Letters To The Editor
December 31, 2008 - MidWeek
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Del.icio.usShinseki was off
Like Arianna Huffington, I laud President-elect Obama’s selection of Gen. Eric Shinseki to head the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. But I disagree with her remark that Gen. Shinseki was “right” in his estimation that “several hundred thousand” troops were needed for the second phase of the Iraq war. By definition, that could mean 300,000 to 500,000. The amount needed was about 180,000, including the surge. Shinseki’s estimate was more than twice what was necessary. He gave that estimate off the cuff, so I would not say he was wrong either.
Huffington also was wrong in her implication that Gen. Shinseki was fired by “being shown the door.” An Army Chief of Staff normally serves a four-year tour, which is exactly what Gen. Shinseki served, June 1999 to June 2003. Of 33 Army chiefs who preceded Gen. Shinseki, only two served more than four years, Gen. Douglas McArthur and Gen. George Marshall.
Russel Noguchi
Pearl City
Idiotic ideology
As an independent, I don’t always agree with conservative Patrick Buchanan, but his column “Toyota Republicans Spurn Detroit” was a great example of how he is willing to take on Republicans putting their “ideology” ahead of good policy, and economics. It was the neo-conservatives’ideology, after all, that got us into Iraq and set the stage for our current financial mess.
That’s why I’m an independent - look at the options and then choose the best people, ideas and policy, regardless of some contrived ideology. It must be an awful thing waking up each day knowing already what you’re going to believe at the end of the day, regardless of what new information you encounter.
David K. Castrano
Honolulu
Too preachy
Note to Susan Page and MidWeek‘s editors: If she wants to preach, the woman ought to find a pulpit - in a church, not in the pages of your otherwise fine newspaper. Her column “What Christmas Means To Us” was just too preachy.
Janet Matsuda
Pearl City
Malkin’s bias
No bias, of course, in Michelle Malkin’s column about corruption being a Democratic thing. How convenient to ignore the recent conviction of Republican Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska, the yuckiness of Tom DeLay and all the Republicans with close ties to imprisoned lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
(For what it’s worth, Republicans seem to lead the way with sexual scandals as well.)
In the same issue, none other than right-winger Bill O’Reilly says it best: “Political corruption knows no party.”
Sad, but true.
Michelle Malkin is just a sad excuse for a journalist.
Ted McGrath
Honolulu
Keep Malkin
Do I detect a pattern here: Letters to the editor condemning Michelle Malkin by people determined to convince MidWeek to get rid of her column? Why put has-been Pat Buchanan in except to provide an excuse to drop Ms. Malkin?
Yes, her sins are many: Exposing the crimes committed by illegal aliens permitted to roam the streets, detailing the shady practices of Planned Parenthood clinics, blowing the whistle on the grisly business of partial-birth abortion, reporting on sleazy politicians, etc. She even has the nerve to doubt “global warming.” Oops, I mean “climate change.”
Ms. Malkin is an important voice for “speaking truth to power,” as progressives like to frame it. Keep her.
Carol R. White
Honolulu
Mahalo, MidWeek
Just a note at the close of this year to say mahalo to MidWeek‘s editors and staff for providing my family with such a wonderful product every week. It contains so many informative stories and photographs that we enjoy, plus those great grocery ads, and it’s free! Keep up the good work in 2009, and God bless.
Alice Lewis-Lee
Moiliili
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