Letters to the Editor

Trudy Rubin makes some good points in her column "Where is our McBama when we need him?" (Inquirer, May 28), but I would argue that of the two candidates now running for president, Barack Obama comes closer, on the difficult subjects of war and terrorism, to being where I want him to be.

As history shows, our leaders in the past did speak with the leaders of China and the Soviet Union, and this talking, while we maintained our strength, eventually led to productive results. John McCain appeared to recognize this truth, but now seems to have set it aside. That's another reason to look to Obama for leadership for the next four years.

Ian Wachstein

Collingswood

As a Jew, I do not appreciate Barack Obama trying to get my vote by saying that his great-uncle had a role in freeing prisoners at a Nazi death camp ("Obama in error on death camp," May 28). The camp is insignificant. It does not matter whether it was Buchenwald or Auschwitz.

It is apparent that he is using this horrific time in Jewish history as a way of appealing to the Jewish voters, but it's not going to work. His campaign is faced with enough problems, and he does not have to add any more.

Gloria Gelman

Philadelphia

Tony Auth's cartoon "Loose lips sink ships" (Inquirer, May 28), with Hillary Clinton saying, "We all know Bobby Kennedy was assassinated in June," is media desperation. The media think they found another "gotcha." However, any thinking person knows Clinton's comments referred to the topic at hand - late campaigning.

If Clinton's comment sinks her ship, and Barack Obama's lack of substance and his relationship with his racist, anti-American former pastor, doesn't sink his ship, it's because our electorate is caught up in media-fostered hoopla. As a result, the electorate lacks the ability to discern who is more capable, and joins the unenlightened cheering mob. History shows us this is very dangerous.

Joan Gauker

Lansdale

Rob Andrews, congressman-for-life from the First Congressional District, wants a promotion ("U.S. Senate, New Jersey: Andrews and Zimmer," May 25). U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D., N.J.), who is running for reelection against Andrews in the Democratic primary, is too old, yet he says this is his time, going so far as to label himself an agent of change. But Lautenberg's issues don't mean Andrews should get a seat in the Senate.

Andrews has been in Congress more than 20 years, but can anyone point to a significant piece of legislation he has authored? I don't recall one.

Andrews might point to his foreign policy experience but his shining moment in this regard was to organize Democrats to support George W. Bush in his Iraq folly. Andrews enthusiastically recruited others to support the president. This issue was the most important test of judgment for elected officials in the last two decades, and Andrews failed the test miserably.

It may be true that Lautenberg is too old to serve out another six-year term, but Andrews does not measure up, and it is time he got a job outside politics.

Jim Waller

Runnemede

If the League of Women Voters' lawsuit is valid and it is found that the decision to permit slot parlors in Pennsylvania might have been corrupted by collusion between the state Supreme Court and the legislature, then the construction of such facilities should be halted until the issue is settled ("Slots lawsuit: The plot sickens," May 25). The permits to build casinos should be suspended. And if the suit is upheld by a federal court, then no more casinos should be built under the existing laws.

I. Milton Karabell

Philadelphia

I have a solution to the Boy Scouts headquarters problem ("Scouts file suit to stay in building," May 28). Why don't the Scouts hold their meetings at Rick Santorum's house ("A wake-up call on gay marriage after '03 alarm went unheeded," May 22)?

Andrew Bordynowski

Willingboro