Letter of the Day

Don’t blame Bush for the Iraq war and the budget deficit. The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, the power of the purse and the ability to override a presidential veto.

After 9/11, with the president — the man with the bullhorn at Ground Zero promising vengeance — riding high in the polls, Congress was so scared of appearing less tough on terror than the president that it wrote him a blank check, which he promptly cashed to pursue the neo-con dream of reshaping the Middle East starting with Iraq.

At home Congress has perfected the technique of buying taxpayer votes with taxpayer money. But if you want to see who is really responsible, look no further than your mirror. The Constitution gives “we the people” the right to throw the rascals out. This November might be a good time to start.
— Ian Binnie, Des Moines.

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