D.C. in need of new leadership
Four-dollar-a-gallon gas and the banking system on the verge of collapse, and while this was happening Congress was on a four-week vacation. Now none of this happened in a month or a year or even 10 years. Barack Obama will blame George W. Bush and John McCain will blame the Democrats. The fact is that the entire government has been asleep at the switch on these issues for decades.
The daunting problems of the country far exceed the issues of race, gender and party, which is a lot of what the presidential campaign has been about. Problemsolving is going to require compromise, hard work and sacrifice.
Regardless of who becomes president, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, who represents "the gaming state,"and Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the House, whose San Francisco district is quite left of center, sometimes to the point of crazy, should be replaced. The Congress needs to find leaders who get up in morning with a desire to get things done, leaders who know the width and breadth of America and not just some nook-andcranny-narrow political stronghold. Any of the congressman from Arkansas would be better than these two. Sen. Mark Pryor has shown promise with his compromise participation on energy and Supreme Court nominees. Maybe the majority party can take a hint from Hillary Clinton's gutsy run and from Sarah Palin's gutsy life, and break a glass ceiling. Replace the congressional leadership, which is dragging us down.
CHARLES VERMONT / Prescott
Best to let market suffer
Re the $ 700 billion bailout: While our elected representatives are closer to the problem, I think that's part of the problem; they can't see the forest for the trees.
Our financial system itself is at fault with debt money instead of real wealth. "Fixing"the problem will only delay the ultimate result, disaster. Best to let the market fall. Painful, yes, but not as bad as if we prolong the agony with what really is a bandage over a cancer. If we make bad business and financial decisions, we suffer. Why shouldn't they ? That's what this country is (was ) all about, freedom; primarily freedom to benefit from good decisions and to suffer for bad ones. Anything else is socialism or communism. Does anyone but politicians want that ?
VERNON AHRENS / Dover
Subjects inappropriate
I now believe that the presidential election has sunk to new lows. I speak of two recent television spots that made crude references to incest and cancer. One involves a skit on "Saturday Night Live"implying that Todd Palin, Gov. Sarah Palin's husband, [might have ] had incestuous activity with his daughters. Another was an ad by Brave New PAC that showed John McCain's cancer scars in detail from his bout with melanoma. They are, of course, trying to make the case that Mc-Cain [could ] die while in office. I find neither incest nor cancer particularly laughable topics. My mother battled cancer, and as a social worker I've helped children who were both the result of incest and the victims of incest. These are not appropriate topics to use as a base to score cheap political points. Are we such an uncivil society these days that anything goes ?
DEBRA HURD / Fayetteville
Worries are everywhere
Let me see if I have this right. Our government is billions of dollars in debt to a number of foreign nations and much more to China and Japan. For some years we have been in a no-win situation in the Middle East that has wasted several billion dollars, and we are forking over billions of dollars to keep an incompetent financial system afloat.
The nation has no money of its own and depends on taxpayers to finance it. Meanwhile, unemployment is rampant, which reduces the number of taxpayers daily, and we worry about the price of gas.
At least one of the presidential candidates has emphatically stated that our economy is sound. One has not declared what he thinks one way or the other. But the press doesn't want to alarm the people, so it only raises one corner of the record book for a quick peek. Congress is lost somewhere in Washington's daily political fog. As for the people, you'll find most of them in the ballpark or on the golf course. Good night, Irene. Don't forget to turn the lights off.
OLEN GRANT / Hot Springs
Learn to critique news
As America closes in on the November election, this is the time for American media to present both parties in a fair and impartial manner. However, ABC has shown overwhelming criticism toward the Republican candidates while not showering the Democratic ticket with the same amount of cynicism.
When ABC ran a special about vicepresidential nominee Sarah Palin's exbrother-in-law scandal directly following her rousing speech at the Republican National Convention, not one time during the broadcast did the reporter mention that this state trooper tasered his young stepson.
ABC's talk shows also are incredibly biased. John McCain appeared on a broadcast of "The View."During the interview, Whoopi Goldberg asked him," Do I have to be worried about becoming a slave again ?"In addition, ABC host Oprah Winfrey has taken a stand to support Barack Obama, and refused to invite Palin as a guest on her show. Oprah stated," I would love to have her on after the campaign is over."
I ask simply that we hold the media to a higher standard and critique the news given to us. If we continue to allow the media to show such strong opinions, those who do not take the time to compare stories will fall prey to a media conglomerate with an agenda. If ABC News continues on this biased path, they should no longer deserve the title of ABC News. ABC Opinion would be far more appropriate.
MARTHA ANNELIESE BACON / Rogers
Service above reproach
There are a lot of things that letter writer Mollie Wiseman can criticize John McCain about, but service to his country is not one of them. Tell me one thing that Barack Obama has sacrificed for his country.
LINDA BRIDGES / Hot Springs Village
Give credit where due
All of us who have often wondered why the Razorbacks refuse to compete against in-state rivals need look no farther than every Saturday afternoon for the next several months. Frank Broyles was a lot smarter than most of us give him credit for.
DANIEL UMLAND / Little Rock
Politicians bought, sold
I see all of our "representatives"in Congress voted for bailing out the Wall Street kingpins even though the people back home were against it. This only proves what I have known for years: Politicians are bought and sold like cattle. They know the people have short memories and will continue to re-elect them. That's exactly why we are in the mess we're in. You are going to get what you deserve, so don't gripe.
ROBERT MARLOWE / Hot Springs Village
Democrats do it again
The Democrats don't have to worry about the Republicans stealing another election in November. Sen. Barack Obama has already given them the election by choosing Sen. Joe Biden as his vice president instead of Sen. Hillary Clinton.
Observe the upswing in Sen. John McCain's popularity after he named Gov. Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. Obama could have really improved his chances of winning the presidential election in November by choosing Clinton. Many of her supporters were very unhappy that she did not beat Obama. They were further incensed when he did not select her as his running mate.
Biden does not bring any support to Obama's presidential campaign. In comparison to Palin's injection of charismatic political effect on McCain's campaign, Biden is a dead horse. The obvious sequence of events that will play out in the November elections is that the majority of Clinton's supporters will cross over party lines and vote Republican. Too bad for the Democrats. They're going down again.
WALLY FORBUSH / Little Rock
Vote for McCain / Palin
We are rapidly approaching Nov. 4, when we can cast our vote for the 44 th president of the United States. You have heard all the rhetoric, campaign speeches and promises, and seen too many TV ads, and now have to make a very important decision. There are many issues, e. g., taxes, energy, jobs, health care, education, social programs, the war on terror, the right to life, gun ownership rights. I believe that John Mc-Cain and Sarah Palin will best work on these issues from the heart and with the American people in mind. I believe that McCain and Palin have the experience, the leadership ability and the resolve to be our next president and vice president and bring about reform in Washington. If you are a Republican, you must vote and you must help get out the vote. If you normally vote Democratic, the Democratic Party today is not the party you used to know; vote McCain / Palin. If you are a conservative, independent Democrat, your choice is obvious: McCain / Palin. If you are an independent, the odds are against your candidate winning; your vote for McCain / Palin can be the difference in the election. Think about it.
ANCEL OFFUTT / Mount Ida
Legislation won't help
Mere words cannot begin to express my outrage. On a Tuesday evening, literally in the dark of night and at the urging of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the House of Representatives passed a bill that effectively cuts off domestic drilling and leaves the American people hostage to rising gas prices and foreign oil. To make matters worse, Pelosi and company and her allies in the liberal media are actually trying to make the American people believe that this bill is a compromise that allows domestic drilling. It's a sham and a con job. The American people gave Congress explicit instructions: Drill here, drill now. The American people did not say," Try to trick us, pull the wool over our eyes and con us."The American people want legislation that will actually open domestic drilling, lower prices at the pump and wean the United States from dependence on foreign oil from unfriendly nations, and time is running out. The American people are not fools or dupes. Put a stop to this Pelosi scam legislation and give us real energy legislation before Congress adjourns, period, end of sentence. ALBERT CAMPBELL / Russellville
Political trick 'amazing'
The Lord has pulled an amazing political trick to help save his unborn. Sen. John McCain chose a pro-life, Pentecostal lady, a governor, sport, mother of five and beauty contestant to be the Republican vice-presidential candidate. Her stand on life puts my fellow Catholic politicians who are pro-choice to utter shame. May God bless Sarah Palin. This next month will be very difficult and she will be slandered from all sides. As a real family mother, she knows well how to be strong and long-suffering. Ne illigitimi carborundum est, the Romans used to say. I can hear Sen. Joe Biden saying now that she is no tough women's-rights gal (libber ) and he will chew her up and spit her out. Palin has a power that neither he nor Sen. Barack Obama can understand.
THOMAS W. KELLER / Carlisle
Feedback : Backing increase odd
The Editorial page's continued criticism of the severance tax increase negotiated by Gov. Mike Beebe and approved by the Legislature provides food for thought on at least two levels. If a severance tax increase was necessary and proper, why haven't you singled out for criticism those members of the General Assembly-mostly Republicans, including Rep. Dan Greenberg-who voted against the increase ? Your position seems to be that the governor didn't get enough from the gas companies, yet you're oddly silent about those who felt that even one penny more would be too much. More important, this continued criticism forces even an infrequent reader of this page to question the very safety of the universe. When the Democrat-Gazette Editorial page targets a Democrat for backing a sizable tax increase on a single industry, all is right with the world. When the criticism is based on the notion that the increase just wasn't big enough, it's time to look to the skies, because the end just may be nigh.
BARBARA MOODY / Salem
Two types prevalent
Today's economic condition gives credence to the belief there are two types of economists, those who do not know what is going to happen and those who do not know that they do not know what is going to happen.
ROBERT McNEAL / Walnut Ridge
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