'Nuff said

To the editor,

Linc France's letter on Aug. 26 frets about the $477 million national deficit and the attack on Medicare and Social Security, but he never once mentions Republicans, nor George Bush in particular.

I think Linc, like so many other people, are just so dead-set against Democrats and "liberals" they can't see the forest for the trees. They just won't take the time to learn that many of our most critical problems result from the core agenda of the Republican Party. This is the party of the wealthy, the corporate rich, and all their national policy flows from this over-arching priority.

So, Linc, it is not hopeless at all. We can use the power of the vote for change, and vote the Republicans out of office in November.

It's a simple fact than in just under four years, the Republicans have tacked on $800 million in national debt and given huge tax breaks to the wealthy at the expense of those of middle and lower incomes, the result being the rich become richer and the rest of us become progressively poorer.

It is no surprise the Republicans are looking to Medicare and Social Security to help pay the Bush deficit—who really depends on Medicare and Social Security? It's sure not the wealthy.

Which party demanded the war on Iraq, this unnecessary, incredibly difficult and costly war that we now know was justified with lies and factual ignorance? This war has been conducted with one horrible miscalculation or mistake after another, resulting in aberrations like torture abroad and the erosion of our rights and freedoms here at home. Rushing to make war on Iraq, but botching the "war on terror," we know the Republican agenda of the last four years has resulted in a tremendous weakening of our economy, the loss of millions of jobs, each year with millions of new families sinking below the poverty level as well as millions losing health insurance, and it is now clear the U.S.A. is currently in even more danger from terrorism than before 9/11.

The Bush approach to the rest of the world has created, in just under four years, widespread global disrespect, even hatred, of America, and the ranks and resolve of terrorists has hugely increased. The Republican agenda simply does not include the large majority of Americans, and the plain facts over the last four years prove it to be a dismal failure in every major respect.

However, this is not what you will hear in all the campaign rhetoric. Instead, you will hear the endless repetition of the same old lies and promises. To repair the damage done to our country by the Bush administration will undoubtedly take decades, but we need to change the course of events now by voting for an agenda that once again promotes true peace and prosperity for America and the world.

This is not rocket science—the Republican record of the last four years is very clear—in a word, a failure. We desperately need new leadership.

Don Kiehn

East Glacier