Anthony Lake

Re “Lake Pulls His Nomination for Top CIA Post,” March 18:

The withdrawal of Anthony Lake from consideration as the next head of the CIA is just one more incident in the cannibalism that has infected Washington over the past 25 years.

Before we bemoan the savagery, we need to reflect that as long as they are preoccupied with destroying one another they are spending a lot less time passing laws and regulations that harm the rest of us!

EDWARD C. MARTIN

Newport Beach

So Lake is ticked off at the congressional confirmation process, as “Washington gone haywire.” Do the names John Tower, Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas ring a bell?

The Republicans have been a helluva lot easier on Lake than the Democrats were on those three.

BARRY COOK

Newhall

Re “Too Many Spies, Too Little Intelligence,” Commentary, March 12: In response to Robert E. White’s suggestion that our foreign policy doesn’t need a CIA, and in defense of the integrity of the word “intelligence,” may I make two comments?

1) The CIA should have been titled “SIA” (Secret Information Agency).

2) Whether CIA or SIA, it should be abolished in the interest of balancing the budget.

AL WILLIAMS

Hidden Hills