People of character value life, character

Character counts; not the words that we speak, buy the life we live each day defines the character of a man. Are we for life and our fellow man, whether he is an unborn child or a grown person, or are we against life?

Was this Earth created for us or were we created for the Earth? We are privileged, in that we are able to vote for that candidate who lives a life of tried and true character?

Use this right to bring hope and life to those around you. Vote for those who will support this great nation’s Christian foundation as expressed in the Pledge of Allegiance. Please support the McCain/Palin ticket for the change this country needs.

Betty Shala, Corvallis

Palin’s rhetoric belies the facts

I can’t see that Sarah Palin is much of a reformist. Despite her rhetoric, apparently written for her by Republican strategists, the facts appear to be quite different from her words.

As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she hired a lobbyist to obtain nearly $27 million in earmarked federal funds, for her town of 7,000 people. That’s less than half the size of the town of Lebanon.

When she ran for governor of Alaska in 2006, she accepted $24,000 from lobbyists, including $13,000 from lobbyists for gas and oil companies. For one of these oil companies, she later obtained $500 million in state subsidies to build a pipeline. That’s a pretty good payoff.

It’s not surprising she got picked by the Republicans. Despite her words, she fits right in with them; just another predatory barracuda.

John Wolcott, Corvallis

McCain’s campaign tactics eroded his credibility

I had respect for Sen. John McCain. I considered him a man of integrity that stood by his ideals courageously.

But I guess that principles are only pertinent when a person is not running for president. While campaigning he has flipped on many critical issues and has obviously changed his positions for one reason only, to get elected to the most powerful post in the world. What will a man who believes one thing and pretends to believe another do with that kind of power? How can he be trusted?

More evidence lies in his selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. This spurious move has been very effective if you believe the polls. Pull back the curtain and see this for what it is. I long for the day when people do not consider race, gender or religion when placing their vote one way or the other.

Thomas Jefferson spoke of the importance of an informed electorate. I wonder how he would assess our electorate now. Our country was deceived into putting a failed administration back in office for an additional four disastrous years in 2004 after being manipulated with the politics of fear. It’s time to stop being manipulated.

I ask now that people consider their vote with their minds and focus on the issues. Wave aside the smoke and see Sen. John McCain for what he is: An overly ambitious man fighting for his last chance at the presidency and willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

Steven S. Martin, Philomath

Character of presidential candidates still an issue

The U.S. needs wise leaders with character and good judgment. Want to know about a person’s character, what they will do in public office? Look at what they have done:

John McCain divorced his injured wife to marry a wealthy heiress. Is that commitment and family values? I compare his actions to those of people like my uncle Ed, who cared tenderly for his wife with Lou Gehrig’s disease for many years, fed her when she couldn’t feed herself, pushed her wheelchair when she could no longer walk. That’s love and commitment.

Sarah Palin may be charismatic, but she has abused power again and again in the public offices she has held. As mayor, she tried to get the library to ban books and hired lobbyists to bring in millions in federal pork to a town of 9,000.

As governor, she fired a police officer who resisted going after her ex-brother-in-law for crimes like poaching a moose (which Palin knew about because she ate some of the meat).

Those who are faithful in little things will be faithful in larger things, and those who are petty and vindictive when given a little power will be just plain dangerous when they are a heartbeat away from the presidency. Sen. Obama is a faithful husband and father with years of experience in getting people to work together. Obama and Biden are experienced senators who understand national and international affairs. They have concrete plans to build a strong, oil-independent economy. They have my vote.

Mary Santelmann, Corvallis

Attacks on Palin actually reflect equality

On Sept. 12, you published a letter by Ken Real wherein he asserts the attacks on the embattled Gov. Sarah Palin reflect some sort of hypocrisy.

In reality, dear reader, this reflects EQUALITY! The far-right has never been able to understand that equal rights are NOT special rights. Equality for women does not mean equal opportunity without equal liability. When Sarah Palin is treated without deference to her gender, does that not define gender equality?

Mr. Real continues in his letter to assert that he has had Democrats make some comments to him with which neither he nor I agree. Yet he goes one leap further and characterizes this as “the attitude and self-righteous statements ... by the left.”

Yes, Mr. Real’s letter characterizes the “Real disconnect.” The Republican party’s politics of deception and deceit. They just don’t get it.

Steven M. Anderson, Albany

‘Trooper-Gate’ scandal overblown and unfairly cast

I find it ironic that we once again have a “Trooper-Gate” scandal involving supposed actions taken by a sitting governor running, or later to run, for the vice presidency or presidency. Acknowledging that these are partially media creations, I invite the fair-minded and clear-thinking Independents in Oregon to investigate for themselves the distinctions between these two “scandals.”

For me, the distinction is clear: One allegedly involved a single action of dismissing an Alaska state trooper who had employed a taser on a 10-year old boy, and the other allegedly involved a number of troopers, repeatedly over a period of time, procuring women to engage in activities that ran from consensual adultery to sexual harassment and attempted rape.

The fact that the media and liberal bloggers (and, sadly, many contributors to this paper) compare and equate these two “scandals” speaks volumes about their values and core beliefs and how far they are willing to go.

David E. Williams, Corvallis

Palin misstated her stand on earmarks as mayor

In Charlie Gibson’s ABC interview, Gov. Sarah Palin says she opposes using lobbyists to recruit earmarks from Congress “behind closed doors.”

With a little investigation, we learn that while Palin was mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, she hired Sen. Ted Steven’s (“king of pork“) former chief of staff to lobby Congress to get special earmarks. Wasilla now has the highest per capita earmark spending in the nation. Now that’s a flip-flop and the height of hypocrisy!

In fact, most of McCain’s campaign staff are former lobbyists (some are still on the payroll) and are expecting to reap huge benefits for their clients (think Big Oil) if they get elected. We can’t afford four more years of the same politics in Washington. Vote for Change! Vote for Barack Obama on Nov. 4.

Daryl Monk, Corvallis