Tuesday, March 14, 2006 | 7:12 a.m.
Regarding Russell Torneby's comments in his March 12 letter, in which he wrote that President Bush "has been an unqualified success at causing liberals to unflinchingly demonstrate that they are completely consumed by their hatred for him...":
You do not need to be a liberal (as if that's a dirty word) to have a complete disdain for President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick "Shotgun" Cheney.
As a retired U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer, I can remember vividly the actions of Cheney while he was the secretary of defense. Don't get me wrong, I disliked Bill Clinton, but he didn't harm the military nearly as much as Cheney's policy of forcing several thousand entry level (E-5 and E6) non-commissioned officers out of the military. It took the military years to retrain individuals to fill these vacant leadership positions. But will the right-wing radical conservatives (neo-cons) acknowledge the situation? Noooo!
They wave the flag and claim to be the staunch backers of the military. Well then, how can you explain President Bush and - by extension - the Republican Party turning their backs on the veterans by dramatically cutting back on the budget for veterans' medical benefits?
Look at the base closures, one of the most ridiculous decisions in the history of the United States. Close bases and consolidate into a central location. Why? So that extremists can take out a major component of the national defense in one fell swoop. I considered myself a Republican, but what "W" has done in three areas has turned my attitude toward independent. Outsourcing American jobs overseas, inept border control and undeniable incompetent military management will be the items long remembered about this administration.
Melvin C. Bailey Jr., North Las Vegas
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