Max Boot Assesses Bush’s Performance

Re “George Bush Talks Big, and He Delivers,” Commentary, Feb. 3: Thank you, Max Boot, for your thoughtful commentary. I agree that “Who, four years ago, would have dreamed that Afghans and Iraqis by the millions would take part in free and fair elections?” And that “Bush doesn’t simply talk big, he delivers” even amid the “nonstop naysaying of most of the nation’s allies.”

President Bush’s State of the Union address showed his confidence; it was ambitious and had vision. The Democrats’ response lacked “the vision thing.” Maybe it was because they had a big purple-stained finger poked in their eye.

Gloria Simms

Canoga Park

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Boot tells us he was “on the verge of tears” watching Iraqis vote. I wonder if he tears up when he thinks about the families and loved ones of those who have died -- American, Iraqi and nationals of the so-called coalition -- because the president started an unnecessary war, telling the American people things that were not true, i.e., that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction and was a threat to us.

Had the president told us we should go to war so the Iraqi people could vote there would have been no war and no vote. Call me silly but I’m more inclined to tear up over that.

Peter Katz

Sherman Oaks