Partisan Warfare in Washington

* Re “Bush’s Call for Civil Tone Gets Rude Response,” news analysis, Jan. 10: All pretense of civility ended when an army of Bush henchmen led by James Baker and ultimately backed by right-wing members of the U.S. Supreme Court thwarted democracy to “anoint” George W. Bush as president. Democrats by the thousands have voiced outrage about this coup and have put their representatives on notice that they will tolerate no support of this illegitimate buffoon or his appointees.

President Clinton, who was legitimately elected, was hounded and harassed by the Republicans for eight years. Now it is payback time and the “president-select,” with no mandate and Democratic voters “mad as hell” about the stolen election, will find the climate of bipartisan cooperation chilly indeed.

HELENA MECARTEA

Oak Park

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If Bush wants to instill a tone of civility in Washington and end partisan bickering, it might be wise for him to appoint Cabinet members whose views are more in touch with those of the majority of Americans. In other words, moderates. Why would he nominate one of the most right-wing politicians in America for attorney general unless he intended to pursue a partisan agenda? John Ashcroft has no business sitting in a Cabinet post that affects the well-being and civil rights of millions of Americans. I and millions of others will not abide this. If this makes me rude, well, rudeness in the defense of human rights is no vice, to adopt an old Barry Goldwater rubric.

DEBORAH LAGUTARIS

Santa Barbara

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It is time for the Bush administration to declare an ideological war against the Democrats. The campaigns against Ashcroft and Linda Chavez represent a firing of the first shot by Democrats, and it is time to go to war. Conservatism has the right ideas, and if conservatives follow their ideas they will win.

ROBERT WILLIAMS

Hawthorne

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I would have been happy to have Chavez as secretary of Labor, as long as Zoe Baird or Kimba Wood could be attorney general.

JOHN C. GARNER

Pasadena