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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 2, 2008

The Political Discourse
The mental picture of local Republicans, poison pens at the ready, waiting to pounce on Barack Obama's choice for vice president is mildly amusing (Letters, Aug. 26). Obama could have chosen Mother Teresa, and these right-wingers would have said she's a liberal who works with terrorist sympathizers. Such is the political discourse in this country.

We have the one-issue reader who thinks abortion is the only thing plaguing this country. Republicans are so joyously protective of the fetus in the womb, but, hey kid, once you're born, you're on your own; or as they call it, "personal responsibility." Which means cut all social programs so they can give yet another tax break to the incredibly wealthy, yet call them middle-class families and let the poor starve in the hedgerows.

Joe Biden is a safe choice for Obama. Is it an inspired choice? No. It is a political one. It shores up his foreign policy holes.

PHIL RYAN

Land O' Lakes

Religion And Politics
I find the piece by Cal Thomas titled "A Very Civil Forum" (Other Views, Aug. 26) incredible because of its hubris. People like Thomas, Rick Warren, Osama bin Laden and many religious people feel that their idea of the truth is the only one and that they must impose it upon the rest of the world. What they do not seem to realize is that their behavior is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

Christians, along with the rest of us I am sure, felt the tragedy of 9/11. But what they seem not to understand is that their mindset is no different from that of the Muslims who flew those planes into the towers. One only has to pick up a world history book to find that religion has been a source of conflict because one group was trying to impose its idea of the truth on an opposing group which too felt it had the only truth. Therefore, the religious beliefs of a presidential candidate should not be an issue.

The only issue is that the candidate realizes he must operate within the framework of the laws of the United States and to accomplish that duty religion is not essential.

KLAUS RUEDIGER

Tampa

Unambiguous Answers

Regarding Leonard Pitts' column "Clarity Is Good, Wisdom Is Better" (Other Views, Aug. 23):

Pitts contrasts the performances of senators Obama and McCain at the Saddleback Church debate/event. In an attempt to appear evenhanded, Pitts states that McCain gave the "more impressive performance." Before drawing his next breath he expressed concern that the "stark simplicity" of McCain's answers will be mistaken "for wisdom" by viewers, and waxed eloquent about Obama's "thoughtful and nuanced" answers.

I'm not a columnist, but I think most viewers found Obama's answers an exercise in the lawyerly art of designing answers to conceal positions and to offend the fewest registered voters.

McCain's "stark simplicity" that Pitts worries will be mistaken "for wisdom" by viewers, is the honesty that clarity provides.

STEVE EMERSON

Valrico

Bear Out Of Hibernation

The hibernation process of a bear is quite fascinating. He is really not asleep, but getting ready, building up his strength for life in the coming season. And so it is with our Russian friends.

Putin and his gang have been preparing for this first excursion into reclaiming members of the old USSR. Make no mistake, Georgia is just the first. The Russian hibernation included a long-term plan to distribute and sell their oil and natural gas for cash to buy arms for their own military, making sure NATO countries knew of their extensive nuclear weapons stash - might that be intimidation, and moving arms to Iraqi fundamentalists ensuring Russia looks good to Muslim nations who were part of the Soviet Union.

Whether we like it or not, we are right in the center of a worldwide power struggle.

LARRY QUIGLEY

Tampa

Can't Get Excited

Regarding "Pact Would Pull U.S. Troops From Iraqi Cities By July" (Nation/World, Aug. 21):

So what. Are we now to get all excited about how well the war has gone because in nine months we can expect to begin withdrawing soldiers from Iraqi cities? Excuse me for not starting the parade.

I guess someday we will leave and someday all the buildings destroyed will be rebuilt and someday all the displaced civilians may return home and that is supposed to make the removal of one inept dictator a noble effort. In my book it looks more like Russia's intervention in Georgia.

When you act like your enemies, you are no different. I only hope the next president remembers we should be a beacon of light not a bully who excuses torture and an invasion in the belief it is OK because they do it, too.

We used to be able to say we were better than they were. Unfortunately, that is no longer possible.

JOHN HAYES

Valrico

Our Options Are Limited

The Tribune's Aug. 16 editorial-page cartoon of "the Obama response" was obviously intended to encourage McCain supporters in their criticisms: Obama sits calmly while the Russian bear upsets a chess board. However, it's interesting to speculate on how a cartoon of "the McCain response" might look. In that one, McCain would be wildly waving his arms in threatening gestures, while the Russian bear calmly checkmated him.

The Bush adventure in Iraq has effectively removed any possibility of military threat from the arsenal of American foreign policy.

RICHARD FERRISS

Tampa

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