Letters to the Editor: Not All Senators Display Hypocrisy

Not All Senators Display Hypocrisy
Editor, Times-Dispatch: Your editorials, "Flipping Out" and "Do Unto," unjustly included blanket condemnation of "the Senate's Republicans and Democrats" for hypocritically flip-flopping on filibusters of judicial nominees, and missed the ultimate irony displayed by some senators.

Ten Republican senators from across the political spectrum consistently voted to end a filibuster against Judge David Hamilton's nomination to a federal appeals court. It is also not hypocritical for Democrats who supported specific filibusters to oppose one against Hamilton, who was selected with the strong approval of his home-state senators, including Richard Lugar, the senior Republican in the Senate.

"Do Unto" recognizes that in 2005, "The GOP . . . asserted that filibusters of nominations implicitly violated the Constitution." For example, Sen. James Inhofe declared that such filibusters are "contrary to our oath to support and defend the Constitution." The missing irony is the latest explanation by Inhofe and other senators: They opposed Hamilton because they feared he might change the Constitution, but by filibustering him these senators violated what they insisted the Constitution requires. Glenn Sugameli. Washington, D.C.

E-Mails Reveal Global-Warming Hoax
Editor, Times-Dispatch: I have spent considerable time reading the e-mails that were leaked from East Anglia University. Now that we have the proof that global warming is the hoax of the century, I expect my elected officials to raise the alarm and stop any further waste of money and resources on climate change nonsense that will hinder recovery from this recession.

Why would such a hoax be perpetrated on the world? Simple: How about more than $13 million in grants for researchers? Al Gore has made well more than $100 million on the scam. I am sure there are others out there who have made a bundle on it as well.

Should research be stopped on alternate energy sources? No, it should continue, but we should also drill for more oil here at home to end dependence on foreign sources.

Still waiting for the big media news outlets to cover the fraud? Forget about it.

William Willis.
Richmond.

. . .

Recently, thousands of communications were hacked from Britain's Climate Research Unit about global warming. These e-mails show a consistent effort to disqualify dissenting opinions and discussions and a pattern of falsifying information to get the desired result. Such discovery should be instrumental in putting the brakes on the man-made global warming issue.

I am sure glad we didn't overreact back in the 1970s when we were virtually promised "the coming ice age."

Tom Redfern.
Petersburg.

That quote should be attributed to Jesus Christ as stated in Matthew 12, Mark 3, and Luke 11. Christ also said that "Every Kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation."

Diane Walls.
Eltham.

First I would like to thank all of the religious leaders represented in the open letter. Do I blame all evangelicals for Ted Haggard's "sexual immorality" or all Catholics for the actions of some bishops? Of course not!

In this country, respect for all major religions should be a given. The Christian communities are being torn apart because of ordination of women and gay bishops. This is a more important issue -- not hate toward another religion. Gov.-elect McDonnell's administration will be George Allenand Pat Robertson-driven.

Examples of how "words matter" are the killing of an abortion doctor, the return of militias and Klansmen rallies, the vandalizing of synagogues and mosques, the killing inside the Holocaust Museum, etc. -- fueled by current radio, TV, and printed media.

Will McDonnell distance himself from Robertson as Barack Obama ran away from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright? Of course not, because it would create a problem for him with his conservative base and "tea party" supporters.

Walter Hill.
Petersburg.