OCTOBER 10, 2004 --

Dear Mr. President:

Maybe you ought to notice that some of your adversaries think the country needs to be defended -- against you, and respond to them at the third debate.

It seems remarkable that people believe our country needs to be protected from our commander in chief.

I heard the Vice President suggest to Senator John Edwards, in the Vice Presidential debate, that a Kerry-Edwards win would bring back intrusive government. (Not that we don't have intrusive government right now.)

That line might deflect a bit from the way Kerry and Edwards are Halliburtoning
your re-election campaign. (LPR wonders how the Vice President got to be head of Halliburton -- but the Dems might not want to go there because it would encourage
us to wonder how Dem pols get high positions in private industry, too.)

I have to admit that is the only thing that keeps me from throwing in with the
Democrats -- the instinct that they would hit us unconnected citizens with lots more regulations -- and higher taxes of course.

Yet, when the stock market drops, of what benefit is your promise not to raise taxes? I'd rather a ten percent tax hike than a thirty percent drop in stock value.

Perhaps you ought to consider that the guys raising the price of oil are poking a finger in your face.

Certainly the barbarians who are murdering people in the most atrocious way seem not too concerned how you think about what they are doing -- and what you will do to them.

I am willing to concede that the lamentable lack of outrage from our media ain't deterring the barbarians. I wonder what the barbarians say when they hear that U.S, editorials are handwringing about Al Ghraib prisoners, not demanding that the heads of the barbarians be placed on platters.