Two-Party System

With deep sadness, here’s my assessment of the state of our political system: Democrats who get into positions of great power tend to succumb to disgusting weaknesses of personal character. Republicans who get into positions of great power tend to try to undermine the Constitution.

A pox on both their houses, I would say, except that their houses are our house.

E.C. TAMMINGA

Goleta

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With the sexual history of some members of Congress now becoming public knowledge (Sept. 17), it is reassuring to know that President Clinton will truly be evaluated by a jury of his peers.

EUGENE N. TORGOW

Northridge

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The expose of Rep. Henry Hyde’s affair of long ago points out like nothing else could that President Clinton’s troubles are not about sex. Hyde didn’t obstruct justice. He didn’t lie to the grand jury. He didn’t shamelessly trot out his closest friends and colleagues to lie for him. He didn’t wag his finger in our faces and lie month after month. And he didn’t use contrition as a political strategy. Hyde’s character and willingness to do what is right even though he knew this hit was coming provide a stark contrast to our spineless president.

MICHAEL COONEY

Glendale

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Kenneth Starr was not the person who performed lewd acts in the Oval Office with a White House intern. The person who performed those acts was the president, a married man and a father. The only way to return some measure of probity to the office of the president is to have Clinton resign as soon as possible. Clinton has no understanding of the word “probity,” and does not deserve to be the leader of our great nation.

CHARLES W. JENNER

Los Alamitos

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All this hullabaloo anent Clinton’s tryst is no doubt a major distraction to solving the graver problem of the global economic crisis. When the sexual dust settles, the Starr report will be relegated to the dustbin of history.

AGER FLORES LIBAGO

Huntington Park