Letter: Dowd not doing liberalism a favor

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 2002 | 9:09 a.m.

It was interesting to read and compare the Oct. 22 columns in the Sun by Thomas Friedman ("Oil at root of Mideast problems") and Maureen Dowd ("President summons Prince of Darkness"). Both write for The New York Times, yet, of the two, only Friedman represents an intelligent, reasoned view. Dowd's piece would play better in the pages of Mad Magazine.

If the left (and I'm slightly right of Atilla the Hun) wants to demonstrate its relevance to middle America, it needs to get over its childish, petty personal attacks on President Bush and tell us why its ideas and platform are good for those of us who have to work and pay taxes. Reasonable, intelligent Americans respond to reasonable, intelligent arguments -- not to poorly written, personal attacks disguised as pseudo-satire.

Friedman honors those on the left who truly want both a better America and a better world. Maureen Dowd represents the mindset that has made much of liberalism irrelevant to many Americans. Borrowing a phrase from the Clinton playbook -- it's the issues, stupid.

RICHARD B. DWYER