The American Spectator

Reader Mail

UPTURNED NOSES RECONFIGURED
Re: Jeffrey Lord's Who Is Sally Quinn?:

Excellent job. Exposing arrogant, pompous [folk] like Sally Quinn is the one thing these elitists can't stand. Indeed, they react to the light of truth as a vampire does to sunlight.

And thanks to magazines and blogs like The American Spectator's, the light is shining brighter than ever.
-- Peter Skurkiss
Stow, Ohio

Somehow this essay on Sally Quinn must be read and understood by the American public. This piece, while using Sally Quinn as a foil, details the sleazy liberal media and the dangerous agenda of a free press run amok. Absolutely critical to be read and understood by all.
-- John C. Sivie

Sally Quinn is the daughter of General Quinn and his wife. I don't think that they are still alive.

General Quinn and his wife were best friends of Sen. Barry Goldwater and his wife. They traveled together and were close in their politics too. I will be willing to bet that Sally Quinn came to Washington as a Republican and once she started to socialize with the rich and powerful had a political conversion as well.

Keep up the good work.
-- Roger Davidson

I heard her comments and was repelled. I would NEVER have voted for McCain if he had not chosen Sarah Palin as his running mate. She may not have the same -- very same -- religious beliefs that I hold, but she tries and she is genuine.

How many years has it been since we have had Politicians about whom we could say that? Far too many.

And, I would vote for a ticket with her whether or not she happens to be a female. Enough of that already!
-- Sterling W. B. Homan, Ph.D., J.D.
Birmingham, Alabama

I just read your article on Sally Quinn and it has motivated me to send my first email to an editor.

How can some people forget their own personal biographies, don altogether fictitious personae to cover their questionable resumes, and then step forward from their forgotten pasts to speak on any subject, let alone to insult others who have reached their position in life honestly, with integrity and through their own efforts? To be more blunt, here we have another woman who is in a position in life that is attributable, in whole or in part, through a liaison while single with a powerful married man and who has now taken on his achievements as her own. Here I am also reminded of two other women, Teresa Heinz and Arianna Huffington, who became rich through marriage and who both sometimes speak as if they were hard-working career women who just happened to make marriage their career of choice.

Thanks to American Spectator for shedding light on the back stories of some who would rather have their lives remain the stuff of legend rather than the human story that we all share.
-- Walter Benni
Milford, Connecticut

Thank you for a fantastic article!
-- Gayle Robertson
Avon Lake, Ohio

That Sally Quinn is vacuous was apparent when she first made her national name in the seventies. That she was the mistress/girlfriend of Ben Bradlee was also known, and that she achieved her journalist bona fides from her relationship with him was no secret. Her opinions were and are straight out of the drawing rooms of America's aristocracy: the politicians, moneyed-power brokers and media titans whose lives have never touched the daily concerns and values held by the rest of those whose hard work and decency made and continues to make this country great. To explain Ms. Quinn's representation of moral matters is laughable. She is a recipient of all wisdom revealed by the ruling class and explains why the alternative press (Fox, NRO, WSJ, talk readio) in a span of twenty years captured the audience it has, and now propels the national conversation.

Sally Quinn is a dinosaur left over from another epoch, another era; and her perspective on current matters is as irrelevant today as it was 35 years ago when she was the ultimate party girl.
-- Laney Bormel
Parkton, Maryland

Thanks, Sally, for looking out for the best interests of the GOP and working women and families and Down syndrome kids. Thank you for trying valiantly to protect us from Sarah Palin. We just didn't know she was so ambitious and selfish. Whew, if we dump her now and pick someone like Joe Biden, do you still think we can win this election, Sally?

Thanks, Ben, for making the Washington Post a name we can trust. To print the Democratic talking points as editorials.
-- Clint Wilkinson

Game, Set, and Match to Mr. Lord.
-- A. DiPentima

Jeffrey Lord's article has some fascinating history that helps peel back the lid covering the beltway and Manhattan. Existence of the "club" to which Sally Quinn and her husband, Ben Bradlee, belong became more apparent in 1972 after Richard Nixon trounced George McGovern in the presidential election. That's when film critic Pauline Kael lamented "I don't know how Richard Nixon could have won. I don't know anyone who voted for him."
-- Stan Welli
Aurora, Illinois

I don't have the adequate vocabulary to even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this column. In all my adult life I have not read anything that so succinctly, truthfully, pointedly and unabashedly defines the national leftist media and its stranglehold on America.

Absolutely beautiful and I will email your article to many, many persons.

Best wishes to you in your endeavors,
-- Steve Ballard

The bet here is McCain-Palin will receive a large, and perhaps winning, percentage of the national vote based on nothing more than taking the mainstream media down. Amazingly, blowhards like Sally Quinn, Ben Bradlee and the rest of the in-the-tank-for-Obama media seem unable to fathom this "two-fer" reality.

Here's hoping they continue their baseless attacks on Sarah Palin. All they will do is make many Americans even more determined to support her.

It's what Americans do instinctively when they see a decent woman getting hammered -- for nothing more than being decent.
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

Great article. Thank you.
-- Merlin Perkins
Bridgeport, Washington

Awesome article! Policing the media... I love it! And a history lesson to boot. I had never heard of Mary Meyer. Why isn't there a movie about her? Story sounded fascinating.

Well done!
-- Jeff Haycox
Virginia Beach, Virginia

Excellent article by Mr. Lord. Unfortunately it will only be seen by those of us who care enough to see behind the mask of the elites. It won't be seen or ever referred to by the taking heads of TV. Even Bill O'Reilly went weak kneed when she graced his program to "apologize" for her treatment of Ms. Palin.

The MSM had its collective nose out of joint because McCain, how dare him, went outside the beltway, and beyond the east coast elitists to select a VP, without their permission.
-- Tom Bullock
West Covina, California

Thank you, Jeffrey Lord for the, expose on Sally Quinn. Finally someone says what was always whispered about her. Not that I read what she writes. Snobs and bigots don't interest me. However, someone showed me her hatchet job on the Gov. and I saw her on Fox. She got what she deserves. I look forward to a Washington that finally ejects the Sally Quinns and Gores and the rest of the "upturned noses" crowd.

I admit I was starting to snooze aloud until McCain brought Palin on board. As a younger person I was a working mother of four and until recently, a commercial fisherperson, I identify with Gov Palin. I used to hunt and snowmobile and managed to stay involved with my community on all levels. I never "stole" another woman's husband and tried to imbue good moral standards in my children. And I live within earshot of the great cosmopolitan city of New York. I'm not a "hick in the sticks." I doubt if Ms. Quinn would know what the hell I'm talking about but if she should ever read this column I have a lot more I could tell her.

McCain is right! It's time to stand up and fight for the USA on our terms, not the liberal, elitist agenda of the Sally Quinns.
-- Joan Moriarty
Pine Plains, New York

Who is Sally Quinn?

Winner of the Ben Bradlee Trophy Wife Award, in the category of Talking Mannequin.
-- Mark Wilby

THERE'S A DIFFERENCE
Re: Patrick O'Hannigan's The New Playbook:

Hurray, this is a great read. Thanks.
-- Miriam Hughes

For not being a conservative, Mr. O'Hannigan gets it.

How could he not be conservative? He will do more for conversions of his readers to our side if they are as open-minded as Mr. O'Hannigan appears to be.

Thank him for a very nice, informative and fair article. It was read with appreciation that fairness from the other side is out there if you look for it.

(I hope he reads it himself!)
-- Joe Morrone
Bluffton, South Carolina

Patrick O'Hannigan replies:
I AM a conservative. What I said is that I'm not a Republican. But I'll take the compliment!

EUROTRASH
Re: Roger Kaplan's Muslims Attack Jews in Paris (Again):

This is precisely why those that oppose Obama and Kerry before him oppose having anything to do with "becoming" more European. You Europeans can't stop the horror of what happens to Jews just as the Islamic Fascists cannot help but pile on 18 to 3 on any Jews. What is truly funny is you and your comrades actually look down on us...heh!!
-- Sue
California

"POWER" GRAB
Re: Joseph Lawler's Pumped and Primed:

Americans are finally beginning to see radical environmentalism for what it truly is: yet another power grab by elitists determined to impose their worldview by any means necessary. In this particular case the "means" are most revealing: preventing a floor vote in the House because they know they'll lose.

Only the truly arrogant would consider the essential process of our democracy "problematic."
-- Arnold Ahlert
Boca Raton, Florida

COLD AS ICE
Re: Jeremy Lott's Cold, Calculating McCain:

Mr. Lott may very well be right in that John McCain allowed Sarah Palin to be "worked up" before going into battle.

But he misses the point that Senator McCain knew Palin's caliber, as well as the caliber of her family, of her hometown, of Alaskans, and of middle class Americans. He knows middle-class America in a way that few academics and journalists could. He knew she could take it. And she did.
-- Catherine Alling

I proudly served in the US Navy for more than 17 years, including time in the "sand box" in '91, and I have never met a captain (O-6) who was worth his salt that would crumble under pressure; in fact, not many a day goes by when a high ranking officer is not under pressure that few civilians can withstand. The military is a harsh crucible where feelings fall a far second to mission accomplishment. (That may be why so few Democrats can be found in the armed services.) Senator ('nee Captain) McCain coolly assessed the situation and decided to pull out the big guns: Governor Sarah Palin is reporting for duty.
-- Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

If McCain had gone for the "safe" choice for VP (Ridge, Leiberman, etc.) we would have had a race with 3 old white guys and a young, attractive, charismatic black man. Guess who was going to win?

Now we have a race with two old white guys, the aforementioned young black man, and a young, attractive, well-spoken, gutsy woman that a lot of Americans can relate to. Now it's a horse race!
-- Elizabeth B. Knott

IT AIN'T EASY
Re: Peter Hannaford's False Free Speech:

It is apparent that Mr. Hannaford lives a comfortable existence some distance removed from his ideological opponents. Good for him. We should all be so lucky.

Over the years I have occasionally written letters to this very website in response to articles that have piqued my interest. Imagine my "joy," then, to learn that these letters were being turned against me as I was secretly being blacklisted by influential persons within my avocation, an avocation in which no one other than I had been foolish enough to confess to voting Republican in anything more than a frightened whisper.

Under a pseudonym, I continue to post comments on other websites, especially Townhall.com, but I now avoid writing letters to Spectator.org's editor for any purpose other than to correct grammatical errors and typos.

Hannaford wants me to use my real name and to furnish my phone number. That would effectively silence me if I ever thought to work again. Thanks, but no thanks.

This situation is not his fault, but he is not helping.
-- Name withheld by request
Nowhere in particular

TAKE IT BACK
Re: Diane Smith's letter (under "Lady Di Addresses Subjects") in Reader Mail's Signed, Nobody:

I wish to apologize and say only that I have seen elections piffled away in just such fashion. We all have our preferences. I thought Duncan Hunter would have made a good president. Then I thought Fred Thompso. I guess I thought Fred more than Fred did. This has been a difficult campaign. I recall my own initial criticism of McCain, citing character. Well, he has lived several lifetimes in 72 years and he is aware of his failings and is now a faithful husband. Besides, you don't give up your vices. They give you up.

If the electorate wishes to continue the Chinese water treatment of "Not my first choice," well, apres nous le deluge.

If it is possible to strew rose petals in Governor Palin's path, saving all the thorns for McCain and that is the path to victory, OK by me. I just recall a time when we rallied behind the candidate. So, vent on. Although it does seem with poll numbers for McCain going up, we soreheads just can't take yes for an answer. By now, we all know the alternative.
-- Diane Smith

In the first place, McCain was not the choice of the majority of the Party. He managed to win a plurality of the votes from an initial field of about five viable candidates.

In the second place, there was no candidate who represented a majority of the conservative members of the Republican Party.

Third, no Republican Presidential candidate can win national election without the vote of a large majority of conservative voters.

Fourth, you can't get conservative votes if conservative voters do not go to the polls. Remember the Clinton years? And a large number of them would not go to the polls for John McCain, because he has actively worked against conservative interests for years and he is roundly mistrusted and despised by them.

Fifth, John McCain now has a chance to win election because he has picked as his running mate a Republican politician who appears to embody everything that conservative Republicans hold dear. And that is the only reason that he has a chance.

When John McCain wins the Presidency, it will be John McCain in the Oval Office. The same John McCain who is for cap and trade, amnesty for illegal aliens, campaign reform and who apparently never met a Democrat that he didn't like. Some Conservatives, myself being one, would have cast my vote for John McCain even without his nomination of Sarah Palin, simply to keep the socialist candidate Barack Obama from gaining power. But I know many Conservatives who would not have gone to the polls if not for Sarah Palin being on the ticket. Why do you suppose the McCain campaign chose Palin and not McCain's lifelong friend, Joe Lieberman? If you truly wish to win the White House, then I would suggest that, in the future, the Party might want to consider nominating someone that the Conservative wing will vote for. In the meantime, this is just a little reminder to the Party, not to ignore the people who elect Republicans.
-- Michael Tobias

ROUSH TO SILENCE
Re: Mike Roush's letter (under "Three of a Kind") in Reader Mail's Signed, Nobody:

Mike Roush tries to make some kind of connection between Fannie and Freddie and laissez-faire capitalism. These institutions are very connected to our federal government and in fact are congressionally chartered. They get very special tax breaks if they pay anything and can borrow money at very low rates. They have been protected from the bottom line and in the nineties started very dishonest operations. This is not capitalism but just a variety of government enabled corruption under the guise of good-deed-doing. Now they will be bailed out. Maybe this makes sense; however, it is important to play the blame game to avoid these corporatist schemes in the future and also to punish the cheats that made this mess for a profit. These are some millionaires that deserve to be punished. Where are you Senator Obama? I don't want cover provided for Republican crooks and definitely not Democrat crooks. The same goes for Libertarians, Independents and of course Mike's et al category. This is worse than Enron and people should go to jail if they were cooking books. Let the chips fall where they may.
-- Clifton Briner

Can we please have a moratorium on Mike Roush posts for a few days? As much as I love sophomoric left wing drivel, I'm beginning to wonder if I'm not one of only a dozen or so readers of your website, given that you apparently aren't able to find enough letter-writers to fill the allotted space without including three daily Roush rants. And a note to Mr. Roush -- it's not all about you. Take a break, get a job...something, please!
-- Dan Lawson

MAYBE I'M CRAZY
Re: Clifton Briner's letter (under "Independent Source") in Reader Mail's Signed, Nobody:

Mr. Briner writes: "Sometimes a crazy person knows that they are crazy."

Perhaps you are right. In an earlier letter you wrote, "Thirty percent illegitimacy is not a healthy thing for society or the individuals involved and as certain subset within our culture indicate, thing can get much worse." Illegitimacy is not a healthy thing for our society. Barack Obama doesn't think illegitimacy is good for society either. When he spoke about this issue and the need for responsible parenthood, he was castigated by the Reverend Jesse Jackson and others. But, I ask you Mr. Briner, What message is being sent to the teens of America when the GOP's vice presidential candidate parades her pregnant, unmarried teenage daughter in front of the nation during a national convention
while protesting that this is a private matter? I have always thought that reproductive issues belong in the privacy of the family and have often lamented the fact that the right made these political wedge issues. But now, the people who made the private public are insisting on privacy. My crazy mind thinks all of this sends a powerful message to teens. Illegitimacy is okay and so is hypocrisy.

On another subject, I think about the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, about the conditions exposed a few months ago at Walter Reed Hospital, about the burden our troops and their families face because of multiple tours of duty, about the fact that the current administration never called upon the rest of us to sacrifice for our security and about the
fact that Senator McCain and other members of the GOP voted against veterans' benefits. All of this has been successfully sold by the right as supporting our troops. That I am amazed by this must be indicative of the fact that I am crazy.

We now refer so often to our "rust belt" that the phrase has become a cliche. Unemployment is the highest it's been in years. Middle class incomes have stagnated while the cost of health care, food, gas and college have steadily risen. The government has to bail out Freddie and Fannie to prevent a financial crisis not only here but
around the world. McCain's primacy economic advisor, Phil Gramm, tells us that this is all a "mental recession" and that we are a "nation of whiners" because we wonder how we got to this place. Still the party on whose watch much of this occurred will likely remain in power and we are urged to believe that, if elected, John McCain will make all of this go away.

Time to go listen to an old Paul Simon favorite: Still Crazy (After All These Years).
-- Mike Roush

HE COULD HAVE MADE ADMIRAL
Re: M. Merritt's letter (under "McCain, Chessmaster") in Reader Mail's Signed, Nobody:

In an otherwise fine letter by Mr. Merritt, he repeats a version of a phrase that has come up in several places and sources in the last week. He writes, "John McCain would, indeed, have made a fine general."

I really am not trying to nit pick, but why is it assumed that any good warrior or warfare strategist must be a general? Sen. McCain's father and grandfather were admirals. Why is it not PC to say that McCain would have made a fine admiral? Now Sen. McCain's father and grandfather were not thought of to have reached the level of expertise of Admiral Nimitz, still they were fine warriors that fought their fleets well. One could certainly make the case that they were on a par with Admiral Halsey.

Sen. McCain graduated from Annapolis. He chose to serve in the Navy, and make it a career. He flew in combat in Vietnam. He was appointed to take over an under performing Navy squadron, which he subsequently brought up to standard. He left the Navy as a Navy captain, one step below admiral

In recent times Admiral Fallon was appointed to head Centcom, which is the command in charge over the Iraq and Afghanistan theaters in the current war. I believe that the admiral in command of the Navy SEALS, and a SEAL himself, would certainly be considered an outstanding warrior.

Now I served with the USMC, but even I think that the Navy should get their fair share of the kudos. Can we in the future say that Sen. McCain would make a fine admiral in command of combat operations, instead of insinuating that he would have to be an Army or Marine general to recognized for his strategic skill in war fighting?
-- Ken Shreve

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