Mrs. Potato Head

http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2005/11/09//news_letters//opinion_letters.1.txt

Bush's solid term stands up to criticism

Fact: Bush has spent 114 percent more on the poor than Clinton did in eight years.

Fact: At 41 polling points Oct. 28, 2005, George Bush is still not as low as Bill Clinton's lowest of 35.

Fact: The Democrats win hands down when you measure how many American soldiers they had killed in the past 100 years of Democratic wars -- almost 300,000.

Fact: 2,000 soldiers have died in Iraq in three years, yet the Democrats don't care that more than 16,000 citizens are killed in America and most in Democratic blue states.

Fact: Democrats want high gas prices. John Kerry wants a 50-cent gas tax so he can kill our economy.

Fact: To live up to the Kyoto Treaty that Bill Clinton signed and Congress defeated, we need $5 gasoline, and to close all coal-fired and nuclear plants.

Fact: If we walk out of Iraq now, we will have terrorists on every street in America, the same as Iraq because they will believe we are weak and will roll over and play dead like the Democrats want!

Fact: We moved back to Idaho in 1988 and 90 percent of all the dairies here were here then and guess what,? Idaho had Democratic governors from 1971 to 1994. People blame the GOP because they want Kempthorne to be the bad guy and shut them all down and ruin the economy in Idaho.

That should make the Democrats happy. Kill the economy.

Fact: People who oppose the coal-fired plant are hypocrites because not a one of them have quit using power or driving because they believe we can keep bringing in 11,000 illegals year after year and never run out of power.

Fact: All the states in the North and West and Alaska are short the same percent of salmon. The only thing they all have in common is the ocean and no one has been able to tell us how tearing down four dams will restore salmon.

Fact: I thank God every day for George Bush. He is not perfect but so much better than any Democrat because they hate Christians, unborn babies, molested children and common sense, and Democrats want to keep murderers all alive and turn all child molesters loose, take Christmas out of America's schools and Easter or anything Christian. Where does all that hate come from? I have been in politics since 1952 and have never felt so much hate!

ER
Hagerman


http://www.magicvalley.com/articles/2005/11/16/news_letters/opinion_letters.6.txt

GOP defenders need more than ethics course

"If we do not succeed, we run the risk of failure." (Dan Quayle)

I try to keep up on politics, at least the latest scandals, but Mrs. Robinson's letter nearly flattened me. She not only knows everything there is to know on current issues and the past 100 years, but her arguments are so advanced as to entirely escape me. I do hope she is not imagining any of this.

How do we fix this mess? The world is agog: Tom DeLay indicted, Scooter Libby indicted, the Karl Rove rumors, the Miers nomination was sunk start to finish. It just makes me sick what this liberal press is doing to these patriots.

Bush's job approval ratings -- on overall job performance, the economy, foreign policy, terrorism and Iraq -- are at all-time lows, but the five major oil companies defended the industry's huge profits Wednesday at a Senate hearing where lawmakers said they should explain prices and assure people they're not being gouged. Democrats had wanted the executives to testify under oath, but Republicans rejected that as unnecessary.

Then the White House began mandatory, hourlong briefings for an estimated 3,000 staffers on ethics and the handling of classified information in response to the Libby indictment. Of course, senior administration officials and the president, the ones who really need this course, won't attend.

Given this administration's willingness to ignore public opinion and forge on in spite of its mistakes, exposed lies and corruption, it might try to make a case for a national emergency like a flu pandemic or more terror alerts.

This administration just loves to beguile us with a rollicking good story, truth be damned. In true conservative, post-Katrina fashion, the right wing has gone into "the blame mode" as it tries to divert people's attention.

And oh, Mrs. Robinson: Jesus loves you more than you will know -- in spite of your hate-filled letter.

Stan Metcalf
Gooding

Getting dry here.

I sometimes envision the 58% pro-Bushco Idahoans being smacked in the head with one of those giant picture postcard potatoes. Suddenly, the administration is revealed for what it is–a Stephen King movie!

It is now obvious to me that I have expected too much of these people. They approve of their senators once again defeating an increase in the minimum wage. There must be some attraction to working two and three jobs to make ends meet that I fail to appreciate. Meanwhile, they continue to support Craig and Crapo pocketing $162,100 per year (seven raises totaling $28,000 since the last minimum wage increase).

Sen. Michael Enzi, R-Wyo did submit an amendment to increase the minimum wage by $1.10 which was defeated. It included wiping out the 40-hour work week, cutting overtime pay and lessening job safety and health protection. Small business would have been exempted from the Fair Labor Standards Act. I suspect they want to get rid of that $1.10 before all of the other benefits are approved.

I noticed Craig drafted another amendment to exempt large cow factories from admitting what they are releasing into the air. Smooth move, Ex-Lax. I guess people do like holding their breath until they hit the mountains.

It’s almost a guessing game waiting for winter. Will there be one so we have water next year or will it bury us? How many elderly on fixed incomes will die if everything freezes? The 58% must see the wisdom in reducing the number of Social Security beneficiaries. Don’t worry though, because oil companies just posted 75 to 89% profit increases last quarter.

Seymour Hersh, renown for uncovering much of this administration’s hidden agenda, was recently asked his opinion on the future of America. He replied, “We’re screwed.”

Our nation’s poor have increased by 4 million since 2001; this after three years of GOP-hyped “economic recovery.” Low unemployment means little when new jobs don’t provide enough income to escape poverty. In 2004, 50% of income went to the top 1/5 of households; most of it to the top 5%.

Now Congress is cutting programs for the disadvantaged to pay for gulf reconstruction and Iraq while retaining tax cuts that benefit the wealthiest in our society.

If these people ever decide they’re missing some inalienable rights they used to have, I know a few cow factories where they can dig for them.

SM