Crossover Votes Helped Edwards

Re “Edwards Takes a Close Second in Wisconsin,” Feb. 18: Sen. John Edwards is a fine man and a terrific candidate. He will make a terrific vice president. However, the only reason he came in so close to Democratic front-runner Sen. John Kerry in Wisconsin’s Democratic primary is that it’s a wide-open election. Republicans, independents, third-party members and those with no affiliation were allowed to vote, and most voted for Edwards.

Were these votes the result of thoughtful, conscientious individuals or were the Republican voters up to a little mischief in an effort to stir things up?

Steve Smith

Pasadena

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Why are the media giving so much credence to the Wisconsin primary? Wisconsin is an anomaly of a primary. Everyone who was registered could vote for anyone on the ballot. It was not a party primary. It’s my bet that Republicans voted for Edwards in an attempt to stop Kerry. They’d rather the president run against Edwards. Just a hunch.

Eileen Murphy

Huntington Beach

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Re “Kerry Lobbied for Contractor Who Made Illegal Contributions,” Feb. 19: Excuse me? Am I missing something? Our unelected president lied to start a war in order to reward a campaign contributor (does the name Halliburton ring a bell?); allowed another contributor to rape California with a phony energy crisis (remember Enron?); and is fighting tooth- and-nail to prevent the American people from finding out which cabal of Bush contributors authored our nation’s energy policy at the White House’s secret energy task force meetings. Not to mention the fact that Bush has raised more money for the 2004 election than Kerry has raised in his entire political career. And yet it’s Kerry’s links to a dubious contributor that makes The Times’ front page? You mean to tell me that with the mountains of cash being donated to Bush/Cheney, none of the money can be linked to less-than-savory contributors?

Scott L. Phillips

Norwalk