The American Spectator

Reader Mail

ODE TO A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER WITH RESPONSIBILITIES
Re: W. James Antle III's The Right Lady:

A BLAST OF FRESH AIR

A blast of fresh air roaring down from Alaska.
A knight in pink armor. A victor, just ask a
Corrupt politician or an avaricious oil man.
Can Sarah fell them? Oh, Baby, "Yes she can!"

A benign Barracuda, who whips up moose stew,
She's a God fearing, straight shooting American like you.
You recognize her values. You know her small town.
The piranhas circling her won't pull her down.

An executive mom defending her family with zeal.
A look-you-in-the eye lady of enormous appeal.
Next January Miss Wasilla will turn a new page
And with President McCain mount the world's center stage.

Go, Sarah!
-- Mimi Evans Winship

Sarah Palin should keep checking her rear view mirror for more elitist attacks. Wait until it dawns upon them that she "probably listens to country music" and likes to watch "those awful sled dog races." Given sufficient time, someone may even allege that every year she buys a one dollar lottery ticket on when the ice will break up on the Tanana River!
-- Stan Welli
Aurora, Illinois

Gov. Sarah Palin didn't just shine.

In front of millions of people, with a smile and even laughter, she surgically emasculated Barack Obama, or whatever his name might really be, and Joseph Biden and the entire Demockacrat National Committee -- as well as their shills and shillettes in the misnamed MSM -- and all the Demockacrats, liberals and leftists who call that party their political home

It does appear that all of them now are apoplectic over her and the very obvious conclusion shown last night: McCain made the right pick and sealed the election last Friday by choosing her. And, curmudgeons and skeptics, he and she have energized the once-dead Republican-conservative coalition. Victory is not just conceivable, it's tangible.

BTW: Must we always say someone is "not without her [his] faults"? Please. Unless you're Obama, you probably already know that about yourself and every other person. So how about we actually just celebrate, straight out and unapologetically, someone's strengths, if but for a bit?

Critics are a dime a dozen, but finding those who actually know how to uplift and encourage others is a rare find, indeed.
-- C. Kenna Amos
Princeton, West Virginia

Sarah Palin, what a wonderful breath of fresh air! I fondly remember and will never forget my rural upbringing in small town America, the tiny little town of Orient, Maine (population 150), even if that was 40 years ago and even though I have since relocated to Southern New Hampshire, in the suburbs of metropolitan Boston and it's sky high taxes, liberal elites and government corruption galore. Even our beloved New Hampshire has become a bastion for these elite liberals and in one legislative session since taking over the House and Senate, and with the cooperation of an elite liberal governor who is out of touch with reality, they have increased numerous fees and state spending by 17 percent and somehow found the time to debate for nearly a week and then enact legislation to outlaw the release of small helium filled balloons at children's birthday parties or other family events!

As children growing up in a small town, we were taught by our parents and quickly learned the value of honesty, the value of hard work and how important keeping your word was -- all attributes which could help us become successful in life. It is thus easy for me to support Sarah Palin -- she has gained more experience about life during her time in Alaska -- raising a family, serving on the PTA, serving as Mayor of a small town and serving as Governor than Senator Obama could ever hope to gain as he worked with the pit bosses of politics on the South side of Chicago. His experience is tainted with never taking a principled position on an issue of significance to your constituents (unless voting to support partial birth abortion is considered significant), never having to take a position on and vote on important issues (unless voting 'present' is somehow determined to be vote for or against something), never having managed a business where making the weekly payroll was a problem -- rather his experience is based on his lifetime of associations with some of the most experienced politicians and political elites in the Country! Sarah has dealt with real life issues which most American's face every single day of their lives -- something the inexperienced Senator from Illinois could never hope to understand.

I for one look forward to doing everything I can to support John McCain and Sarah Palin and I do that with pride and with the satisfaction of knowing that they both represent the very best of what this wonderful country has to offer!
-- Patrick R. Spooner
Windham, New Hampshire

As usual, Jim Antle's commentary, this time on Gov. Sarah Palin's superb speech on Wednesday night, was spot-on. The lady came out with confidence and strength, and she left us all craving more. We may be looking at the American version of Margaret Thatcher, or possibly the female version of Ronald Reagan. Either, quite frankly, will do.

As far as the "bodychecking her critics" is concerned, as an ice hockey fan for many years, I look forward to the editorial cartoons with Palin, in full uniform, gear, skates and a stick, putting Biden and Obama into the boards with a deft swing of the hips. Let's line up Pelosi, Reid, Durbin and the rest of the Democratic dirtbags for similar abuse. And no 2-minute penalties, either.

I also noted in some of the scans of the crowd during the Governor's speech, especially a couple shots of members of the Main Scream Media, that several of the males seem to be slamming their legs shut in response to Palin's forceful presentation. But certainly one of them wasn't Keith Olbermann, who has nothing to protect in that regards, anyway.
-- Jim Bjaloncik
Stow, Ohio

You know she's the right person when the democrat commandos of personal destruction like Paul Begala, trained in the shadowy, mean streets of the Clinton assassins says of her "Is she qualified enough to be one (72 year old) heart beat from the Presidency?"

Let's see... A mayor, a Mom, a governor, a wife, mother of a soldier. Lots of achievements including a pipeline Ronald Reagan wanted built 30 years ago, rooting out corruption and waste. Then Mr. Obama...well I'm sure he has actually done something and will tell us about that soon.

Mrs. Palin seemed considerably more qualified than Mr. Obama and he won't be even a heartbeat away if we are sufficiently ignorant as a nation to elect him
-- Jay Molyneaux

James Antle III was right on target with his article on Sarah Palin's speech to the Republican convention. It is clear that our Party is, at has always been, the Party of freedom, ideas and positive change as opposed to Democrat's bigotry, appeasement and meaningless rhetoric. George Stephanopoulos was right "she's one tough cookie."

What the nation saw in Sarah Palin was a woman ready to lead the nation if something happens to our 44th President -- John McCain. Unlike the man Barack Obama introduced as the "next President" (Joe Biden) Sarah Palin is not a plagiarizing, corrupt, do-nothing politician with a corrupt lobbyist son. After listening to Sarah Palin I must admit I even got excited about John McCain. She is going to be very effective in helping John McCain win in November.

America has a choice between a pair of self-aggrandizing politicians who use government to feather their own nests (Obama/Biden) and a pair of reformers with experience and compelling life stories who want to keep America prosperous and free -- McCain-Palin. You've got to feel sorry for the Democrats with their unattractive and artificial candidates. Nah!
-- Michael Tomlinson
Habbaniyah, Iraq

Reading 'The Right Lady,' I think it silly how everyone buys into the media's attack on Palin due to 'lack of experience' to be Vice President. But, I really want them to keep chanting. She has as much or more experience, including foreign policy, than does Obama, and the media thinks he has enough experience to be President.

This is looking like a beautiful sucker punch. After a relentless pounding on the 'experience' issue, Obama selects one of the worst possible running mates to make up for Obama's own lack of 'Gravitas.' (Remember how well that media chant worked against Bush.) Then McCain turns around and nominates someone from out of the limelight, with a little more experience than Obama, and forces Obama and his whole campaign, including the mainstream media wing, to do an about face from defending his lack of experience to attacking hers.

Every time they attack Palin's lack of experience, they reinforce Obama's disqualification due to an even bigger lack of experience. And on the record to be used against them later. All the while, extremely experienced McCain stands above the fray, looking better and better in comparison by the minute.

Obama has taken his eye off the prize, and is attacking the wrong person and inflicting damage to himself in the process. Beautiful.

And the way this choice rallies the divided wings of the Republican party, and energizes the previously disheartened conservative base is completely changing the dynamics of this election. This makes it possible for McCain to do as well or better than Bush did in the last two elections.

Palin's qualities complement McCain, making him look better. He can be gruff, but she is charming. He is old and wounded, she is young and vigorous. He was part of the reason we are not already drilling in ANWR, and she is a force for starting now. Even the phrase, 'he and she,' demonstrates the positive effect she has on his candidacy.

And the ugly attacks, you know the ones I am referring to, they make the attackers look ugly. Obama tries to keep his distance, but his defenders are destroying themselves, and making him look bad by association.

Meanwhile, they are giving her an opportunity to look good by responding with grace, which she is succeeding in doing. In one fell swoop, they are setting her up to prove that she is the right pick, by weathering their storm. Obama may have 3 yrs of campaigning nationally for President, (starting only half a year after taking office as Senator), but he has not had to face this type of ugliness.

Up to now, Obama has always won by fighting dirty. But this time, he may have met his match in Sarah Palin, a smiling bull dog in lipstick. Truly she is "The Right Lady."
-- Jim Bailey

Sarah Palin delivered a powerful speech. No doubt Democrats are less confident now than they were 24 hours ago.

In spite of all the MSM hoopla over the impending "culture war" during the remainder of this campaign, what struck me watching the convention last night is the large degree to which the GOP has been co-opted by left wing 60's values. To wit, you have Sarah Palin. Governor of Alaska. GOP vice presidential candidate. Hockey mother of five children. When introduced by Senator McCain she praised Geraldine Ferraro and Hillary Clinton and the 18 million sisters who have put as many cracks in the highest, hardest glass ceiling in America. Sure there are differences of opinion concerning reproductive rights and other issues, but women are intelligent individuals of good will who can have honest policy differences. Last night was a 60's feminist's wildest dream come true.

Marginalized, silenced and possibly nearly extinct are the types who think Sara should be home in the kitchen marinating the moose and raising her five children. And, if she had just been doing her job, Bristol would still be a virgin. Gone are the days when illegitimacy brought embarrassment, humiliation and shame to the family. Okay, maybe this doesn't constitute the GOP's full embrace of sex, drugs and rock and roll, but the airport meeting wasn't a scene out of Leave It to Beaver either. Perhaps the greatest service Bristol Palin has done for this country is to remind us of the fact that it was the intolerant, judgmental right that made what was once considered "private issues" into political wedge issues. I don't recall seeing the milk of human kindness flowing from the pens of the pious in defense of Jamie Lynn Spears or her family. Perhaps one has to be Republican to merit that grace. Nevertheless, to see GOP back away from this is a good thing.

Boys and girls: this is not your granddad or your dad's GOP and last night was not their nominating convention either. As W dirt bikes off into the sunset, I wonder if Ike, Barry, Richard and Ronald are spinning in their graves.
-- Mike Roush

Enough already. Yes, the Right has to offset the vitriolic attacks of the Looney Left, but the hyperbole from the Right is equally disquieting. Governor Palin is a fantastic choice from and for McCain. She is articulate, strong, pugnacious, tenacious, and, not to ignore the elephant in the room, a beautiful and vivacious woman. Palin is an accomplished fighter of the corrupt, a righter of wrongs. Governor Palin drives the Left to distraction because she is all they idealize -- in theory. Palin is all they could ask for -- except that she is a staunch Republican. Palin has the potential to be the heir to the Reagan revolution, but she is not the Second Coming (of Ronald Reagan).

When McCain first announced his choice for VP, a collective "Who!?!" could be heard around the country. Many, both Left and Right, spoke of Palin's advantage of low expectations. Once the Left saw the true woman, they understood she was a real threat to them and launched an unprecedented attack campaign against her. (That the attacks are highly hypercritical and without basis in truth do not completely negate their effects.) The Right has since gone beyond damage control and into an insane frenzy of their own. Palin may very well prove to be all that people say she is, but only in time. If Palin falls short of the mark, it will largely be due to how high the bar has been raised by the very people who wish to see her succeed. (The gods invented irony for their own amusement.)

Remember well the words of Fredrick Nietzsche, "Undeserved praise causes more pangs of conscience later than undeserved blame, but probably only for this reason, that our power of judgment are more completely exposed by being over praised than by being unjustly underestimated."
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

Gov. Palin's speech Wednesday night amounted to nothing less than a game winning, walk off, home run. I look forward with anticipation to the VP debate between Gov. Palin and Sen. Biden. I fully expect it to be a walk off, grand slam to win the series. My only disappointment is that Gov. Palin is not at the top of the ticket with McCain as her VP. I will hope for a one term McCain administration with a GOP ticket of Sarah Palin and Gov. Bobby Jindal in 2012, and hope that I am still here to see it, even though that might be enough to cause the socialist republic of New England to attempt to secede. I expect that California will join Mexico, and Oregon and Washington will join Canada if such a ticket were to be elected.
-- Ken Shreve

In the election of 2012 Sarah Palin will beat Mrs. Bill Clinton like a rented mule.
-- Frederick Baughman

CHECKMATE
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.'s A Surge of Confidence:

What a scream. Criticism the Obama people/MSM throw at Mrs. Palin merely call attention to the deficiencies of the Democrat candidates. Did the GOP war room guys foresee this? If so, what a checkmate. Even Bristol's pregnancy has played a dirty trick on the Dems. By trying to use attacks on Bristol to attack her mother, they put themselves in the position of railing against pre-marital sex, free love, things dear to the hearts of Lefties. I think the Obama people should demand a maternity test.
-- Ty Knoy
Ann Arbor, Michigan

That the Democrat media is up in arms against Sarah Palin reveals how frightened they are of her. That they are covering up the fraud case of Joe Biden's brother and son is to be expected. Pregnant teenagers are fair game for sexual harassment, but lying and cheating adult siblings and offspring are off limits -- typical of America's second rate Democrat propagandists. That Obama and Biden's anti-Semitic and anti-Israel record are being ignored is par for the course just as is their indifference to Obama's links to felons and terrorists and Biden's lifelong ethical lapses. One wonders if Obama's choice for a running mate was influenced by his funneling millions of tax payer dollars to one of Biden's sons? That the Democrat nominee is friends with a terrorist and receiving campaign contributions from foreign Muslims with terrorist contacts means appeasing our enemies will be even easier for Democrats, because their candidate is owned by them, but that isn't newsworthy.

More depressing to the Democrat media is that the attractive Palin has executive and real world experiences that make their tired old pols look inexperienced and lifeless. McCain and Palin's life stories are inspiring while the Obama/Biden story is the same old same old -- unscrupulous lawyers going into politics to get what they can for themselves, their families and their cronies.

If the Democrat MSM refuses to get the facts out to the people it is incumbent upon the alternative media, the GOP, McCain/Palin and us to tear down the wall of silence and complicity that the liberal media is attempting to build around their flawed, unethical and corrupt candidates.
-- Michael Tomlinson
Habbaniyah, Iraq

THREAT LEVEL HIGH
Re: Jeffrey Lord's The Palin Threat: Real Change:

Jeffrey Lord hits the nail on the head: Americans are sick to death of the status quo, what's in it for me political hacks in both parties. And they might be more disgusted with a mainstream media so invested in thoughtless character assassination, they tried to destroy Sarah Palin before America had a chance to find out who she is.

Who would have imagined the GOP could find a VP candidate who kills two vultures --with one hockey puck.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

It's a suspicion of mine -- and just a suspicion, without facts to back it up -- that certain elements of Alaska politics may very well have wanted Sarah Palin to take the vice-presidential nomination in order to get her out of the governor's mansion. That way, she'd be gone and they could go on doing business as usual.

The powers-that-be in turn-of-the-last-century New York did this to rid themselves of Teddy Roosevelt. But, in the end, look what job Teddy Roosevelt wound up with...
-- Robert Nowall
Cape Coral, Florida

OFF AIR, ON TAPE
Re: Jay D. Homnick's Murphy's Loss:

Wow! I wasn't familiar with Mr. Murphy the "Republican" commentator, however, I caught on to Peggy Noonan's shtick two years ago.

Thank you for publicly "calling them out."
-- Kathy Ridlon
Dallas, Texas

After years of enjoyment of Peggy Noonan's elegant writings and her steadfast upholding of President Reagan's optimism, I never figured her for a toady.
-- Reid Bogie
Waterbury, Connecticut

Mr. Homnick's article was dead on good. The chattering class of old media elites...both Repubs and Dems need to be thrown out with the bathwater.

I enjoyed Mr. Homnick's clear writing and will watch for more by him.

Go Maverick and Barracuda. God is good.
-- Anne Burkart

Appreciation to Mr. Homnick for his entertaining comments on Peggy and Mike. As he notes, McCain's judgment is again vindicated, not just by choosing Palin as his running mate, but by not hiring Peggy and Mike to work on his campaign. Hopefully it is good-by and good-riddance to these nattering nabobs of negativism and elitist bubbleheads (was Peggy given a heads-up to the release of this tape?) who presume to inform the great unwashed, and explain the ways of God to Man. I doubt that I'll be paying much attention to Mike, or reading Peggy's commentaries any more. Maybe Peggy will take her own advice (see her column yesterday in the WSJ).
-- Kent Lyon
College Station, Texas

Please see Peggy Noonan's explanation for this gaffe. She apologized.
-- Nigel Assam

FRAGILE, TOO FRAGILE
Re: Joseph Lawler's Timetable Dangers:

I have to disagree with Joseph Lawler in his "Timetable Dangers." The insurgency in Iraq and al Qaeda always were poorly trained and poorly armed. They were tough to defeat only because they Iraqi population protected them out of fear. Using the U.S. Army to fight such a rag tag bunch is like driving a Lexus in the destruction derby. The Iraqi military could have defeated the insurgency any time they wanted to. They didn't want to because they would rather US soldiers die instead. The US should have left Iraq at least three years ago. If we don't set a timetable for total withdrawal of every soldier, we'll be in Iraq 60 years from now just as we are still in Korea half a century after the war ended.
-- Roger D. McKinney
Broken Arrow, Oklahoma

The basic thrust of Mr. Lawler's article is accurate: a strict timetable for the draw down of U.S. troops in Iraq would be a mistake. His short term reasoning is sound, but he presents no long term reasoning. This may be because it was considered superfluous to making his point. But, I have noticed a certain myopia among commentators when it comes to the long term reasons for Iraq to harbor a sizable U.S. military presence.

Though violence, both internally generated and the work of outside agents [terrorist groups and nations], has decreased Iraq is still not a stable entity. Externally, Iran benefits from an unstable Iraq. Both the sitting government and certain semi-autonomous military organs of that nation are still actively meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq. And it is not possible to defeat Iran's actions in Iraq through attrition, as we have done with al Qaeda and other terrorist groups. Internally, though the friction between historically hostile population groups has been reduced, it still exists and will, in all likelihood, continue to exist long beyond our lifetimes. The Sunni's detest and fear the Shia, and vice-versa. The Kurds desperately desire to become a part of a larger Kurdistan. The Baaths long for a return to their former political power. And the only thing keeping these disparate groups from each others' throats and hold the country together is the presence of an impartial mediator, the U.S. military. If not for that presence, there would be a true religious civil war underway, with the Sunnis losing in the long run, and probably an occupation of the Kurdish north by Turkey to forestall the formation of a larger Kurdistan that would annex part of eastern Turkey. The possibility of Iraq becoming an Iranian client state, a la Syria, or worse is very high without a U.S. presence.

So what the current U.S. administration does, with regard to this matter, is extremely important. Long term stability in Iraq will only result after a long period of relative calm. In this regard, the U.S. is playing policeman. When criminals see a policeman on the street, or even believe that he may walk around the corner at anytime, they are reluctant to cause trouble on that street. This leads to a greater sense of security for the other inhabitants of that neighborhood. Their sense of freedom increases as the incidents of thuggery decrease and they become more outgoing, knowing that disagreements will not flair into violence with the local cop around. To insure this, the cop [the U.S. military] will have to be around for quite awhile.

I apologize for being so long winded. This only scratches the surface of the problems in Iraq and does not address the War on Terror, of which Iraq is only a campaign, in any significant measure. The thing to remember is that a premature departure of a significant U.S. force, from Iraq, will have made all of our sacrifices worthless. Patience is called for here.
-- Michael Tobias

DON'T SELL HER SHORT
Re: James P. Lucier's A Negotiator Without Preconditions:

This article says much more about relevant qualifications for the Presidency than Lucier indicated. The original oil deal was negotiated by Frank Murkowski, who had been a two-term Senator from Alaska before becoming governor. It is not clear that serving in the Senate (where just words, just speeches, can get you by) is the best preparation for the Presidency, and the flawed deal negotiated by Murkowski bears witness to the fact that "experience" in the Senate does not necessarily a chief executive make. Sarah Palin demanded and received a much better deal from BP, using the experience gained from her hands-on work both in local government, and probably more importantly, in the private sector as co-owner of a commercial fishing operation.

To summarize:

Frank Murkowski, former two-term Senator, negotiates lousy deal with BP for Alaska.

Sarah Palin, former 6-year small town mayor and 20-year entrepreneur, negotiates a terrific deal with BP for Alaska.

Barack Obama, former full-time Senator for less than a year, proclaimed by the dominant media and Democrats to be more qualified than Sarah Palin to be President.

With all due respect to the media elite and Democrat cheerleaders, it certainly appears that both Republican candidates are much better qualified to be a chief executive than is Barack Obama.
-- Bob Tarone
Rockville, Maryland

Liked the Lucier piece on Palin.
-- Joseph Desoto

ROUSH'S PUTIN MOMENT
Re: Mike Roush's Letter (under "No Vetting Required") in Reader Mail's A Masterful Stroke:

Mike Roush writes "In spite of all the hype by conservatives and the GOP, there are many people who are thinking John McCain just had his own Putin moment. Just as W's judgment proved ridiculously flawed, McCain's may too. There are many very interesting things being revealed about Sarah Palin and the digging has just begun. Stay tuned."

Mike, I can get better meaningless drivel from one of the juvenile worshipers at a Democrat Temple (formerly known as a Public School) on most days. If I want some more polished dribble I can seek input from one of the Democrat PR firms (aka ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN). If I really want worthless I can drop in at Moveon.org, DailyKos.org or listen to the overnight Kook Network found on Talk Radio between midnight and sunrise. My Cats have an opinion about everything also but at least in their case they've learned to add "value" to the conversation vs. just meaningless noise.
-- Thom Bateman
Newport News, Virginia

I realize TAS does not have the staffing funds to hire a cryptographer to de-code Mr. Roush's forebodings and vague references, but tonight's letter is bewildering.

"There are many people..." how many people, how many eyes -- two? Or just one in the middle of the forehead? Ears or antennae? How about the tin-foil hat? Broiler weight or that cheap stuff that tears?

Exactly what is a Putin moment? He has had a few.

"Just as Bush's judgment proved ridiculously flawed...McCain's may, too..." Where is the proof of ridiculously flawed judgment, and what, specifically, does Roush refer to? "McCain's may, too" May? May? Aw, gee, at least we had a guarantee with Jimmy Carter. Of course, we needn't have worried about Bill Clinton's judgment. In affairs of state, he had none. In his personal, private life, his judgment was so flawed it spilled over onto the carpet in the Oval Office and Monica's dress, too.

"Many very interesting things are being revealed about Sara Palin..." Well, if she can top Bill Clinton and the bimbo eruptions, Brother Roger and his cocaine conviction, Hillary's cattle futures and her raiding the White House on her way out, Hillary's brother selling pardons, Al Gore's Buddhist Temple pals - then she should be right at home in D.C.

Roush ominously advises us to stay tuned. How about "tune out"?
-- Diane Smith

Mike Roush announced that "There are many very interesting things being revealed about Sarah Palin and the digging has just begun. Stay tuned." I bet. Mike doesn't seem to realize that leftist dirty tricks and lies don't hold water like they once did. The liar is always surprised that he has lost his credibility. Sure the Mainstream Moron Media will repeat whatever vicious nonsense the low lives of the Daily Kos, the Huffington Post, and the MoveOn crowd invent (as they already have) but unlike earlier times the MMM have lost most of their influence and can usually be rebutted in less than a day. The naive rubes in the MMM still have the specter of Dan Rather cautioning them against being too gullible. Why do people like Mike have so much invested in a do-nothing racist huckster like Senator Obama? His legislative experience is much like his 20 year attendance at his racist anti-American church. The whole time he was just present, a regular profile in courage.
-- Clifton Briner

SIXTIES STACY
Re: Robert Stacy McCain's 'Punished With a Baby':

What people like Mr. Stacy McCain hate about Sarah Palin the most is that she is a clear bugle finally sounding "taps" to The Sixties.

With the spotlight on her children last night, there was a character next to her pregnant daughter that the Sixties Hippies have tried their hardest to abolish, i.e. the Party of the Second Part, also known as the baby's father.

In all the ugly talk and ridicule about the surprise grandchild Mr. and Mrs. Palin will be welcoming to their family, not one single hippie liberal has mentioned that girls do not get pregnant all by themselves. It Takes Two To Tango. The other person involved is called the baby's father. Hippie liberals would like you to believe that girls do get pregnant without help and that the babydaddy is named Uncle Sam.

Not so, say Mr. and Mrs. Palin. Hence the presence in the spotlight next to their daughter, who now wears an engagement ring, of The Party of the Second Part, also known as the baby's father.

For all you Hockey Moms out there who have sons, you might want to send them a quick text message that having a condom in their wallets is no guarantee that they will not be guest of honor at a shotgun wedding one day soon. Remember what Bernie Parent, the famous Philadelphia Goalie once said: "How would you like it if every time you made a mistake, a loud horn sounded and someone turned on a red light behind you?" Think about it guys. Last night we saw that this is once again going to be the norm.

The Sixties are over. Mrs. Palin sounded "taps" for them last night. Get used to it, guys. There never was such a thing as Free Love in the first place, and that hand on your shoulder holds not only a shotgun, but the invoice.
-- Kate Shaw
Mother of Boys
Toronto, Canada

LATECOMER
Re: Jeffrey Lord's Batman and Rush: Why McCain Will Win:

While I agree with Jeffrey Lord on many points of this article, he fails to recognize or acknowledge the rapid cultural shift of America. The last two elections have been frighteningly close and came down to two states (Ohio and Florida), either of which or both, could easily go Democratic. As a conservative and McCain-Palin supporter I simply cannot agree that the events of history will dictate the results of the 2008 election. I hope Lord is proven right, but his unwillingness to recognize the changing American culture weakens his argument.
-- Tony Guthrie

ROUSH CONTRA MUNDUM
Re: letters under "As Per Usual" in Reader Mail's A Masterful Stroke:

Clifton Briner writes: "It is puzzling that Mike Roush has remained so incurious about the Obama's near 20-year membership in a racist and anti-American church and the Senator's association with an admitted home grown terrorist." You, sir, have no idea whether or not I have been curious or incurious about anything regarding Senator Obama. This statement is pure projection on your part.

Mr. Jaspar writes: "Mr. Roush, can you be sure that this pregnancy was not intentional -- that is, two adults made the conscious decision, as is their right as adults, to create a life in light of their impending marriage, and that they made this decision privately as a couple -- again, as is their right -- completely removed from your political views?" Obviously not. No more than you can know whether or not this pregnancy was intentional, a conscious decision "to create life in light of their impending marriage." Given the age of the two "adults," would you be willing to bet the ranch on well thought out intentionality?

Chaplain Tomlinson writes: "Mike Roush, like the rest of the bigoted left, is disgusting." What's your denomination, chaplain? The Church of GOP (no typo)? If you had a sense of humor, I would think you are a minister in the right wing church of What's Happening Now. My apologies to Flip Wilson. At any rate, instead of writing three or four political rants per day, why don't you get off your duff and go minister to our troops? On second thought, maybe it's better if you stick to writing the rants.
-- Mike Roush

HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU?
Re: Arnold Ahlert's letter (under "Family Hour") in Reader Mail's A Masterful Stroke:

For the umpteenth time, please, being pro-Choice does NOT mean pro-abortion, Arnold, really! My wife and I continue to be pro-Choice, and we've had seven children between us; we chose to have kids. Understand?

All this tiring rhetoric, that if you're not pro-birth (most pro-life folk seem to also believe, as we do, in the death penalty) that you're beneath contempt if you disagree, you're not a member of the club? All that sanctimonious posturing has very little to do with Sarah Palin; what she chose to do is/was her business, and I support her decision. And her daughter's.

By the way, methinks Governor Palin just clinched the election -- we're being spared that socialist, tax-increasing, pontificating incompetent, thank God!
-- frost

HIS FINEST MOMENT
Re: Michael Skaggs's letter (under "St. Paul in St. Paul) in Reader Mail's A Masterful Stroke:

Barry Goldwater lynching Ev Mecham? El wrongo! I was in KOOL* (am-fm-tv) and observed as Barry was doing a television commercial for Mecham in 1962. Ev, in his supercilious toupee, was there as well.

That's hardly lynching. In fact, it was probably one of Senator Goldwater's very few mistakes, really.
-- frost
*FYI, as Program Director, "KOOL-Gold" was the innovator; we started the "oldies" format the previous July, now heard on 730+ radio stations nationally.

KNOWING TOO MUCH
Re: Tom's letter (under "Write On") in Reader Mail's A Masterful Stroke:

The line "...wish I didn't know now what I didn't know then" appeared in Bob Seger's famous tune "Against the Wind" long before it appeared in Toby Keith's song. I suspect that for us aging boomers Seger is not only the original source but the most well known.
-- Owen Hobson
Littleton, Colorado

topics:
Taxes, Foreign Policy, John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Sarah Palin, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Mainstream Media, Television, Business, Abortion, Law, Military, Iraq, Iran, Israel, NATO, Alaska, Oil