Joe Wilson the liar

I believe Congressman Joe Wilson lied when he said that he had an emotional outburst when he screamed "you lie" during President Obama's presidential address to Congress. I believe it was a cynical, planned and successful attempt to interrupt and stop an honest dialogue about the need to reform our corrupt health care system.

Wilson isn't a novice politician. He has spent the past 25 years sitting through these types of sessions in the South Carolina Senate and U.S. Congress. Nothing Obama said came as a surprise to him. Why did he do it?

Here's a clue: Wilson began his career on the staff of Sen. Strom Thurmond ... who ran for president on the platform of legalizing racial segregation. That tells me all I need to know about Wilson's character.

I believe this was a cynical attempt by the ultra-right wing of the Republican party to use hate and fear-mongering as a political tactic. I would also like to see an honest accounting of how much financial and in-kind support Wilson has and will receive from health industry lobbyists.

I believe he should carry a sign that says "For Sale to Highest Bidder."

Bob Fisher

Encinitas

War and peace

Iraq and Iran never attacked U.S. soil. Also, the Iraq invasion in 1991 destroyed Hussein's significant weapons. This is old news, and yet someone wrote to denounce another American as "wimpy" and "whiny" and to leave for understanding this (Letters, Sept. 12).

Yes, Saddam Hussein used the chemicals Donald Rumsfeld gave him to poison Kurds in his own land. Everyone knows that. But in 2003, weapons inspectors Hans Blix and El Baradei correctly stated that Hussein had nothing significant. Calling that view "illiterate" is erroneous. Such slander should be directed to Rumsfeld, who lied to our military that the Iraq invasion would avenge 9/11 and would last only three months. Or to Dick Cheney, who first made the false claim that Hussein caused 9/11.

The next time any official intentionally lies to the U.S. military, he should be fired immediately, in my opinion. But no, we have people who, incredibly, actually still defend this. And Cheney wanted to drop a nuke on Iran, so it's also puzzling that Hussein is denounced for bombing Iran, who fought him. We're not "at war" with Iraq or Iran.

Again, we're fighting to neutralize al-Qaida and its subsidiaries, who plan to, and did, attack us -- hence our forces in Afghanistan.

Richard Sauerheber

San Marcos

From body-surfing to waterboarding

If you have ever done any body-surfing and been caught in a giant wave and caught yourself upside down digging into the sand thinking you were going up with all the carbon dioxide rushing to the bottom of your lungs and you panic because you can't breathe and you think you're drowning -- sounds like the same feelings described by those who have been waterboarded.

When I was young and surfing, I experienced this more than one time and found it extremely frightening, but not torture.

Mel Scott

Vista

Meeting was not held by project's developer

As director of community relations for the Merriam Mountains project, I schedule all of the community presentations and meetings regarding the project.

The presentation Mr. Gerald Lenhard (Letters, Sept. 23) claims to have attended on Sept. 8 was not presented by the developer and staff of Merriam Mountains.

Anyone who has attended one of our numerous community presentations knows that the developers of the Merriam Mountains project take the issue of water very seriously. If Mr. Lenhard would like to see our presentation, please contact me: linda@merriammountains.com.

Linda Bailey

Escondido

Sad to say good-bye to an old friend

The death of George Cordry leaves a void in the Escondido community. George was one of those unsung leaders who didn't seek recognition, but deserved it.

As the managing editor of the former Times-Advocate for 14 years (1965 to 1979), George helped shape the newsroom policies and attitude of an award-winning newspaper under publisher Carl Appleby.

George and I, intimate friends for more than 50 years, were colleagues in the Times-Advocate newsroom for 25 of those years. I watched George rise through the ranks, evolving from a cub sports writer to an accomplished editor and manager of people.

George was a people person, as all of those who knew him will attest. He was a conscientious and committed newspaperman, helping to gain the trust of T-A readers in a profession that today is mistrusted by many in the general public.

George, even though working for a small daily newspaper, was recognized and respected by his peers in the profession, having served on the board of directors of the editors' conference of the California Newspaper Publishers Association. That conference met annually in Palo Alto with the Stanford University journalism department.

It is with sadness I say good-bye to an old friend.

Ronald Kenney Sr.

Escondido

Rather pay to keep Americans healthy

When they talk about health care costs and deficits, many of our politicians and others have forgotten the huge $1 trillion-plus deficit Americans have been burdened with from the Bush/Cheney administration. Money spent primarily for killing tens of thousands of innocent people, including thousands of our Americans and hundreds of billions of billions of property damage and destruction.

I, for one, would rather see my taxes go for keeping Americans healthy and alive rather than for death and destruction. In addition, I want our elected representatives to represent the people who vote for them, not those who buy their votes.

Americans who want the truth about health care in the U.S. and in other industrialized countries should do their own research. Listening to some disgruntled politician or some maniacal radio or TV talking head seldom results in any factual or truthful information.

As great as America is in some areas of health and safety, we are still not much better off than many Third World countries.

We must accept the fact that politicians want our votes, but unfortunately some want the dollars from drug and insurance companies more.

Clarence Wagner

Encinitas

Voter's remorse?

Speaking of "lipstick on a pig" (the Sept. 4 letter by Patrick Frawley): What? No purple heart? It was Patrick himself who wrote that he stood ground at a nuclear facility. This "poor thinker" wonders why Patrick is so obsessed with me that he continues his diatribes letter after letter after letter. Give it a break, man. You are making yourself look foolish. Oh, for the good old days when it was Dubya.

Obama is still having fun with Air Force I and all the toys and perks afforded the office of the presidency, even though every trip costs the taxpayers millions. Yep, he (Obama) is sure for the little guy. The Obamas' latest vacation placed them "smack dab" in the middle of rich elitists who really don#,t care that America is in the middle of a severe recession.

So many campaign promises broken. How proud are George W. and John McCain now, since they helped this unqualified college kid win the White House?

Voter's remorse, anyone?

Junious Montgomery

Carlsbad

Obama is helping to revitalize the GOP

Is President Obama revitalizing the Republican Party and destroying the Democratic Party? Just look at the number of people -- Republicans, true Democrats and Independents -- who attend the TEA parties and town hall meetings. These people do not want government invading every phase of their life (it's not just health care). Scary.

So many things worry people into being passionate, like having government health care shoved down their throat. Take care of those in need and leave the rest of us alone. Simple, isn't it? Not good enough for this administration. Why do this when other countries that have socialized medicine have to go private? Senseless, unless you want to take over health care to control the country.

Clear up the fraud in Medicare and Medicaid. How can they take over the health care system when Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security are broke? ... Scary.

Madness. Putting the (rights?) of terrorists above the lives of American citizens. Wanting to punish those who saved us, which will embolden the terrorists to plan and carry out attacks. More than scary.

Jean Carroll

Carlsbad

Letter writer should educate himself

The uneducated rambling of Michael Mufson in the Sept. 17 Community Voices section of the North County Times is very revealing why the slobbering Obama left has been brainwashed.

He claims the Republican Party cares only for power. I beg to differ. The power grab by the Democrats for automotive, financial and health care control is blatant thievery by the government. The appointment of over 30 "czars" by Obama is unconstitutional at best. ...

The Democrats have thrown out every reasonable cost-cutting amendment to the health care bill proposed by the Republicans to "protect the American public."

They (would) have been made aware of these events had (they) attended the town hall meeting in Vista with Representative Darrell Issa. If in fact (Mufson) did attend, he apparently wasn't paying attention. If he had, he would have been made aware of Mr. Issa's less-than-12-page proposal (not the 1,000-plus document that has not even been thoroughly read or even understood by those few who have read it) that has since been smothered by the Democrats. ...

I recommend Mr. Mufson educate himself before putting pen to paper and pontificating to show his political ignorance to the voters of North County.

Don Brust

Valley Center

Sayonara, Iran

To the Iranian leader: The world knows you want to develop an atomic bomb, that is your right as a sovereign nation. But have you really thought about what you will do with it?

If you believe the myth that you must destroy Israel and rocket a nuclear missile destroying Tel Aviv, your population will be reduced by 90 percent within 24 hours. Is this your goal?

Allah cannot protect you, for you will become the aggressor, not a savior, and you will die in a self-induced holocaust. Sayonara ...

Richard Zacher

Oceanside

When conservatism lost Hillary Rodham

According to a Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story," one of Barry Goldwater's supporters in 1964 was a 17-year-old golly-gee Republican girl named Hillary Rodham. Somebody caught her naivete on the rebound from the conservative affectation and took her to the poor neighborhoods.

She emerged worldly wise and a devotee of a crusade instead of a class. And she could have stuck with the affluence that sent her to private college, but she purged her soul, while selling it, for a higher contempt that resonated more with its object, than the facade based on pure gain. Greed loses and the unwashed masses win when the highest callings fail to reach the basest needs.

The Hillarys will fish the salmon that could not make the run. I was a Goldwater conservative at 21, a Marine and in my first evangelistic church in San Diego, and my life has been one of shame, humiliation and rejection, trying to join my own cause. They really know how to make you know your place when you're not of their cut. It's a miracle I did not go the same route Hillary took.

Edward Karlson

Oceanside

Say no to blue pill

It is nauseating to watch the Obama-bots faithfully repeat the misleading message points spewed by Obama on health care. They deliver these talking points with unerring accuracy, undoubtedly making David Axelrod proud. Think for yourselves for a change!

Obama wants to spend $900 billion to cover 30 million people for 10 years (or is it 47 million? He can't keep it straight). To do this, he wants to dismantle the best health care system in the world ... and add a minimum $1 trillion to our exploding deficit. If Obama could pay for it by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, he should be proving that already; that claim is bogus and he knows it.

These same Obama-bots spewing this nonsense tell us that Obama had a "mandate" from the people when he won the election with 52.8 percent at the polls. Currently, 56 percent of people polled are opposed to Obama's health care overhaul. Seems that 56 percent is a greater "mandate" than 52.8 percent, so why doesn't Obama honor the new "mandate"?

It's not that people are against health care reform, it's that they don't want to swallow the bitter blue pill that Obama, Reid and Pelosi are trying to shove down our throats.

Robert Gladden

Oceanside