Bill Clinton

In Opinion on Feb. 9, Michael Kazin writes a piece in which he dooms Clinton’s chances of ever being considered to be a great president by history. One could argue that this is a matter for history and future events to decide. Kazin doesn’t even have an accurate vision of the past, let alone the future. He states, “In 1956 [Eisenhower] became the first Republican candidate in the 20th century to capture Florida, Tennessee and Texas.” In fact, Eisenhower carried all three in 1952 and so did Herbert Hoover in 1928.

While it may be interesting to compare Clinton with earlier presidents like Eisenhower or even Theodore Roosevelt, Clinton is neither. He is, quite simply, Bill Clinton, and should be judged on what he accomplishes.

LENARD DAVIS

Newport Beach

* As a lifelong Democrat--I first voted for Stevenson--I can only applaud Robert Scheer’s Feb. 11 Column Left (“Eleanor to Hillary: Listen Up”). It helps us remember how far we have strayed from the beliefs of the party, particularly since Clinton has become a Republican. If the president truly wants to be remembered, he needs to go back to the roots that Scheer so ably explicated.

JACK PRICE

Newport Beach

* Come on, you guys. Now it’s front-page news (Feb. 9) that the Clintons invite supporters to sleep at the White House? It’s their home! If they want to thank people who support them by giving them the thrill of sleeping in the Lincoln Bedroom, so what? What difference does it make that Reagan and Bush didn’t? Someone is definitely reaching for a new scandal, and I’m sick of it.

MATTY PARK

Sylmar

* Regarding Clinton’s budget: Middle-class Americans would not need subsidies to help pay tuition costs if government were not taking 40% to 50% of our paychecks.

MICHAEL A. LEBUTT