Con: Stances show McCain's not worthy

Is Patricia Fagerstrom ("Columnist used selective facts to attack McCain," Friday) saying that Sandi Glauser needs "credentials" to be allowed to express her opinions? The freedoms of speech and press are constitutionally guaranteed, so if you don't care for her perspective, don't read her columns.

Pro: McCain has plan for U.S. success

Heaven forbid that the Democrats should have a veto-proof Senate - just as the Republicans had in 1999 when they pushed through the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act with a veto-proof majority that President Clinton could not deny. That law dismantled the last of the financial industry regulations, and was sponsored by Phil Gramm, formerly of the McCain campaign, until he referred to the U.S. as "a nation of whiners."

If Joe the Plumber fails to resonate with me and millions others, it's because he makes no sense. Clearly, Joe would benefit more from Barack Obama's tax plan than from John McCain's, since he earns $250,000. If you have been earning enough money these past eight years to take advantage of Bush's tax cuts, then - as Warren Buffet himself pointed out - you haven't been shouldering your fair share of the tax burden, as the middle class has. Take a look around. Everything you see - from streets to schools to public safety - depends upon "spreading the wealth."

"They" did not accuse McCain of voting 90 percent of the time with Bush. McCain boasted of that record himself. Simply deviating from the party line is not necessarily a virtue in itself. Aligning oneself with a failed policy is a problem - especially if that person boasts about it.

It always strikes me as funny that when a Democrat changes positions on issues, Republicans call it a "flip-flop," but when a Republican like McCain does it, his supporters commend him for his flexibility. I can't keep track of how many times McCain has changed his mind on issues - from financial deregulation to immigration to torture to alternative energy (which he refused to endorse until the tax credits were attached to the emergency bail-out bill) to pandering to the evangelical right. Who is the real John McCain?

Forget the pastors. Each candidate has a crazy reverend - Wright, in Obama's case, and John Hagee in McCain's case. Both are nuts. 'Nuf said. Same with the Bill Ayers "palling around with terrorists" charge. Ayers committed his dastardly deeds when Obama was 8 years old. Obama attended a "get to know you" coffee at Ayers' house years after that, when Obama started his political career. Big deal. At least Obama hasn't hammered McCain on the Keating Five - for which Congress reprimanded McCain in 1991.

Sarah Palin is a dangerous choice because she still does not understand what the vice president's duties are, and she is guilty of abuse of power as governor of Alaska. That is not the kind of "executive experience" I want.

Speaking of "If you repeat a lie often enough, people will believe it," how many more times will we hear McCain/Palin misrepresent Obama's tax plan to us - or continue to call themselves "mavericks" - before Election Day?