GOP doesn't put country first

To the Editor:

Watching the delegates at the Republican National Convention waving signs that say "Country First" is laughable.

What country are they referring to? Certainly not the USA. It must be Iraq, a country where all of the party faithful can get lucrative government contracts - while the members of our military service risk their lives for paltry wages.

Or they might be talking about India or China, where our most prosperous companies have set up shop. Or it could be Dubai or the Cayman Islands, where war-profiting companies like Halliburton and others can skirt their fair share of taxes.

A more appropriate sign for the delegates would be "Corporations First." After all, they are the ones who have shaped public policy under so-called "conservative rule" to their benefit.

Michael D. Asa

Carbondale

Let's not give Palin any more power

To the Editor:

Sarah Palin holds some views and has done some things that should alarm all voters.

She made a speech at the Alaska Independence Party's convention where she wished them luck and advised them to keep up the good work. They work to take Alaska OUT of the union.

As mayor of Wasilla, she wanted to ban some books from the library, then threatened to fire the librarian when she did not get what Palin considered "full support." This was in the Sept. 2 edition of Time.

She apparently left the town of Wasilla in a financial mess when she left because of huge debt the town owed for the sports complex, a pet project of the then-mayor. Palin had to cut the budget for the library, then raise the sales tax to pay for the sports complex - which isn't paid for yet thanks to the lawsuits and lawyers fees to complete the deal.

She did support the "bridge to nowhere" until the political winds changed and she reversed course. I read that she never returned the money Alaska had received for it, however.

She has said she has not focused much on the war in Iraq. That sounds cold to me. Now that she has a son who is supposed to be sent there, that might change.

She cut the budget for special needs programs in Alaska. She is being investigated for abuse of power as governor, after less than two years on the job. She is very good at making fun of others. Certainly not a very positive talent for the office of vice president, a heartbeat away from the presidency, as they say. I say let's not give Sarah Palin any more power.

Sue McKinstry

Pinckneyville

That good old wisdom

To the Editor:

An earlier letter said that W stands for wisdom - something Sen. McCain has and Sen. Obama does not.

There are many Ws. "War" comes to mind, as in Iraq. Seventy percent of the American people now believe it was a great mistake and have grown Weary after Wrestling with it for most of the past eight years.

It seemingly has Wasted some $500 billion of borrowed foreign money and continues as I write at a rate of $12 billion per month. Thousands of our brave troops have been killed and many thousands more Wounded. Sen. Wisdom says we must fight on until we Win, whatever that means in an unconventional War, even if it takes 100 years and bankrupts the country.

Woman is another W word. The Wisdom Senator feels he needs one to Woo the Women vote from the Unwise Senator so he can Win. Be careful, ladies, as I fear once you have voted, it is back to the minimum Wage jobs of Waitressing and clerking at Wal-Mart so the Wealthy can add to their Wealth.

Remember, "the economy is in pretty good shape" so if you have a job and a house, you should quit Whining and get back to Work helping the Wealthy get Wealthier. Cheer up, things could get Worse - another four-year dose of that good old Wisdom could help us make it back to the "good old days" that great-grandpa told us about, something called the Great Depression.

Bill Schwegman

Carbondale