NAFTA Vote

I had hoped the NAFTA vote in the House of Representatives (Nov. 18) would demonstrate to the world leaders that Bill Clinton is a leader and truly presidential. Unfortunately, it did not as evidenced by the fact that out of 258 Democrat votes, 156 or 60% voted against the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Franklin Roosevelt and other great Presidents were able to galvanize party support as opposed to Clinton’s inability to command the necessary respect and loyalty of fellow Democrats.

JERRY VOGLER

West Los Angeles

* Jerry Brown was right when during the Democratic primaries he pointed out that Clinton was being financed by the same corporate money as George Bush. The rainbow coalition of conservationists, factory workers, gays, farm laborers, peace marchers, academics who voted for Clinton in spite of Brown’s warnings should have, after the NAFTA vote, no further illusions about who Clinton is--a Democrat in Wall-Street clothing.

JOHN HERMANN

Long Beach

* Let me see if I have this straight. NAFTA is supposed to be a free trade agreement, but all the members of Congress who voted for NAFTA were given protection from free trade in exchange for their vote. This means that only people who live in a district where their representative voted against NAFTA will have free trade.

I wonder why people think that government is such a joke?

WILLIAM V. FERRARO

Seal Beach

* Our system issues outweigh the trade issue.

Why can’t a congressman be required to vote the same way his constituents would vote? Why can the President spend my money to buy votes, but my lobbyist can’t?

THERON COLLIER

La Habra