Politics

Dear Editor: This is in response to Elsa Van Leuven’s letter addressing her disdain for President Obama because he lied (of course because he is a Democrat).

I am neither a Democrat or Republican but I can name at least eight other presidents who have lied to the American people: George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Nixon, Eisenhower, Johnson, Kennedy, Reagan and Clinton. The only president not caught in a lie was Jimmy Carter. I am sure there are far more presidents who have lied before my lifetime.

Presidents are not the only ones who lie. Congressmen lie and cheat, no matter their party affiliations. President Clinton’s transgressions are forgivable for some. Everyone adored President Kennedy despite his transgressions. I am not saying I condone the lies and cheating, but this country has yet to elect a perfect president.

I have a great deal of respect for President Clinton for his humanitarian work since he left office. At least he hasn’t turned his back on the poor, unlike Senators Ryan and Rubio, who denied extending unemployment benefits and cut funding from food stamps. We need to cut loose wealthy senators who value their possessions more than their principles.

Also, while Clinton was in office, this country was in a state of economic prosperity. Since he left office, the $237 billion surplus dissipated, unemployment climbed from 4.2 percent to 7.2 percent, we had the 9-11 tragedy, the trillion dollar cost of fighting two wars, the loss of thousands of soldiers’ lives. The big lie about WMDs that pushed this country into war with Iraq and, of course, the $1.35 trillion tax break given to the wealthy. It was one of the largest in U.S. history and President Bush approved it despite Alan Greenspan’s warnings that it could lead the country into a recession.

President Obama inherited the Wall Street disaster, housing, banking scandals, auto crisis, and a messed up economy, along with a do-nothing Tea Party faction. President Obama lied and apologized, so get over it already.

Ms. Van Leuven may not like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, but I am sure the same was said about the Social Security Act when President Roosevelt signed it into law in 1935. (He was called a socialist too).

I just wanted to point out that Ms. Van Leuven has a right to her negative views on President Obama. However, he is still our president who graduated from Harvard and taught constitutional law at the University of Chicago. So Ms. Van Leuven may skip class and hold onto her money.

Joanne Gallo

Downey

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Published: March 27, 2014 - Volume 12 - Issue 50