Throw out candidates who ousted Bronster

A few years ago many of us gathered at the Capitol to support the re-instatement by the Senate of our then-hero, attorney general Margery Bronster, whose nomination was rejected by 14 senators.

Our T-shirts proclaimed "Remember Bronster Vote." On the back was printed "Dump ..." listing the names of the senators who voted against her.

Four of these anti-Bronster senators are no longer in office, but the remaining 10 are running again. Those of us who were sorely disappointed in the anti-Bronster senators vowed to "Remember Bronster" still in the 2002 election and remind others to vote against them.

The 10 other anti-Bronster senators were: Jan Yagi Buen, Jonathan Chun, Carol Fukunaga, Colleen Hanabusa, David Ige, Brian Kanno, Cal Kawamoto, David Matsuura, Bob Nakata and Rod Tam.

It was then and is now, still a matter of principle.

M. E. Welte
Organizer of the Citizens Action Group and Capitol Rally in Support of Bronster

Hirono shouldn't have ducked debate

Mazie Hirono is wrong to avoid a debate with her Democratic primary election opponents. She's also wrong to say that one debate on statewide television for the Democratic candidates for governor is enough.

A strong leader is unafraid to stand up and be counted. A weak leader is driven only by polls. After a weak performance in the first televised debate, Hirono probably saw a dip in support and has chosen to ride out the storm, hoping for victory on election day.

Her fear of debate gives us insight into her campaign, her mind and a lead in the polls that's slipping away.

Gil Kahele
Hilo, Hawaii

Wishing Mink a speedy recovery

As a former chairman and active member of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, I have had the opportunity to know many elected officials. Congresswoman Patsy Mink has been the most honest and incorruptible elected official I have ever met. Her integrity throughout her long career in public office has never been questioned.

Moreover, whether one has agreed or disagreed with her stance on an issue, one has never had to guess. Unlike many other elected officials, she has never been afraid to let people know what her position is on any issue and why she has taken that position.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family!

Richard Port
Former chairman
Democratic Party of Hawaii

Bush policies aimed at distracting voters

President Bush, I predict, will not order a regime-toppling invasion of Iraq. The administration's persistent drumbeat for this war has an overriding political purpose -- to drown out the ominous economic news as the United States plunges into deficit financing and probably double-digit recession.

Bush's vacillating trade policy betrays his indecisive leadership. After betraying his professed free-trade principles with massive tariffs on steel imports, pandering for steel-industry votes, Bush yielded to countervailing political pressures, reversing himself again by eliminating hundreds of steel products from tariffs. Bush's unpredictable economic policy has no intellectual foundation; it is driven solely by political opportunism.

Bush's foreign policy is equally opportunistic. He knows that the American people support only free-lunch wars, and an invasion of Iraq would entail politically intolerable economic and blood sacrifice.

The ever-looming but unwaged war on Iraq will serve its purpose if it distracts voters through the fall elections, and prevents a Republican defeat. Bush is really Caspar Milquetoast masquerading as John Wayne.

C.W. Griffin

Bush finally does right thing about Iraq

Thank God! Our president has finally got it. Unilateralism is out; multilateralism is in. At least that's what he appears to have said in his speech to the U.N. last week when he addressed the very serious situation in the Middle East and Iraq.

Until then, President Bush's understanding and handling of our foreign policy had been a major embarrassment. "Texas macho" and "We'll go it alone" seemed to have been the driving force behind his policy formulations, with precious little regard for the lessons of history and the maintenance of delicate, long-standing multilateral international relationships.

Thank goodness someone on his staff finally talked some sense into him.

Now if only he can be persuaded to move away from "regime change" rhetoric and focus on building international support to restore U.N. inspections in Iraq, that would be good. And, if military force -- under U.N. auspices -- becomes necessary, then that would be an acceptable and appropriate consequence.

It seems clear that Iraq may pose a serious threat to our own national security based on developing evidence that the country is manufacturing a whole array of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. This is the problem that needs to be addressed.

In the positive glow of his U.N. speech, for Bush to continue to press for a regime change mission that no other country except the United Kingdom supports, would be counterproductive to the long-term interests of our country.

J. M. COMCOWICH
Kailua

No reason to apologize to Saddam Hussein

I find it difficult to appreciate Corky's Sept. 10 cartoon showing members of the administration recoiling at the thought of apologizing to Saddam Hussein if U.N. inspection teams are unable to find any weapons of mass destruction in Iraq.

Apologize for insisting on what Hussein agreed to and then repeatedly refused to allow? I think not!

Thank goodness someone is attempting to enforce the agreement whether or not "something" is found. This time, Corky, in attempting to depict President Bush and his Cabinet as overreacting, is out of line.

Stan Morketter

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