Their ‘Person of the Year’ Is President Bush

America’s problem isn’t the “enemy,” like Osama bin Laden, but Americans who put partisan politics ahead of their country (letters, Dec. 28). Because of their hatred for a devoted American, President Bush, they pretend admiration for New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and use this discussion to slander the president. Bush obviously is “Person of the Year,” rallying a nation and a global community for freedom, not only a city. Giuliani performed very well and, in deference to New York, a shared award would have been fair.

Imagine if the American-bashers’ choice, Bill Clinton, had been president on Sept. 11. But we don’t have to imagine: For eight years Clinton slandered America and handled Bin Laden with kid gloves. If Bush is a “boob,” as these “Americans” insist, no newspaper would print the words that describe Clinton.

Charles K. Sergis

Calabasas

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Why is it that over 75% of Americans support President Bush in the war on terrorism, according to several polls, yet over 75% of your letters are disparaging about Bush? This great difference certainly indicates a marked liberal bias on the part of the editors of The Times.

President Bush has whipped the Taliban and Al Qaeda in far-off Afghanistan in about four months, a terrific feat. Bush is “the man.” Giuliani was a high-profile spectator to the Sept. 11 tragedy. Giuliani may be “Person of the Year” in New York, but my “Person of the Year” is our commander in chief, President George W. Bush.

Charles W. Jenner

Los Alamitos

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The irony of Time magazine’s choice for “Person of the Year” is that if not for Bin Laden, Giuliani would most likely never have been considered and President Bush would rank as a maybe. I understand the emotional reasons for the choice, but it seems to be an example of the “tail wagging the dog.”

Jeffrey A. Teets

Lakewood

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We have rained thousands of tons of high-tech ordnance on Afghanistan. Now it’s pointed out to us how “tired” Bin Laden appears in his latest video (Dec. 28). Is this supposed to convince us that our billions were well spent?

Ken Conklin Bash

Camarillo

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When will you stop filling your pages with news of Bin Laden’s massacre and concentrate on some more salient issues, namely, Wall Street’s collapse and the state of the American economy?

Now that we’ve had an opportunity to stimulate the defense industry, I should think you would like to talk a bit about the defense industry and its profiteering in this time of conflict.

Bush waged a war for economic purposes. Please give him full credit for the revitalization of our military-industrial complex.

Caryn Coulter

Los Angeles