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President Bush lost respect by working at it

Re: Matt Merricks' Nov. 21 letter to Obama supporters stating, "I will give your new president the same respect you have shown my president for the last eight years" ("Bush supporter will give as good as he got"):

I did not vote for George W. Bush, but I did originally respect him. Unfortunately, as a Democrat who did not unconditionally support President Bush's policies, my patriotism was quickly questioned.

Then there were the invasion of Iraq under false pretense, torture of prisoners of war, appointments of people to top positions based on allegiance rather than ability, rewritten government reports (e.g., FDA, EPA) to conform to Bush policy rather than scientific evidence. The list goes on and on.

As president, Bush used his power to divide this great nation and used questionable ethics to achieve his desired outcomes. Do I respect President Bush? No. But I promise you he worked very hard to earn my lack of respect.

I challenge the Matt Merricks of this country to respect our newly elected president until he gives them ample reason not to.

Goode could put his time to better use

I had thought that Rep. Virgil Goode's demand for a recount in his recent loss to Democrat Tom Perriello was motivated by his ambition to be a career politician. But now comes the news that he's only doing it for us, the constituents of the 5th District ("Goode to seek recount of votes," Nov. 25). "In an election, this close," he tells us, "a recount is an important protection for voters."

We appreciate the thought, Virgil, but rather than wasting our tax dollars on a process that will only confirm what we already know, why not use your remaining month in office easing the transition to the representative the people have chosen?

Satire is not to be taken humorlessly

Two words to all the good people who have expressed their outrage over the Kevin Horrigan commentary: Lighten up. ("The first 83 days, 'Yeswecanada,' 'Barackos' and fist bumps of allegiance," Nov. 16.)

It's called satire, folks, and it's been around at least since Jonathan Swift wrote his "Modest Proposal" in 1729. Horrigan was not debasing Barack Obama; he was making fun of the people who debased Obama. As an Obama supporter, I found the whole thing to be hilarious.

One of the sad ironies of the furor this column has caused is that I've frequently commented that, while we liberals may have our faults, we do have a better sense of humor than our conservative friends. It may be time to rethink that one.

Citizens offended by Horrigan's piece had better brace themselves, as there will be more to come. All recent presidents have been skewered, particularly the most recent -- Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. Granted, Clinton and Bush made it easy for the humorists. Obama will make them work harder.

Swift closed out some of his pieces with the notation: "This was wit sarkastical," in case readers were slow on the uptake. Sadly, this technique may become necessary once more.

Obama presidency bodes ill for country

The election is over and a man who we know very little about will become the 44th president of our great republic.

What we do know is that he rubs elbows with religious fanatics, domestic terrorists and Chicago hoodlums. I saw on TV young people waving a communist flag and cheering "Obama, Obama." The look on these faces reminds one of the youth in Nazi Germany circa 1933.

Here is a president-elect who supports partial-birth abortion -- which is murder, no matter what the courts say. He will be against the Second Amendment when the truth is known. Oh, yes, he is going to try to spread the wealth around. Sounds like Karl Marx, doesn't it? How about giving a tax break to folks who pay no taxes? Again, Karl Marx.

He'll be a president who, if he has his way, will destroy health care; a commander-in-chief who wants to pull our troops out of Iraq. May God help and protect our republic, as this incoming administration will not.

Quit gloating about Obama's win

I'm starting a scrapbook with all the editorials and letters to the editor from the "Obama huggers" who have attempted to rub his coronation in the faces of the other party's supporters. You won. Why can't you all just accept that fact gracefully and enjoy the victory without the nose-thumbing?

You all talk about negative campaigning by the Republicans. Well, there's nothing worse than a bad winner.

Remember 2004 and all the griping over John Kerry's loss to W? God knows we all remember 2000 and all the money Al Gore and the Democrats cost the taxpayers because they couldn't accept defeat. You didn't hear the winners gloating and trying to demean your choice. Move on.

By the way, president-elect Obama is not Lincoln, JFK or Martin Luther King, and most certainly not the Messiah. He is what he is. We'll see in due time. Then we'll review all the letters and compare expectations with reality.