND four short years ago was begging to become John Kerry's running mate.
-- Judy Beumler
Louisville, Kentucky

WHEN READERS DEBATE
Re: Michael Dooley's letter (under "Down to Socialism") in Reader Mail's Among the Unbelievers:

I notice that Mr. Dooley had nothing to say in his letter about the past seven and a half years. Let us recollect a little. While Clinton made serious mistake in foreign policy, it seems we now have a little "dust up" in Iraq from which people are making a great deal of money from no-bid contracts and for which the taxpayers are getting projects that are maybe 35%-50% completed. What a deal in light of our own failing infrastructure! This is just one of many signs of the lack of understanding and the failure to plan by the president and his neocon advisors in the war in Iraq. Unlike the wars against Germany, Japan and Afghanistan, the war in Iraq is properly viewed as a costly preemptive war, the value of which for our security is highly debatable. If memory serves, the Culture of Greed yielded mixed results. Remember Enron and a few other well publicized totems of unfettered capitalism? I wonder if the retirement accounts of the people Mr. Dooley knows took nearly the hit as those of Enron's employees. What about the sub-prime bubble?

This is at least as good as the Dot.com bubble. If old Bill took the Reagan Culture of Greed and transformed it into the greatest economy in the world by simply sitting on his rump, Mr. Bush has successfully destroyed that prosperity by mortgaging our future to China and other countries by expanding the federal bureaucracy, waging war, cutting taxes and borrowing, borrowing, borrowing. Our children and grandchildren will thank us for the budget deficits and the national debt.
-- Mike Roush
North Carolina

DOES THAT MAKE YOU CRAZY?
Re: Sean Higgins' The Audacity of What?:

In the article about Obama's agnosticism the writer slanders Alan Keyes. Why? We conservatives should not be attacking each other in such uncharitable and salacious ways. Alan Keyes insane?

I once voted for Ambassador Keys, sir. What proof is there for such a remark? This is why I will not subscribe to American Spectator.
-- Rev. David Frierson

I was shocked and saddened to hear my 80-year-old black father say he thought Rev. Jeremiah Wright spoke the truth about America. My dad is a great man. He was one of the first blacks to break the color barrier in the Baltimore Fire Department where he suffered segregation and humiliating treatment. He won Firefighter of the Year two times. Married with four children, he worked full time and attended college. He is a doctor of theology. He authored a book and still pastors numerous churches. He truly believes in love and faith in God. My dad would never use Wright's hate filled rhetoric.

So how could my hero say he agreed with this nutcase? It defies logic. Then it dawned on me. Logic, reason or truth did not enter into the equation. Dad's response to Wright was purely emotional. It is all about his deep hurt feelings.

I remembered dad telling me about an incident while serving in the Merchant Marines. Whites in Florida tried to hang him simply for getting off of the ship. His fellow white seamen rescued him.

Racial progress in 2008 America makes Wright's rant absurd. Dad's response to his remarks is in essence a racial persecution flashback; similar to a hippie having an LSD flashback or a vet suffering a war flashback. I suspect there are many black seniors, though loving and kind to all, still carry deep emotional scares from a long since by gone era.

So, while I am a proud black conservative Republican who loves his country and dad, I will give him a pass. I respectfully forgive my dad for being wrong about Wright.
-- Lloyd Marcus
Deltona, Florida

OH, WHAT A LOVELY WAR
Re: Roger Kaplan's The Candidates and Oil:

Do what, Sir?

Letter to the Editor

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