After Mine: When the Readers Have Their Say

Several questions: Why do you pick on Lynn Sweet? On a different basis than I have picked on Ms. Falsani. On the article concerning her column in the Sun-Times where she catalogues solely Democratic comings and goings: How do you expect any different since the Democrats control the congressional delegation and the fact that Republicans ran that sure-loser Alan Keyes?

Response: Give me a break, please. Feminist Sweet is supposed to be the Washington bureau chief. She is supposed to cover, among other things, the Illinois congressional delegation, not file her claws on a partisan grindstone. She writes opinion columns often either on the editorial page or on the news pages while she doubles as a so-called objective journalist. Think about it: does Maureen Dowd in the New York Times also write straight news? No, she does opinion. Is it fair to write an occasional analysis as well as straight news? Yes, if it’s analysis and not opinion where with Ms. Sweet is concerned. My beef is that she writes about Republicans on the Hill only when what they do conform to her prejudices. It’s easy to make that charge because all you have to do is spend 50 cents on any given day.

My beef is that she neglects the Republicans because so ingrained are her liberal prejudices that she doesn’t realize she’s doing it. Either her editors are of the same disposition or they are unable to stop Ms. Run-a-mok. Why shouldn’t the Republican side of the delegation get decent coverage? Hey, the Republican delegation has the third highest public official in the United States of America: the Speaker of the House, J. Dennis Hastert. You mean to tell me that Hastert’s not news? He’s not news only when you’re uninterested in the Republican side of the aisle. In addition, the chairman of the House International Affairs committee, Henry Hyde; the man who frequently is called upon to preside over the House whenever there’s stormy legislative weather: Ray LaHood, who is also a key member of Appropriations. Don Manzullo is chairman of the House Small Business committee. Mark Kirk, on Armed Services, who is a Navy reserve flyer tangled with Rumsfeld on Iraq and is on Budget as well.

Several questions: Why do you canonize Obama? He only won because the Democratic primary was split between multi-millionaire Blair Hull and a number of others enabling him to slip through. One of these days Obama’s got to do something.

Response: True, Obama slipped in but special conditions are responsible for many victories. John F. Kennedy beat Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. because Lodge was too involved in the Eisenhower presidential campaign. When Kennedy ran for reelection in 1958, it wasn’t even close. Obama now is the most popular Senate Democrat today. Are you telling me that if he ran today he would also “slip” in? I don’t think so!