Here is a recap of Bush’s finest actions

Pat Wray’s Aug. 22 column calls for civil discourse on issues that divide us. Pat says, “Unfortunately, in the last decade or more, our society seems to have moved away from a congenial, collaborative approach and toward an aggressive, attack-based atmosphere in which truth and fairness are simply impediments, where demonization of opponents is an acceptable tactic and where the line between truth and showmanship is purposefully blurred.” Thanks, Pat. You said it so well.

Here’s why I believe President Bush deserves respect. I’ve selected a few of his strong achievements.

Since the terrorist attack on American soil in 2001, President Bush’s leadership has liberated two countries, severely injured the Taliban, captured a terrorist who killed 300,000 of his own people, crippled al-Qaida, put nuclear inspectors in Libya, Iran, and North Korea without firing a shot, and shielded our homeland from further terrorist attacks. He is working hard on leaving a stable Iraq when the U.S. pulls out its troops. Bush lets the world know that we disapprove of China’s human rights abuses. According to Philadelphia Inquirer published in the Aug. 18 Gazette-Times, President Bush said and did all the right things about the Russian invasion of Georgia.

Though far from perfect, President Bush has not allowed himself to be distracted by highly personal attacks as he carries out his responsibility of providing leadership and protection to the citizens of this country. That is admirable.

Jean Nelson

Corvallis

McCain would bring more of the same

John McCain is out of touch with real Americans in our current economy. In a recent interview, McCain defined rich as making $5 million a year or more. By McCain’s logic, you’re middle class if you’re making $3 million per year. Do you think that’s middle class?

Also, John McCain thinks “the fundamentals of our economy are strong.” For whom? With the mortgage crisis taking people’s houses, and gas and grocery prices rising, just who is McCain talking about?

It’s obvious he’s talking about just himself and his rich friends because, in an interview Wednesday, McCain could not even recall how many houses he owns, but said he would have his staff get back to them with the numbers.

The answer was seven. McCain and his wife own seven houses, lofts and condos which are worth, altogether, more than $13 million.

John McCain really is more of the same. He’s offering us the same economic policies we’ve gotten from President Bush for the last eight years, policies which have upset our economy greatly and caused millions to lose their jobs and their homes.

McCain thinks multi-

millionaires are members of the middle class, homeowners are to blame for the housing crisis, and Big Oil needs more tax breaks but middle class families don’t.

He is very wrong.

Please tell him so in November’s election.

Rachel McGonagill

Corvallis

Officer was prompt and professional

I would like to thank officer Jason Harvey and the Corvallis Police Department for the prompt and effective response to my concerns about the persistent speeding problem on Walnut Boulevard between 29th and Aspen streets.

At 6:22 a.m., while walking the dogs, I observed a middle-age couple in a red and gold newer Ford Explorer traveling east bound at about twice the 35mph speed limit.

I called the Corvallis Police Department, and officer Harvey arrived promptly and immediately started citing speeders. He was continuing to do so as I wrote this letter.

I appreciate this valuable enforcement which significantly improves the safety of this dangerous stretch of road.

Keep up the good work.

Skip Hamilton

Vice president

Timberhill Townhouse

Association

U.S. overreacting to action in Georgia

I have read a few editorials lately about the Georgia-Russia tiff and have to take pause. The mainstream media has taken a rather disturbing posture toward Russia and her response to Georgia’s troop deployment to South Ossetia.

Many have called Russia’s response “excessive” and all of a sudden the feel of a Cold War revival is in the works.

The issue here is Georgia and its location in the South Caucasus. The main feature of Georgia is its geographical location to the oil-producing Caspian basin.

A pipeline was built through Georgia that allows the oil to be brought from the Caspian Sea to western markets without passing through Russia. The U.S. set out some time ago to cultivate democracy in this remote little corner of the world and put its puppet, Mikhail Saakashvili, in charge.

This sort of thing is all in a day’s work for U.S. foreign policy makers and has seemed to yield an extraordinarily huge dividend. Anyone who has spent time perusing the data on U.S. military contracts understands that big bucks are still to be made in the production of high-tech, cutting-edge weapons of the sort that enriched several generations of contractors during the Cold War. But this dried up in the early 1990s, seemingly never to return. Until now.

The demonization and obvious overreaction to Russia’s response to Georgia’s offensive brings the Cold War back to life. When the Russian bear growls, U.S. defense-sector investors break out the champagne and frolic along Wall Street.

Doug Huntley

Corvallis