Bush had 3 bad reasons to attack Iraq

Weapons of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction, weapons of mass destruction. President Bush didn't just inform us about weapons of mass destruction -- he beat it into our heads. Like a chant, all questions about attacking Iraq were answered with "weapons of mass destruction."

Well, they haven't found many WMDs, have they? If Iraq was not an immediate tactical threat to us, why did Bush push so hard for his war? All questions mentioning oil were answered with -- you guessed it -- weapons of mass destruction, while our national energy policy seems to be "pump it and burn it."

The entire world knows that greed for oil was reason No. 1 for attacking Iraq. What about reasons 2 and 3? Protecting Israel by getting rid of a threatening neighbor was reason No. 2. Saddam's threat to Israel was real enough, but not so immediate. One of Israel's greatest enemies is gone, but have they officially thanked us for fighting their war for them? Not yet, and don't hold your breath.

Reason No. 3 is the fulfillment of a family promise. Waging war for personal reasons is the sort of thing a medieval king might do, not the leader of a 21st-century country. Did Bush lie to us? You be the judge of that.

Brian Daniel

Wolfowitz wrong man to guide foreign policy

As the Bush administration's chief promoter of the Iraq war, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz has deservedly occupied the hot seat, ducking questions about the missing weapons of mass destruction. Wolfowitz's past explains his current problems. Like many other Republican hawks -- Richard Perle, Dick Cheney, Tom DeLay -- Wolfowitz dodged the draft during the Vietnam War. He also was spectacularly wrong in his criticism of the CIA for underestimating the Soviet military threat. As demonstrated by the evil empire's subsequent collapse, the CIA had overestimated its military threat, and Wolfowitz's error was exponentially greater than the CIA's.

What qualifies this coward to formulate U.S. foreign policy?

C.W. Griffin

Yes, we should know whom to blame

In your June 26 article "Democrats Seek a Way Past Lingle" you quote Senate GOP leader Fred Hemmings as saying: "Before the Democrats start playing politics, they should consider the plight the state is in and who caused it."

He's absolutely right. A Republican president has done nothing except cut taxes for the rich while the nation's economy has gone down the drain. A Republican president, backed by GOP congressmen, is responsible for saddling state governments with more financial burdens, while squandering a trillion dollar budget surplus. A Republican administration purposely exaggerated the threat of Saddam Hussein to justify invading Iraq, while turning the rest of the world against us and making even U.S. citizens fearful of traveling anywhere -- including to Hawaii. That is, citizens who can afford to travel and are not among the 3 million people who became unemployed during the past two years under Republican "leadership."

Hemming is right. We should consider who caused the current state of affairs, and vote Democrat in the next election. Clearly, Governor Lingle now is showing her true colors as a bonafide Republican who stands behind President Bush and what the GOP represents: a regressive philosophy that hurts women, minorities, gays and the environment.

Rich Figel
Kailua

Was it really not about the money, Coach?

A telephone rings ...

"Hello, June Jones here."

Caller: Congratulations on your new football-coaching contract, but you know, Coach, a lot of people are very upset about that $800,000 salary.

Jones: I'm flattered that the University of Hawaii has seen fit to grant me the raise, but you know, it was never about money with me, I ...

Caller: (interrupting) But Coach, if it wasn't about money with you and you love Hawaii, then wouldn't a nice negotiating figure of, say, a $50,000 or $100,000 raise been acceptable?

Jones: Well, I didn't have anything to do with Mr. Steinberg's negotiations, it was not about money as far as I ...

Caller: But all these wealthy donors that evidently Mr. Frazier and Mr. Steinberg got pledges from, what will they expect in return?

Jones: I can't comment on that, all I know is that it was not about the money with me, you see, I could have gone elsewhere ...

Caller: And now, being the state's highest-paid employee, are you going to be doing anything about run-down schools, needy libraries, infrastructure improvements, underpaid teachers, firemen, policemen, state, city and county executives, the homeless ...

Jones: I can't comment on that, as far as I was concerned it wasn't about the money, the university came up with the figure and I ...

Caller: But Coach, the university president said you have to spend money to make money. Isn't $800,000 a lot of money to spend when ...

Jones: I can't comment on that, you see, it wasn't about money ...

Caller: By the way, I just saw how the University of San Diego coach gave part of his salary back to the university.

Jones: I can't comment on that, I ...

Caller: (click)

Allan Wallace

HECO should explore more modern options

In the June 24 story "HECO lays out power options," spokesman Peter Rosegg says, "We just can't wait until the power outage comes and then say, 'We told you so.' That's not being responsible." HECO is not being responsible investing as much as $122 million in an obsolete system. At the public meeting last Tuesday, Rosegg said "some of the equipment is 30 to 40 years old and fails from time to time."

It is foolish to back up anything that is 30 or 40 years old. A person need not be a rocket scientist to know that technology has progressed in the past 30 to 40 years and by leaps and bounds in the past 10 years. The $122 million must be invested in "modern" technology.

C. Walther

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