A Country Tired of Democrats Gives GOP Its Turn

Re: Sarah L. Catz’s, “Republicans Get a Chance to Prove That It’s Been the Democrats’ Fault,” (Nov. 20). Nice try, Ms. Catz, but no cigars when you state: “I sincerely believe you (the Republicans) only have two years to prove yourselves. I hope you don’t mess it up.”

Well, just how many years under a Democrat-controlled Congress has it taken to get us into the mess we face?

All of our troubles have been cumulative and have been brought about chiefly because of the misuse of power and the misuse of money, which Congress has been given by the American people to spend wisely.

I ask, who do you think you are to place a timetable on how long it will take to right our national ship, which has been plagued with irresponsibility at the congressional and state levels? No one really knows how long it will take. Stop insulting intelligent people!

And, as Catz states, “start dealing with issues and combine your pragmatism with thoughtfulness.” I believe that their “contract with America” deals with the issues that are responsible and important. As for her comment about ensuring a Democratic majority for the next 40 years if the next two years are “wasted”--what utter nonsense.

The lack of objectivity in Catz’s words are indicative of one reason the Democratic Party has lost credibility. Perhaps she is gaining her insights with a crystal ball that none of us possess.

JOE PIERCE

Santa Ana

* Gee whiz! Golly, gee whiz!! It was so nice reading that Mark Petracca really had the gall to tell the GOP that it had to change its policies and not the other way around (“The GOP Must Change Its Politics,” Nov. 20). Most other analysts, astute ones however, seemed to think the recent deluge of elected Republicans was a repudiation of the current big-government-running-your-life-for-you approach. Many of us are tired of the “I’ll show you how to take your money and how to spend it for you” attitude of FDR, Lyndon Johnson, the current liberal and her husband, Bill, and many of the GOP that have voted with them.

Directly above Petracca’s article is a piece by an officer of the Democratic Foundation of Orange County telling the Republicans that “we need consensus-building, not name-calling. We are so, so tired of name-calling. (OK, Newt?)” (and presumably Shrillary, and maybe even Petracca).

However, wide-of-the-Mark has to tell us it is the GOP (and not also the Dems?) that has “eschewed compromise, emphasized obstruction and encouraged rhetorical bombast.” This is a classic example of the kettle calling the pot black. Petracca must have a graduate degree in Myopia from the Bill Press School of Shaded California Journalism. A political scientist should be able to tell the difference between anyone criticizing individual leaders of Congress, and supposedly spending 40 years “denigrating” the institution itself. Calling critics “bombastic” is intellectually insulting to those who are not of his ilk. How condescending.

Petracca is a liberal fundamentalist whose word is gospel, and not to be questioned. Come on Professor, you and the liberals lost fair and square. Be a winner, not a whiner. Remember, in political commentary, it all depends upon whose ox is getting gored.

Maybe it’s not the GOP that faces going back “into the wilderness” two years from now. It might be Bill and his crew.

JIM URBAN

Fullerton