Bush’s second term is cursed by his first

Re “Saving the second term,” editorial, Oct. 30

Parenthetically, you have covered many areas that need correction, and your suggestions are feasible. I would like to emphasize fiscal discipline in addition to surrendering some of the tax cuts. Although the budget deficit will continue through the second term, there are numerous opportunities for cutting wasteful expenditures to reduce the burden.

Among them are high-paid U.S. government consultants in Iraq and Afghanistan, especially those who are paid hundreds of dollars or more per day, staying in hotel rooms, biding time and not getting much work done.

NAKE M. KAMRANY

Santa Monica

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Re “Breaking the second-term curse,” Opinion, Oct. 29

The Republican spin machine seems to be in full swing, as Kenneth M. Duberstein tries to sell the public on the idea that this whole CIA leak mess is just President Bush’s “second-term curse.”

What he seems to forget, or ignore, is that the campaign of misinformation by the Bush administration occurred during its first term.

The real problem for President Bush is that the lies of the first term have finally caught up with him. The “curse” is that we are grieving for 2,000 of our fellow countrymen (and women) who have lost their lives in a war based on lies.

SHERRY MARKS

Los Angeles