Nomination of Inman for Defense

President Clinton’s appointment of Retired Adm. Bobby Inman (Dec. 17) to replace the tired and ineffective Les Aspin as secretary of defense is his first sign of courage and intelligence in a Cabinet appointment. Janet Reno was an accident. After his mishandling of all the earlier nominees for the post of attorney general, she may have been a fortunate accident. Time will tell. Inman is the first appointee who doesn’t fit the previous Clinton profile of either being a political hack, albeit a well-known political hack, or an appointee to fill the desires of a special interest group.

Now Clinton, who could take this first opportunity to show that he has the courage to correct a serious mistake, has publicly asked Aspin what other government job he is interested in. Is he kidding? This man is a disaster.

JERRY KERN

Glendale

* Finally Aspin gets something right. Now if only Reno, Donna Shalala, Joycelyn Elders and the rest of the misfits that constitute the Administration would follow his lead.

J. ROBIN ROSSI

Playa del Rey

* The Administration’s spin on the resignation of Les Aspin is that President Clinton lost confidence in the secretary. When will this Administration shoot straight with America? The truth is Aspin lost confidence in Clinton!

Aspin was the only member of a Cabinet filled with radicals who supported the military. He was fighting to put more money into the defense budget, something the President couldn’t tolerate.

The real reason Aspin left is because of Clinton’s policy to gut the military during these uncertain times, and a further reason may be Clinton’s anger over Aspin’s approval of the President’s nemesis, conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh, being heard on Armed Forces Radio.

PHIL FERRARO

Downey

* It is tragic that Inman did not see fit to pay Social Security taxes for his household employee of seven years until after his nomination (Dec. 21). Now the choice facing the Senate is whether to pass the nomination of a capable leader and further weaken the moral fiber of the country--or pass over this man and make a statement for the principles which originally made our country great.

SHIRLEY E. ROTH

Fountain Valley

* Let’s give President Clinton the credit he deserves. His determination to reduce the federal deficit should be applauded. A few more Cabinet-level nominations and the taxes generated may very well have this nation operating in the black.

JOSEPH BARRETT

Fullerton