What is going on in McCain's head?

Sovereign? Does John McCain know what that word means? He first says Iraq is a sovereign nation. Then he refuses to agree with its sovereign leaders that the U.S. needs to get out. Then, he co-opts a touching line by saying, "Today, we're all Georgians," despite the fact that it was Georgians attacking people who wanted to be sovereign. Then he defends Georgian sovereignty while ignoring Iraqi sovereignty.

What is going on in this guy's head? … Is he going to forget one day that our own country is a sovereign nation, too? Or perhaps name the local gas station sovereign, demanding the customers stop illegally immigrating? Sadly, the only bigger joke of a candidate for president than McCain has lived in the White House for almost eight years.

Garth Gregory Hansen

Escondido

Arnold an actor, not a leader

I disagree with your Sunday editorial, "Schwarzenegger retakes role as reformer," Aug. 24. What did Arnold reform? He is an opportunist who participated in the shameful political assassination of Gray Davis that was masterminded and funded by mega-millionaire/ultra-right-wing politician Darrell Issa.

Gov. Davis is a legitimate war hero who was a fair and effective governor of California. He was a victim of the so-called California "energy crisis" orchestrated by Enron, which created an artificial shortage of oil. The book "Enron: The Smartest Guy In The Room" describes a meeting between an Enron executive and Schwarzenegger, where Arnold volunteered to "talk to his friends" in the legislature to get them to agree with Ken Lay's scheme for energy prices. All of us paid the price and Lay eventually went to jail.

When Issa failed in his attempt to use the recall to become governor himself, Schwarzenegger stepped into the breach and ran a divisive campaign blaming Gov. Davis for the energy crisis that he [may have helped] to create. His performance during that campaign was the best acting he did in his life.

Bob Fisher

Encinitas

Build and upgrade the power station

The proposed NRG power station at the existing Encina Power Station facility in Carlsbad is desperately needed and well-planned. It is a state-of-the-art facility and energy-efficient.

Why, then, is the Carlsbad City Council unanimously opposed to it ("Carlsbad's council votes to oppose power plant project")? If they build the new and more-efficient plant on the proposed 40 acres next to the freeway, it still leaves a significant portion of oceanfront land, the most desirable piece, that could be developed as the city envisions. Even if the oceanfront piece is never developed, the county's energy needs trump the need for anything else. We've had Encina on that spot for over 50 years, and it hasn't seemed to hurt Carlsbad's reputation or its coffers. It's white noise.

Stop wasting time and build the upgraded power station.

Chuck Smith

Carlsbad

McCain is pulling a bait and switch

At first glance, McCain's choosing Sarah Palin for veep seems transparent; the old guy wants to make some history of his own with this May/December pairing. Heck, whose first thought wouldn't be "veep material" upon meeting this hardy Alaskan mother of five (one still nursing)? McSame, whose mantra, "party over country and anything else that gets in the way," reportedly has spent all of 15 minutes with her. Oh wait, perhaps it's a McLame attempt to attract disgruntled Hillary Rodham Clinton supporters. …

Now it becomes clear: Choose a woman, qualifications notwithstanding, and hope to get those disenfranchised Clintonites and indies to sweep you into the Oval Office. Once there, give it a couple of months, then lend a sympathetic ear to the distraught, family-values mother who, feeling the heat in D.C., yearns to return to the ice floes and care for her infant child and brood. McSame, dutifully accepting her tearful resignation, will then bring in the veep of his choosing, one who would fail to get them elected if on the ticket in November. In retail, that's called bait and switch; in politics, it's Rovian sleight of hand.

Patricia Newton

Escondido

McCain is shooting craps again

It's very clear that John McCain is trying to go after the American female vote, and hoping that enough of the female voters will not notice that Sarah is only going to function as a token female with absolutely no say in the White House operations, foreign or domestic policies. And no matter what McCain tells the American people, she'll be placed in a nice big office in the White House … and she'll do social functions with McCain's wife in Washington, D.C., and around the country. VP Sarah will be called upon to give a speech once in a while to support or clean up a McCain screw-up. The fact is, she knows very little about Congress, the court system and the executive branch. If McCain should die in his first term in office … Vice President Sarah would then become the president (and she's no Hillary Clinton, whom I believe could be a strong president).

John is shooting craps again! He's praying that the average American female votes emotionally without taking into account the issues, abilities, past record and statements of future wants of those people running for office. This, of course, can be said also of the average American male voter. Who knows? John may be right. But, dear God, I hope he's wrong! Anyway, we'll see in November.

Gary Myers

Oceanside

Missing the point about drilling

You know the momentum for real change is building when an oilman and environmentalist agree! Yet that is just what is happening.

In Denver this week, Texas oil billionaire T. Boone Pickens and Sierra Club Executive Director Carl Pope talked about the Pickens Plan, which calls for huge increases in investment and production of wind power and using American natural gas as a transition. In a recent ad publicizing the plan, Pickens says the current debate over drilling "misses the point." I agree! The current political emphasis on whether or not to open up more of the coastline to drilling is a distraction, a head fake. Pickens, who's made billions from oil, believes the Bush administration is wildly exaggerating how much oil can be found offshore and in Alaska.

The failed policies of the past won't move us forward. True economic opportunity for all Americans is in clean energy technologies like wind and solar. Even T. Boone Pickens understands that â€"â€" the question is, when will our leaders in Washington?

Lynda Daniels

Oceanside

Sarah Palin's resume bests Obama's

Let's see, Sarah Palin started out as an inexperienced PTA member but did a good job. Graduated with a journalism degree and a minor in political science, not too bad. Was runner-up in the 1984 Miss Alaska pageant, all the guys said "hurrah." Became a city council member in Wasilla, Alaska, and later served two terms as mayor of Wasilla, did a good job but was forced out by term limits. Lost election for lieutenant governor but appointed to chair Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

She upset a former Republican governor in the primaries and soundly defeated a two-term Democrat governor. Bucked the good-old-boy network when Sen. Stevens got pork-barrel funding for a $50 million bridge to nowhere, nixing the deal, saying, "If we want a $50 million bridge, we'll build and pay for it ourselves." Worked on a salmon fishing boat with her husband, mothered five children and, along with her husband, is a union member. Now she's a vice presidential candidate. Seems to me she's right on track.

On the other hand, Obama worked as a neighborhood organizer and has campaigned for the presidency for two of the almost three years since elected to the Senate. Now who has the most experience?

Ernest Sparks

Vista

Leave the children of politicians alone

The news media seems to be holding up Sarah Palin as a sort of saint for not aborting her Down syndrome child. I highly resent that. The woman is not the only one to bear a child with that syndrome. It is not a tragedy. They are easy to raise, happy people who are loving and moral. All they need is extra attention and training to grow into happy, productive adults.

What kind of children she has is not necessary for the voters to know. Only, in the matter of children, that she is against abortion is pertinent. Her record as a politician is pertinent and how well she did her job. There is no reason to characterize the children of politicians, good or bad, as people do vary and one's children's lifestyles or handicaps do not add to the reason for voting for a person.

I would hope your writers would leave politicians' children alone except maybe for their ages and numbers.

Shirly Fletcher

Carlsbad

Arts center has never been out of debt

The headline in the paper said, "Arts center posts $723K deficit for 2007-08," Aug. 27. The taxpayers would have to read the entire article to clearly understand that the arts center has a deficit of $3.25 million. When the taxpayers figure the cost of maintaining our homes we have to consider water, electricity, taxes, sewer, etc. When the cost of everything to the taxpayer is figured, the deficit is $3.25 million. When the entire cost of running the arts center is listed, it has never been out of debt in 14 years. Not 11 of 14, as stated in the article.

Quoted in the North County Times when I voted in favor of the arts center, the paper said if the $85 million is approved by the voters, it would never cost the taxpayers money in the future. What has its deficit cost the city of Escondido, $25 million to $30 million in the last 14 years? This money could surely be used to benefit all the citizens and not just the elite as it is now.

Clarence Weiler

Escondido

Maverick with spots

McCain is not a maverick, he is a leopard that has changed his spots. McCain in 2000 would not vote for McCain in 2008. What a sad state of affairs. No form of sanity can possibly continue to endorse a war and policies based upon WMDs lies that re-elected the most incompetent and corrupt U.S. president ever. No thanks, Mr. McCain. Go away.

Bush has crippled our country and economy, and we will not allow more of the same. The oily clans of Bush and Cheney will be extremely well off. Please don't feel bad for them. Feel bad for the people of California victimized by Enron, Exxon and Bush's lies. We need to say goodbye to the United States of Corruption, and hello to change.

Robert Watson

Carlsbad

Wal-Mart and the Olympics

I stayed up and watched most of the Olympics. They were fascinating. Although I wanted the United States to win everything, we all know that wasn't possible.

One thing I was wondering was this: Out of all the commercials sponsoring the Olympics, I never saw a Wal-Mart commercial. Since 90 percent of stuff being shipped out of China goes directly to Wal-Mart, and then to us, why wasn't Wal-Mart involved in any commercials? I guess with all those people already shopping there, maybe they don't need to advertise. See you at the checkout.

Sherry Spoutz

Oceanside

Can art survive in the avocado jungle?

Five years ago, I contacted Escondido Councilman Ed Gallo, the leading art center naysayer, and offered the services of my Consortium of Arts Organizations, such as Lincoln Center, North Carolina School of the Arts and Black Mountain CollegeˇMuseum and Art Center.

As Jim Trageser pointed out in his recent opine ("A chance to make the arts center work right," Aug. 31), you can't bring about change or reform if it depends on a mediocre, unimaginative hierarchy/management team, which in my opinion has always been the problem with the arts center. The political factions that have held sway over the arts center for the past 14 years need to be removed. In fact, I would strongly recommend a clean sweep of the arts center by starting with a whole new management team. Also, Escondido's City Council needs to stick to square dancing! Thomas Powers

Carlsbad

McCain unqualified for presidency

While reading Scott Harris' attempt at speech-writing ("What McCain should say in his speech," Perspective, Aug. 31), I could almost hear the swells of fifes and drums in the distance. His attempt to paint McCain as a noble servant of the people fails to resonate and gives many reasons why McCain is unqualified for the presidency. To proclaim that "we did the right thing" in going into Iraq, knowing what we now know, shows a complete lack of judgment and validates the actions of the criminal Bush administration.

To say that, "I do not question Sen. Obama's character, his values or patriotism" is a lie. McCain has said that Obama would "lose a war to win an election" … and has said nothing about the right-wing slander machine that now does for him what it did for Bush in the last two elections. What does that say about his character? The repeated canard about Republican fiscal responsibility glosses over the trillions in red ink that has been added to the staggering national debt under Republican administrations.

Lastly, the crocodile tears for the people of Georgia completely ignores the reality of the situation and seeks to rekindle the smoldering embers of the Cold War.

John Musser

Vista

Palin for VP? Yikes!

Sarah Palin for vice president? McCain is 72 and has a serious history of cancer (melanoma). How is it that he sees Palin as the most-qualified Republican to assume the office of president of the United States if something, God forbid, were to happen to him?

McCain accused Obama of being willing to "lose the war to get elected," but with his selection of Palin, it is McCain who places the nation in jeopardy for political expediency by selecting someone unknown who, with only two years' experience as governor of one of the smallest states in population, has extremely weak qualifications for the job. Is he looking for disaffected Hillary votes?

I think those who truly care about the security of this country need to ask themselves the following question: Would Sarah Palin ever be considered at this point in her career as a viable candidate for the presidency of the United States? If your answer is no, then on this issue alone, you cannot in good conscience vote for this ticket. With this choice, McCain has, in a spectacular fashion, failed the judgment test.

Given Harrison

Carlsbad

Ponytail shows Palin's lack of judgment

Regarding Mrs. Palin: What is up with the ponytail? Does this woman have no sense? She wore a ponytail for her announcement as vice president. And as to mouthing Hillary's words, let me say to her, darlin', you are no Hillary Clinton.

Would your readers really entrust global decisions to someone with a pony tail and the lack of judgment that caused her to have one? I am a Hillary supporter and mourn the U.S.A.'s loss of her as a potential president, but I am a Democrat and Sen. Obama will be just fine.

Jan Fisher

Encinitas

Same old GOP garbage

No surprise here that the GOP selected someone who's in bed with Big Oil as a vice presidential nominee ("McCain taps Alaska governor for VP," Aug. 29). Their ticket is now complete to continue the last eight years for four more. They have a presidential nominee who will carry on the failed war-mongering policies of George W. Bush, and a VP nominee who will carry on the Big Oil energy policies of Dick Cheney.

How sad for the GOP. They used to be able to carry their heads high with pride and dignity. Not anymore.

Phil Acosta

Vista

Communities are being destabilized

Rhode Island Gov. Don Carcieri recently signed an executive order to step up the fight against the gross abuses and costs that illegal aliens are imposing on his state's legal citizens. With a catastrophic budget crisis at hand, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger should protect California's citizens from the millions of illegal aliens who are destabilizing our communities statewide by doing the same.

All across our nation, honor, common sense and adherence to the rule of law are prompting legislators to heed their constituents' repeated demands to stop this illegal alien invasion from Mexico and the correlative anarchy and lawlessness that are so destructive to the socioeconomic/demographic fabric of our cities nationwide. Federal issue, you say? So is bank robbery, yet local police everywhere fight this crime without waiting for the feds to assist!ˇ

The billions of our hard-earned tax dollars that are being illegally directed toward the education, medication and incarceration of illegals should be going to take care of our legal Americans: our military personnel, and our needy and impoverished! The current presidential wannabes all advocate an amnesty that will surely obliterate what's left of our nation's sovereignty.

Gary Walker

Escondido