The American Spectator

Reader Mail

Restored Confidence

7.30.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 2 of 4)

I grant you John McCain is better than the alternative, but I want someone to vote FOR. I don't wish to vote for the lesser of two evils or because it someone's turn to be the Republican nominee. Senator McCain is the choice of Eastern Liberal Republicans and the RNC. I used to be a Republican, but no longer. I now refer to myself as a Conservative Independent and the RNC has finally stopped asking me for money. I now contribute to the candidates of my choice.
-- Judy Beumler
Kentucky

Only one other election in the past century produced two major party candidates whom were so far apart in governing philosophy. They were Ronald Reagan the Conservative and Jimmy Carter the Liberal in 1980. The difference between McCain and Obama seems as wide mainly because Obama is to the left of even Jimmy Carter. Obama's political life has followed in the path of a card carrying Communist. McCain has been a Conservative his entire political life with some compromises to Liberalism he thought necessary for good governance and that have irked other Conservatives.

McCain appears to be in the right place at the right time. All Conservatives and Liberals whom wish to protect their rights, their families, their property and America's continued effort to build a better and greater country should vote for McCain. The past failures of Liberalism, Socialism and Communism here and throughout the world, to protect the governed, are unmistakable.
-- Howard Lohmuller
Seabrook, Texas

DAMAGES
Re: Jeffrey Lord's Reparations for Al Qaeda:

Two very interesting articles in yesterday's TAS. Mr. Lord's "Reparations for Al Qaeda" was a brilliant comparison of the shoot straight, ride hard and speak the truth mentality of the average citizen of this country during WWII and the don't hit me, air conditioning loving, Mr. Rogers outlook of the TWOT. And Mr. Tyrrell's "Captain McCain" would make a wonderful biographical campaign flier.

A comment on the Reparations piece. The Liberal fifth column intelligentsia is still alive and well in this country. These are the same people, and their descendants, who embraced international communism, disregarding the fact that the intelligentsia were the first ones on the trains to the gulags, re-education centers and mass graves. They are at best idiots and at worst traitors. They actively work against the interests of this country and its citizens, but are the first to cry for its protection when faced with the barbarians inhabiting most of the rest of the planet. And they will spend any amount of other people's money to buy the "good will" of those same barbarians. That an Uber Liberal such as Senator Obama would side with them should come as no surprise to anyone.

As to Senator McCain, he is not a conservative. He has actively taken positions opposed to those usually considered to be conservative. He votes more often with liberal Democrats than Republicans. He is opposed to core conservative positions on taxation, immigration, global warming and government regulation. As to his military service, Gen. Wesley Clark has a much better resume and I don't see him being asked to run on the Republican ticket. I understand that you feel, and rightly so, that John McCain can not win election without a significant conservative turn out in his favor, but please do not try to sell him like a used car with the American flag and the Colonel Bogie March in the background. It is not dignified. Be honest. A vote for anyone other than McCain is a vote for Obama. Enough said. And if you say that long enough, you just might get a significant number of Conservatives to throw the lever for McCain.

Both good pieces, but for strikingly different reasons.
-- Michael Tobias

What is difficult for the Left, including Obama, Mayer and Rutten, in regards to understanding detention policies and prisoners of war? Simply stated, the detainees from America's current military action in foreign lands are to be treated as POWs since they are members of a military force, an irregular militia, acting against the interests and military of a sovereign government, ours. In a word, they are terrorists.

The recent SCOTUS pronouncement, granting the right of habeas corpus review to non-US combatants severely hamstrings American military operations. Men and equipment must be sacrificed to "detain" the enemy fighters even during battles. Under Boumediene v. Bush, these POWs are to be diverted off the battle fields to the nearest civilian court in a most timely manner.

The Constitution does guarantee a "fair and speedy" trial for American citizens; the Boumediene illogically extends the umbrella of that protection not only to non-citizens but to the very people who wish to destroy America and all for which she stands. POWs under American supervision were not without protection or enforceable rights before Boumediene. They were protected, and continue to be protected, under the articles of Geneva conventions, which all American military personnel are required to learn at boot camp. The U.S. military personnel know how to treat their POWs. Sadly, this cannot be said for many of our enemies, past or present.
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

"Are mistakes made in war? Obviously, yes. No one would ever be foolish enough to deny it -- whether in this war or any other."

Not trying to be contrary, but when I read "no one would ever be foolish enough," honestly, I immediately thought of Barack Obama.

On second thought, he might, though, if he had a hand in starting or prosecuting that war. He'd just find someone else to blame for the mistakes.
-- C. Kenna Amos
Princeton, West Virginia

BAD TO THE FUTURE
Re: Larry Thornberry Ich Bin Ein Pretender:

Letter to the Editor

topics:
Taxes, Foreign Policy, Education, Trade, John McCain, Bill Clinton, Abortion, Global Warming, Constitution, Law, Military, United Nations, European Union, NATO, Socialism, Communism, Immigration