Political Ads and Senate Race

Today, our politicians must hire specialists to make ads that will invade our hearts and abandon our minds, or they have a slim chance of being elected. There is something un-American about the political commercials on TV, commercials that are always an illogical cheap shot. The Democrats are just as guilty as the Republicans.

After watching the many political TV commercials, I can only come to one conclusion. The attack on America won’t be at the beaches, it won’t be on our airports or harbors, our industry or military bases. The attack will be to gain control of our TVs. And, by doing so they shall have used our hearts to control how we vote. Will they win America? Perhaps they already have.

Maybe the time has come for a lot more power to be shifted to local government and away from the federal government, so Americans will be able to vote from how their lives are being lived, instead of what they see on TV.

CAREY LIVINGSTON

Yucaipa

* I see that Republican Gov. Pete Wilson in his reelection campaign is trying to keep business in the state. In fact he now claims credit for keeping Fox studios from leaving (Sept. 26). On the other hand, Republican senatorial candidate Mike Huffington takes pride in the fact that he failed to come to the aid of a major California company because he didn’t want to be “beholden to private interests.”

Now, tell me--these candidates for the highest governmental offices in the state, coming from the same political party, are showing radically different views; which path shall we choose?

IRVIN M. GOTTLIEB

North Hollywood

* Let us finally dispense with this notion that Huffington “is buying” this election for the U.S. Senate and that Dianne Feinstein is the poor girl doing what most politicians do.

Everyone who spends money for a political job is buying that job. Whether one uses his own money or that of others, i.e., special interest groups and other contributors, does not matter. The sadness is that Feinstein is very reluctant to use any part of her $50 million (Sept. 25).

I am no apologist for Huffington, but The Times does report on Sept. 23 that Feinstein received $390,970 from interests opposing health care reform. It had been previously reported she withdrew her “support” position “quietly” last May, suggesting the reform bill be postponed till after the November elections. Huffington accepts no special-interest money. By this stretch of one’s imagination, can we suggest that special-interest groups are buying Feinstein’s election?

HARRY WALD

Westlake Village

* Does Huffington honestly believe that after watching his misleading television commercials the voters will fall for his line that he is not answerable to special interests because he is financing his Senate race entirely out of his own pocketful of millions? Isn’t it obvious that this man with less than one term in the House and no record of accomplishment for his recently adopted state does have a special interest--himself?

ROBERT J. SWITZER

West Hollywood

* If a senator or representative has over a 50% approval rating at the end of the year, in the year before elections, he or she should automatically be assigned a second term. This would save loads of money and spare voters the task of weeding through lies and smears by carpetbaggers like Huffington.

DIANNA STERN

Anaheim