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Open Letter to the President (or, Why Bush Has Lost My Vote)
me | 9/26/2001 | Brent C. Skilton (aka Heisenburger)

Posted on 09/26/2001 2:02:39 PM PDT by Heisenburger

Dear Mr. President:

I want to tell you that you have lost my vote in the 2004 election. Though I voted for you in 2000, though I donated to your Victory 2000 campaign, and though I wore your pins and t-shirts, I cannot support you again.

Your diplomatic team, by trying to build a world coalition, has allowed Middle-Eastern and Arab dictatorships to dictate what we can and cannot do to respond to the attacks that took place on September 11. Instead of following the example of Ronald Reagan and basing foreign policy only on what is in the best interests of the United States, you have made concessions to Pakistan and Middle-Eastern countries that will threaten our security for years to come. The coalition has indeed determined the mission, not the other way around.

Specifically, your administration's statement that you will not overthrow the Taliban is unthinkably misguided. To not overthrow the Taliban is to give a feeling of security and power to other states that sponsor terrorism. Not only that, but it makes your statement last Thursday that the Taliban would share in the fate of terrorists an outright lie. One of the reasons I supported you in the 2000 election was that I was sick of being lied to by the Clinton administration. Now I see that you and your team are no different.

Furthermore, the fact that your administration, in an attempt to keep from offending Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, is not concentrating on Iraq as an important link to the Septemeber 11 attacks shows that you are not truly concerned with protecting Americans and ending terrorism. As Colin Powell said, Hussein is indeed the greatest terrorist in the world today. That he had a hand in the attacks on the 11th is not only highly probable, but also fairly obvious. The world can never be safe as long as Saddam Hussein is still in power.

In closing, I would remind you that you have a chance to win back my vote by changing your policy towards terror states and terrorists themselves. Perhaps your team should realize that "it is easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission."

Sincerely,
Brent Skilton


TOPICS: Editorial; Your Opinion/Questions
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Some argue that the statement that we won't go after the Taliban is disinformation, but lying to Americans about what the objectives of a campaign are, and the overall strategy of that campaign, smacks of McNamara and LBJ lying to America about our failures in Vietnam.
1 posted on 09/26/2001 2:02:39 PM PDT by Heisenburger
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To: Heisenburger
Er, ah, why don't we wait to see what happens first?
2 posted on 09/26/2001 2:04:57 PM PDT by BibleBaseballBarbecue
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To: Heisenburger
Let's hope we have a Country to have an election in 2004.
3 posted on 09/26/2001 2:07:12 PM PDT by Hildy
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To: Heisenburger
I wish you'd give him a chance.

Like you, I want strong action, particularly against Iraq and other states who sponsor terrorism.

But I believe Bush is a good man, his own man, and I still have hope that he will do the right thing in the end.

4 posted on 09/26/2001 2:07:44 PM PDT by cicero's_son
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To: cicero's_son
But I believe Bush is a good man, his own man, and I still have hope that he will do the right thing in the end.

I also wish he will change his mind and do the right thing, but he has already said he won't. It is a sign of the end of a free nation when that nation becomes more afraid of foreign diplomats than of violent foreign aggressors.

5 posted on 09/26/2001 2:12:01 PM PDT by Heisenburger
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To: BibleBaseballBarbecue
So who are you going to vote for? Hillary
6 posted on 09/26/2001 2:12:02 PM PDT by mgist
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To: Heisenburger
Dont let the door hit you on the way out..

The bombs haven't even been dropped and you are cutting and running..

Get a grip people!

7 posted on 09/26/2001 2:12:23 PM PDT by Dog
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To: Heisenburger
Just because we won't "overthrow" the Taliban, doesn't mean we won't ensure their demise. Besides, maybe in this coalition it has become Russia's job to do this?

I think we all ought to just pray now and assess performance later.

Rippin

8 posted on 09/26/2001 2:12:25 PM PDT by Rippin
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To: Heisenburger
Do you know what is ACTUALLY happening? Do you know what is ACTUALLY being planned? Do you UNDERSTAND the potentially lethal nuances of international relations? Do you have INSIDE information on what steps the USA military is currently taking? Do you REALLY expect a good solid war strategy to be developed, published and implemented within just two weeks of the WTC attack? Do you have any EXPERTISE that gives your opinion any more validity than any random Joe Schmoe on the street?

For now, just be quiet, do your part, let Bush do the job he was elected to, and hold your dissing until AT LEAST 6 months have passed, if not two years.

This is not a TV mini-series that gets resolved in a few days. It's war, and we're not even that sure who the enemy is or where he is.

9 posted on 09/26/2001 2:13:03 PM PDT by ctdonath2
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To: Heisenburger
Are we getting ahead of ourselves?
10 posted on 09/26/2001 2:14:37 PM PDT by sirshackleton
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To: BibleBaseballBarbecue
We been waitin' -- ain't seen nuthin'.

My personal opinion: what we're worried about is not an adverse reaction from our supposed "allies" in Arabia.

What we're worried about is the reaction we might see right here in the good ol' US of A.

Our federal gevernment has so thoroughly blown it, the CIA, the FBI, the INS, the FAA, the BATF, and all the others -- they ain't got NO idea who is running loose in THIS country or what their capabilities might be.

Right now, we're waiting for the other shoe to drop. If we retaliate against bin Laden et al -- we don't know what they could do. Underestimating your enemy is a serious strategic mistake.

11 posted on 09/26/2001 2:15:29 PM PDT by skip2myloo
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To: Heisenburger
Please post this on Salon.com, not here. Thank you comrade and have a nice day.
12 posted on 09/26/2001 2:15:53 PM PDT by RetiredArmy
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To: Heisenburger
Your loyalty and insight are underwhelming.
13 posted on 09/26/2001 2:17:15 PM PDT by E=MC<sup>2</sup>
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To: mgist
So who are you going to vote for? Hillary

Negatory. I'm hoping McCain will run as an independent in 2004. I disagree with him on tons and tons of things, and he's way to liberal on some issues for my taste. I can't stand the way he has to run in front of a camera every chance he gets. However, McCain is not a weakling, and he doesn't let people push him or his country around. He is most certainly not afraid of war.

14 posted on 09/26/2001 2:18:12 PM PDT by Heisenburger
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To: Heisenburger
Care to rent the space between your ears? You're not putting it to good use.
15 posted on 09/26/2001 2:18:57 PM PDT by cajunman
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: ctdonath2
Do you UNDERSTAND the potentially lethal nuances of international relations?

Yes, I understand that if someone dicks with the U.S., we put a bullet through his brain. Unfortunately, Bush doesn't understand that.

17 posted on 09/26/2001 2:19:44 PM PDT by Heisenburger
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To: Heisenburger
If you can't be patient why don't you just shut up!
18 posted on 09/26/2001 2:20:31 PM PDT by 68 grunt (3/1 India, 68-69, 0311)
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To: ctdonath2
For now, just be quiet, do your part, let Bush do the job he was elected to...

Right, just like a good little Stalinist subject.

19 posted on 09/26/2001 2:20:41 PM PDT by Heisenburger
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To: Heisenburger
That's ok because with the other 90% of the population voting for him, he's not going to need your support.
20 posted on 09/26/2001 2:21:35 PM PDT by lawgirl
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