Lying in Politics

Re Richard Reeves’ “The Truth Will Make Clinton (and Eisner) Free,” Commentary, March 14:

I lie. I know I am lying but I can’t stop lying. In this respect Clinton and I are the same. Don’t get your hopes up, Reeves! Clinton and I are incurable (this last statement may be a partial lie).

ROBERT MILTON

Corona del Mar

If, as Reeves suggests, there is a difference between “despicable and disgusting” campaign financing and outright lying, it is one of political convenience. The tendency to escalate felonious behavior when it goes unpunished is human nature. If the Clinton White House appears to be doing something more heinous than others have done, it’s just fund-raising taken to a new level of creativity.

As long as we look the other way, those playing fast and loose with campaign finance will just get faster and looser. We have only ourselves to blame when they go through the ceiling.

ALLAN RABINOWITZ

Los Angeles

James P. Pinkerton (Column Right, March 13) says that “so long as we have Big Government as a magnet, we’re going to have Big Money attracted to politics.”

Pinkerton misses the point. The point is that so long as there is not a sea change in the education and philosophy of the American people, we’re going to have big money attracted to politics.

FRANK S. MORRIS

Westminster