A War President Oversteps at Home

The day that the Bush monarchy allows the masses to view the Bin Laden tape, knowing full well that the lead on every news outlet and talk show will be about the video “smoking gun,” he withdraws from the ABM treaty, announces his intention to go full steam ahead with a missile defense shield no one wants and invokes executive privilege, keeping damning evidence about his secret energy negotiations from congressional investigators (Dec. 14).

The spin the White House put on the executive privilege order was nothing short of astounding. Protecting us from learning about the Clinton administration’s foibles? Oh, puh-leeze!

I am so disgusted, but of course I may be the only one, since it was all buried by the Bin Laden coverage. You gotta hand it to them, the kingmakers pulling the strings of our nation’s presidential puppet are no dummies.

David Katzner

Woodland Hills

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Bush has, by most accounts, done a good job of prosecuting the war on terrorism. His domestic aim, however, is to use his “war president” ethos to force his unpopular and ill-conceived vision for America upon us.

His arrogance and disregard for the right of the public to know has crippled the foundation of our free society. In one short year, Bush has brought us recession, an abrogation of the critical ABM treaty, a callous disregard for environmental issues and a disastrous tax package. The Enron scandal is irrevocably intertwined with the highest Bush administration officials, most of whom profited handsomely while the worker bees helplessly watched their retirement funds evaporate. Enron’s Ken Lay had privileged access to the Cheney energy policy discussions. And of course, Vice President Cheney refuses to disclose any information about their meetings.

If this is what Bush had in mind when he called for a “new tone” in Washington, God help us all.

Dan Freedland

Rolling Hills Estates