Regarding your editorial on George W. Bush’s rejiggered Iraq policy (“Dumb and Dumber,”), let us see what our cowardly congressional representatives do: will they simply hold a few hearings in an attempt to pacify the masses? Or will they take action against an administration that makes Nixon’s appear contrite? The voters no longer believe the lies spewing from the collective mouth of the present criminal administration. The question is: what special prosecutor will show the courage and send out hundreds of subpoenas?

Robert Moore, Esq.
Harmony, Rhode Island

Regarding your January 12 editorial, “surge” is another word for “escalation.” “Iraq” is another word for “Vietnam.” After successfully invading Iraq, the incompetent Bush-Cheney administration has botched winning the peace. Every opportunity for success has been squandered; un-repairable damage to our cause has been self-inflicted, repetitively. And Bush’s so-called “new strategy” is more of the same. Compulsive denial has blinded his administration’s ability to make rational correction. This is the last-ditch desperate act of an obsessive gambler. The stakes are more American lives; yet, since Abu Ghraib, the game has already been lost. There are no aces in the hole, no magic bullets, only delusion.

For four years, the Republican-led Congress failed to oversee and prevent this catastrophe. Now, Democrats have Congress and the opportunity to restrain further madness.

Bruce Joffe
Piedmont, California

America (et al.) is best when governed with reason, and reason usually leads one to somewhere between the two extremes of left and right. Those who claim the war on terror is a sham are ludicrous. Of course there is a war waged by terrorists against the USA. We have to respond, and we should do so in a reasonable fashion.

This leads to the whacked-out right’s position that the war in Iraq is the right thing. Their position is also ludicrous. The great American leaders of the 20th century had to find a way to stop wars. President Bush never (apparently) learned his basic history or he would have found a way to stop Saddam without invading and occupying Iraq. That was obvious, but most Americans didn’t pay attention and now have no clue as to what is being spoken of here.

Edward T. Candler
Carrollton, Texas

I do not understand people like you, people who are so far up their own ass they can’t see outside of their own box. Bashing the president does nothing but make you look like a moron. If you haven’t figured it out by now, there are tons of people supporting Bush and the stand he’s taking. People who are open-minded realize there are other issues besides the fact that a lot of troops are in Iraq. If they didn’t want to be there, they wouldn’t. Stop complaining; you’re not the one with your life on the line. I want to bet that you are not even affected by any of this. You sit at home watch the news and want to listen to what the media has to say. Why don’t you take the time to see past your stupidity and learn something new? There are more pros than cons, and it’s great to not have to worry about some crazy terrorists ruining our country. We will take them down before they do us.

Elizabeth Carmichael
Jacksonville, Florida

Bush may be dumb, but your politics coverage is dumber. So ignorant of reality, so black and white. I’m on the left, I’m strongly against the war, and I write to you to tell you, again, that you betray our common cause. Here are some obvious things:

The troop surge/escalation will happen. The most that Democrats will do is lodge an official disapproval. The way you describe it, one would think that Congress is actually a power on par with the president and that it’s willing to act that way. Constitutionally, it is, but in practice, your discussion is greatly misleading.

This whole thing, sadly, is an attempt by Bush to overwhelm the Congress and push the results of the election into irrelevance. He’s showing everyone how little it matters that Congress changed hands. And he’s right, too. It’s going to work.

You’re crazy to talk about a “constitutional crisis.” Did you hear Nancy Pelosi on the radio? Does she sound determined? She’s certainly trying, but she has no leverage. She can’t do anything. Her commitment to “support the troops” is a lot stronger than her commitment to stop the war. She’s banking entirely on public opinion, unlike Bush. Plus, her entire “Democrats rule” push in Congress is being overshadowed by the war. She ends up saying lines like, “It’s important to understand how powerful the president is. He’s the commander-in-chief,” as I heard on NPR yesterday.

Your article uses the same tactics that the administration’s propaganda organs use. Black and White. Gospel. Obviously Bush is completely wrong and anyone who fails to hold to the party line (which the left doesn’t actually have) is foolish. The reader is left with no better understanding of politics or the current situation. It’s just preaching to the choir.

Please hire someone who understands politics.