BAKER’S WORLD
Re: Philip Klein’s Talking With The Enemy:

Please cast your minds back to 1990. We must remember the complete history of James Baker, the aristocratic Secretary of State to Bush 41. He instructed our ambassador to Iraq, April Glaspy, (remember her?) to tell Saddam Hussein that we had no interest in his fight with Kuwait. Saddam was itching for war with Kuwait whom he accused of slant drilling into Iraq’s oil fields. Right after receiving Baker’s message sent through Ambassador Glaspy, Saddam invaded Iraq. From that moment on Mr. Baker left April out there turning slowly in the wind. He denied all knowledge of her conversation. (Someone please tell me what lowly ambassador writes their own portfolio?)

James Baker is a loyal friend to Bush 41, but is decidedly misguided on most foreign affairs. Let’s not listen to him or his silly ideas now, please. I trust President Bush and Secretary Rice far more than the very cautious Mr. Baker.
— Judy Beumler
Louisville, Kentucky

Mr. Klein has hit another home run with his current article. Unfortunately, when it comes to the duplicity and complicity of the Clinton Claque, I am afraid that he is preaching to the choir, and the congregation has already gone to get a start on Sunday dinner at Cracker Barrel.

I would like to see him delve more deeply and extensively into the world of geopolitics according to James Baker. I would also like to see him do an extensive analysis on the extent to which both Bush ’41’ and Bush ’43’ and their administrations have been influenced by Mr. Baker.

We know that Mr. Baker was not all that influential during the eight years of President Reagan, but Bush ’41’ was a Reagan opponent, remember? We know that Mr. Baker served as Secretary of State for Bush ’41,’ so the influence in that situation was overt, perfectly obvious. We know that Mr. Baker played a hugely important role in the post-election machinations between Bush ’43’ and Albert “the Stump” Gore. There have been a few other occasions when Mr. Baker has surfaced, taking on important special projects of significance for Bush ’43’.

Now here is my question. How much of what we see of a Bush ’43’ international affairs set of beliefs is due to the influence of Mr. James Baker III? We have seen Bush bluster rhetorically against North Korea, Iran, and Syria, as well as Iraq. Iraq was the only one that has suffered any real result of this rhetoric. I would suggest that Afghanistan and Iraq were the result of a robust, macho response by President Bush to the situation presented on Sept. 11, 2001. Afghanistan was brought under control quickly and a new government installed. It is only of late that the Taliban seem to be growing large enough and bold enough to be of a serious consequence.

Iraq has been a different breed of cat. Even before the war started, Turkey thwarted our plans. I would propose that this has had a bigger negative influence than was seen at the time. Nevertheless, the actual government of Iraq fell in record time, but the significant resistance to our efforts has never ceased to any great extent. Yet President Bush, like his father before him, prematurely declared victory and shifted to a PC, low-level war fighting method that has, in my humble opinion, extended the violence and the loss of life and maiming of our fine military men and women.

Did Mr. Bush ’43’ let his natural emotions get ahead of him in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 before James Baker could get to him and temper the fire? Are the present PC rules of engagement in Iraq and the “war by lawyer” (the JAGs) proof positive that James Baker III has gotten back in control of the Bush family foreign policy and geopolitical mindset? How much is Condi Rice influenced by James Baker III, and does that become a reinforcing mechanism in advising the current occupant of the Oval Office? I certainly do not know the answer, but I am suspicious and would love to see Mr. Klein do one of his excellent reportorial jobs on the subject.

Mr. Klein is a true asset to the Spectator. Please don’t squander that asset or let it atrophy due to underutilization.
— Ken Shreve
A Conservative First Above All

SCARLET LETTER ‘R’
Re: Jeffrey Lord’s Nancy Pelosi Ducks:

What a tangled web she weaves!

Nancy Pelosi has made a lot of political hay out of Mark Foley’s scandal. But after reading Jeffrey Lord’s article, it seems to me that if things had worked out somewhat differently, Foley and Pelosi would have been the closest of allies. Unfortunately for Foley, he has that capital “R” next to his name. Therefore, he has no defenders on the right (nor would he), or on the left (because of his party affiliation).

But in light of Lord’s revelation that Pelosi once marched side by side with Harry Hay, a gay advocate of pedophilia, this begs an obvious question: how did we arrive at this juncture?

In the early 1980s, two homosexuals, Hunter and Marsden wrote a propaganda book, After the Ball. This was a blueprint for how homosexuals would gain approval in the larger American society. Part of the strategy was to downplay those much less unseemly elements of homosexuality (i.e., pedophilia). As David Kupelian documents in his book The Marketing of Evil, Hunter and Marsden concluded that only when homosexuality per se comes to be widely accepted should those less acceptable elements be allowed to see the light of day.

Obviously, their strategy was a smashing success.

But to make matters worse, the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association has gained a great deal of prominence in the last few years. They have representatives working throughout the MSM (New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, you name it).

Which begs another question: what reporter is going to be brave enough to stand against the entire media establishment and point out Pelosi’s faux outrage over Mark Foley…especially given her past (and present) silence regarding pedophilia? I’m not going to hold my breath waiting.

In conclusion, the Democrats get a free pass despite their obvious hypocrisy, and the Republicans (even those who had nothing to do with the Foley scandal) will suffer.
— Greg Hoadley
Deerfield Beach, Florida

Of course Nancy Pelosi ducks! She is a democrat for God’s sake! That’s what democrats do: duck and run. I see the issue of morality to be of no importance whatever. Ms. Pelosi and her ilk will bring about the death of this great democratic experiment if given enough time in power.

Her party has already prohibited us from praying; reading the Bible anywhere but Church. They have been acting on Ramsey Clarke’s adage there’s no such thing as a bad boy, only a poor one and turning out of prison the most bestial of evildoers. The next act, once they’re in power will be to permit about 25 million illegal aliens to remain here permanently and allow them to vote; They will require each American to learn every language spoken except English. While Ms. Pelosi’s party excoriates Christians and Jews it will appeal to the Muslims and grant them limited religious courts so that such pleasures as child murder and wife beating are not lost to that freedom loving and reasonable segment of our population.

I have no doubt Ms. Pelosi and Senator Kennedy will sponsor bills in their respective house to give our weaponry to our enemies based on the perfectly reasonable thesis it is fundamentally unfair for us to be able to incinerate them and they not able to return the favor. It makes them feel inferior. Besides once they get nukes we know they won’t use them. We’ll just negotiate.

Once our nuclear weapons are in the hands of Cuba, Venezuela, Iran, Syria, etc. the complete democrat vision is unfolded. The Midwest – today the world’s bread basket — a moonscape, completely denuded and glowing in the night. Radioactively deformed humans, the remains of our population, catching what beetles and rodents may have survived and living in bomb craters.

Beautiful isn’t it. All of the world’s evil gone in a nuclear fireball over America. Only then will democrats be satisfied.
— John P. H. Fahrquer
Palm City, Florida

MICHIGAN MADNESS
Re: David Hogberg & Nick Cheolas’s Colorblind and Poor:

Sadly, Republican candidate for governor Dick DeVos has announced that he too is “against Proposal 2” which is basically the language of the original Civil Rights Act. In a wishy-washy state like Michigan, the most explosive business growth is moving van lines to any other state. Many people of color also see the security of their jobs in question. As a Michigan resident and a full time Realtor, I have watched in one year, residential property values fall a minimum of 20% as folks & jobs leave with no one to replace them. Michigan currently leads the nation in home foreclosures.

The once conservative and now flailing Detroit News recently panned Proposal 2 because in their words; “we haven’t had enough ‘reverse’-discrimination (via Affirmative Action) to make up for slavery and the years of prejudice that followed.” Maybe in a few more years, Proposal 2 would pass here easily, it may still squeak by.

Hard choices face Michigan, and union wage & benefits premised labor is losing to “right to work” states without the regulatory labyrinth of city, county, and township ordinances backed by big labor’s past negotiations. Michigan’s economy has not adapted but rather, has scared off entrepreneurs and established businesses seeking to hire proud and hard working Michigan residents who could do the work, if the state, the municipalities, and big labor would get out of the way.

Some economic growth and prosperity would make Proposal 2 a lot easier to pass in this state. The woes of Michigan have been blamed on everyone from former governor John Engler to the Bush Administration to NAFTA. Labor and the state’s bureaucracy whistle past the many vacant homes for sale across the state hoping that some “miracle” saves them. For Michigan to prosper again…quickly, they are the first ones that need to be kicked to the curb.
— P. Aaron Jones
Huntington Woods, MI

To me quotas are saying, “Blacks and women are just too stupid to get ahead on their own.”
— Elaine Kyle

FEELING THE COLTS’ KICK
Re: Peter Hannaford’s Taxpayers Held Hostage:

It’s not just high school. Indianapolis got four tax increases out of the legislature to build a new playpen for the Colts while pleading that without consolidation of city and county law enforcement agencies for purposes of monetary savings the city would have to fire 200 police officers.

Now we’ve been told that, “Oops, we forgot that the new stadium is larger and will require an additional $10 million a year to operate.” As yet no indication of what the threat will be to force that $10 million out of the taxpayer’s pocket.
— Fred McCarthy
P.S. The agreement with the Colts gives them every penny of the naming rights — $121 million — of the stadium the taxpayer is building at a cost approaching one billion dollars.

CRANE CORRECTION
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s Democrat Debauchery:

Dan Crane, the Illinois Republican censured by the House along with Gerry Studds, was, contrary to the piece “Democrat Debauchery,” renominated. He lost the general election in 1984 to Democrat Terry Bruce.
— Michael M. Bates
Tinley Park, Illinois

Further to RET’s fine effort, the Conservative Party of New York State is offering a free download of the American Conservative Union’s excellent account of Hillary’s scandals at www.cpnys.com (see “Message from Chairman Mike Long”) — Cattlegate, Whitewater, Travelgate, Filegate, Lootgate, The Book Deal, and Galagate … some of which may be unfamiliar to TAS readers.

It’s important to remember that most people vote for president on the basis of a candidate’s character, not on issues — a Hillary vulnerability conservatives should be focusing on, as has TAS.
— Jameson Campaigne
Ottawa, Illinois