Not another war president

Re “McCain betting big on Iraq,” March 23

What’s really important to note about Sen. John McCain is the lessons he has learned from Vietnam. As someone who participated in one of the most egregious fiascoes -- the Operation Rolling Thunder bombing campaign -- of a ridiculous war, one might expect McCain to think twice before committing U.S. troops to a messy foreign war. Rather, he has been among the Iraq war’s biggest boosters. As a torture victim, one might expect him to support a law outlawing torture, but he voted against a bill recently to ban waterboarding.

McCain has drawn the wrong conclusions from Vietnam, and he would be a poor choice to lead this country in the future as it confronts a world full of crises not easily solved by bombs and “boots on the ground.”

Jeffrey S. Sartin

La Crosse, Wis.

Thus far, we’ve had 4,000 soldiers killed and more than 25,000 wounded. And no supporter of the war, including McCain, realistically thinks we’re anywhere near the point at which our troops can leave. So what number of dead and wounded is acceptable? So far in March, there have been at least 27 soldiers killed. Yes, that number is down from higher monthly numbers in the past. Will voters think that the deaths of 27 soldiers is a reasonable enough number to feel comfortable voting for McCain? What number of dead each month is going to ensure that voters put a Democrat in the White House?

God help the voters with that choice.

Dan Witt

North Hollywood

McCain’s record is not only mixed on Iraq, it’s a product of an insane ideology: that you can liberate people by bombing them. President Bush has said many times that he believes Osama bin Laden is evil because he uses violence to achieve a political objective -- you know, kind of like implementing regime change through shock and awe. Anyone who doesn’t see the irony here is not fit to be the leader of the free world, and that includes McCain.

Chris Yang

Rancho Palos Verdes

The thought of another four years with a president who, among other things, so easily confuses Iran, Iraq and Al Qaeda makes me physically ill. How can we be sure that McCain would know where to send all those troops for the next 100 years?

Joanne Polvy Cohen

Sherman Oaks