Davis’ Riordan Ads Are a Smoke Screen

Re “Riordan Ducks Davis’ Left Jab,” by Dan Schnur, Commentary, Feb. 8: Gov. Gray Davis’ diversion strategy of picking abortion as “the first topic of his campaign” reminds me of the ‘60s, when the Republicans tried to poison the 1962 presidential election by making John Kennedy’s Catholicism an issue.

I respect Richard Riordan’s honesty and maintain that taking an oath to abide by the laws of our land does mean that one must give up his or her personal and religious convictions. It is apparent that Davis wishes to avoid the big issue--the energy crisis--and I feel his attempt to divert and/or win the pro-choice vote by attempting to “pigeonhole” Riordan will backfire not only with conservatives but with liberals as well.

Mary Ann Foster

San Luis Obispo

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Why is Riordan whining about personal attacks? Aren’t a candidate’s position on abortion and his honesty about that position relevant issues? Riordan seems to be too delicate for statewide politics. Maybe he should stick to what he does best--riding a bicycle through the south of France.

Fran Longmire

Los Angeles

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So Riordan doesn’t want votes from pickup owners? Your Feb. 7 article about his shoot-from-the-lip style revealed a side of Riordan that I already suspected was there, but now see blatantly confirmed. He is not only a political chameleon but a snobbish and arrogant one. A man driving a pickup truck sees Riordan’s campaign bus and gives him a thumbs-up. The gubernatorial candidate flashes his own thumbs-up, then mutters: “Rednecks for Riordan.”

Stereotyping and prejudice, anyone? Apparently, the big tent Riordan preaches for the Republican Party doesn’t include any voter he might consider a “redneck”--it’s all about the sort of rich, liberal, pseudo-Republicans who are the only people Riordan can claim to represent.

David Frisk

Claremont

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Gov. Davis is really piling it on Riordan for his previous statements, which have no bearing at all in the present. I would think the public would find more interesting reading in their electric bills since, thanks to the outstanding contracts signed by Davis, we will be massively overpaying for the next decade. I would think that far more Californians are interested in the horrible state financial deficit and electric rates than abortion; Davis is simply putting up a big smoke screen with the abortion issue to hide the real state problems.

Michael L. Friedman

Torrance