Candidate George Bush

Re “Where Does Bush Stand?” editorial, Oct. 24: Are you saying that 135,000 people plopped down money for a candidate (Texas Gov. George W. Bush) about whom they knew nothing? Can’t you accept that we do know something about this man and maybe, just maybe, he’s OK?

DAN BENNETT

Encino

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“Publisher Pulls Gov. Bush Biography” (Oct. 23) was rather like repeatedly reading “charges that so-and-so beats his wife are unproved.” It reiterates prior days’ articles, leaving out facts that would exonerate Bush. The article states the charges were “unproven,” when an Oct. 22 commentary included information that disproved the veracity of the book. The author, James Hatfield, who lied about his felony conviction, wrote that a Republican district judge expunged the charges against Bush. When confronted with the fact that the judges in the locality were all Democrats at that time, Hatfield replied that perhaps he was a Democrat or perhaps he changed parties--obvious proof that Hatfield was talking through his hat.

There is no reason for repeating this story all week long. But then again, the same edition of The Times included another glowing article about Vice President Al Gore on the campaign trail.

NOELLE DONFELD

Pacific Palisades

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The media have a coronation every day, contrary to “Bush Coverage: Straight News or Media Coronation?” (Oct. 22). How else would Saddam Hussein, Bosnia or Hillary Clinton become such big stories and then virtually disappear overnight from the front pages? There are probably 20 or 30 people in America deciding what tomorrow’s headline news will be, and each one of them will have exactly the same headline stories--TV, the newspapers and radio. Thank goodness that in spite of daily coronations, the American public has brains enough to know the truth.

RAY HOLM

Thousand Oaks