Dick Cheney

* Re Dick Cheney’s Aug. 2 acceptance speech to the Republican convention: Vice presidential nominee Cheney is seemingly forgetting that he is not running against President Clinton, who would be reelected in a minute if he could run again.

BARBARA RONA

Culver City

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Cheney borrowed an old Al Gore line, “It’s time for them to go,” which described the failed policies of the Bush-Quayle administration. Perhaps Gore should borrow a line that the great communicator, Ronald Reagan, used in 1980 and again in 1984, “Are you better off now, than you were (eight) years ago?”

JAY OAKMAN

San Francisco

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Did I just hear Cheney mouth “leave no child behind”? This man voted against Head Start. George W. Bush is a wonderful candidate for president, of the school board, that is. No litmus tests for judges? This from a man who says Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas are his favorite Supreme Court justices?

Republicans love to say that Bush will restore dignity to the Oval Office. It would be a bit silly to elect Bush because Bill Clinton kissed Monica.

JANE K. ROBERTS

Redlands

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Bush and Cheney: Here is a chance to vote for people who are decent.

ELIZABETH OTERO

Santa Barbara

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It looks as if Bush is not only running as his father but with his father.

DAVE LINDELL

Hacienda Heights

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Bush is accused of attempting to duplicate his father’s administration. President Bush conducted his presidency with dignity, integrity and honor. This is more than can be said for the current president.

GARY A. ROBB

Los Angeles

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Apparently Michael Kelly has forgotten former President Bush’s “gentlemanly” behavior in his last two presidential campaigns (Commentary, Aug. 2). In 1988, Bush’s attacks against Democratic candidate Michael Dukakis were so personal and vicious that many pundits later declared that it was one of the nastiest presidential campaigns run in recent history (and it prompted a deathbed apology to Dukakis from Lee Atwater, the manager of that campaign). In 1992, Bush referred to Clinton and Gore as “bozos” and had the FBI investigating Clinton’s college days at Oxford. Still think those were kindler, gentler campaigns?

PAMELA PHILLIPS

Norwalk

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A definition of “compassionate conservatism”: compassionate during the campaign and conservative when in office.

ED VARTANIAN

Glendale