Iraq tomes

In his able review of three new books on the causes and consequences of the Iraq war (“The Opening Volleys,” Feb. 13), Stanley Meisler says of the president and his aides, “There is no doubt that they exaggerated their beliefs and expectations to sway public opinion.” Many of us believe the White House did more than exaggerate.

If President Nixon was about to be impeached for covering up a burglary, and President Clinton was impeached for lying about a sexual encounter, shouldn’t President Bush at least be censured for misleading us into a war that has cost so much in money, human lives and world friendship?

Don Chatfield

San Dimas

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For Meisler to portray William Shawcross’ intellectually persuasive defense of the Iraq war as a betrayal akin to the young boy asking Shoeless Joe Jackson “say it isn’t so” was laughable.

Shawcross making his point persuasively surely betrayed no even-keeled readers. On the other hand, Meisler notes the shrill tone of the Scheers’ book but easily forgives the error -- because we are to believe the Scheers are right and Shawcross wrong? Of course that had nothing to do with the elder Scheer’s L.A. Times affiliation?

This review is just another example of The Times’ inability to address readers of all political spectrums on an evenhanded basis. There may be legitimate questions to raise about the Iraq war, but let’s leave Shoeless Joe Jackson out of it and review books from more distant and objective perspectives.

James Eischen

La Jolla