BENGHAZI

Obama should answer for terrorist attack

With all the problems we had in Benghazi, John McCain wants to call a special investigation to let the American people know the truth. The one like they had for Watergate where G. Gordon Liddy broke into a building, got caught, took nothing and no one was killed. But Harry Reid won’t let that happen, he’s going to protect a commander in chief who was willing to let 30 Americans die to save his pathetic foreign policy. They blame a silly video no one has seen even though they saw what was happening from video from a phone. They knew it was a terrorist attack in two hours. There were three requests for help and were told to stand down three times. Every soldier knows that when Americans need help you go. When Harry Reid says that to say this is worse than Watergate is outrageous is unbelievable. G. Gordon Liddy served several years for a break-in. Thank God two Navy Seals disobeyed orders and saved 26 people. For a commander in chief to be willing to sacrifice 30 Americans, impeachment is too good.

AL TIKKER, Meridian

POLITICS

Brooks, Thomas make good points about both parties

Recent columns by Cal Thomas and David Brooks ought to be required reading for leaders of both political parties. Each speaks to his own side of the aisle, and each lays out a common sense path forward.

Republicans, Thomas says, need to accept that the evangelical agenda is a minority viewpoint and instill their conservative values in others through good works instead of political strafing.

President Obama, Brooks says, needs to reject the far left’s call to drive the country off the fiscal cliff and blame Republicans. Rather, he should lay his cards on the table and find common ground, compromise and tradeoffs.

It’s not rocket science. I’m a Democrat, but I agree with every one of the planks Brooks lays out: on the Democratic side, infrastructure investment, immigration reform, making college accessible and closing tax loopholes; on the Republican side, simplifying the tax code, streamlining regulation, and slowing entitlement spending. Most of my friends, Republican and Democrat, would agree.

I’ll bet you could put any 10 of us — equally divided — in a room, and we’d find a way past the fiscal cliff. If we can do it, why not President Obama and Congress?

JEAN MCNEIL, Boise

Obstructionist Labrador is part of the problem

It is always interesting to study the after effects of major events. Following the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Hitler’s life, his top officials launched an intense campaign of retribution against suspected conspirators. This was done as if they were totally oblivious to the threats of the impending Allied Forces which were closing their grip on Germany.

Likewise, it has been interesting to observe the behavior of Republicans following the November 2012 elections: Sen. Mitch McConnell apparently still doesn’t get it; Sens. Lindsay Graham and John McCain continued their tirades about Benghazi; Rush Limbaugh and Mitt Romney lashed out at Democrats and sarcastically identified them as “Santa Claus.”

On the other side of this coin, Newt Gingrich and Govs. Christie, Barbour and Jindal, et. al., spoke with understanding about the election results, and they stressed the need for political compromise in Washington, D.C.

Idaho voters should be concerned about Rep. Raul Labrador’s actions. He remains silent about seeking meaningful political compromise and, immediately following the elections, he was seen with Grover Norquist, a person who funds political campaigns and who is not known for his willingness to compromise regardless of who gets hurt.

BEN SIMPSON, Boise

Voters give favor to Obama’s approach

Remember when the public expressed little surprise when another highly successful married man couldn’t avoid the temptation to have sex with a beautiful and very willing younger woman? It was quickly dismissed as a human tragedy with a predictable outcome: “Great pain for both families and irreversible damage to reputation and career.”

Remember when the murder of four American citizens in a part of the world known for inexplicable violence would have been mourned by all politicians as a national tragedy?

In today’s poisoned political environment, all Americans should be offended by how many Republican leaders have attempted to politicize these national and personal tragedies. Before an investigation of either event can be completed, they are obsessed with getting an immediate answer to only one question: “What did the president know and when did he know it?”

The nation would be better served if politicians of both parties quit playing these “gotcha” games and start giving higher priority to the nation’s business than their own re-election. Voters made it clear on Nov. 6 that they reject Republican tax policies that favor the wealthy and want their elected leaders to concentrate on implementing President Obama’s fair and balanced approach.

ALSTON JONES, Garden City

Lessons from Lincoln

Spielberg produced a film of Lincoln that essentially reminds us all how far off course the political spectrum were those in 1865 and pointing a finger at us of our time of the same thing, failure to take the long view economically and politically of our actions. His long term view of the effect of the 13th Amendment for the “unborn” led to Martin Luther King Jr. and the election of a black president, twice.

The second slap in our collective faces would and should be Ken Burns’ “The Dust Bowl.” Again, the message from Mother Nature is failing to take the long view regarding natural surroundings and climate “mood” swings will not serve us well in the long run.

The Ogallala water aquifer has but 20 years supply left for our consumption to grow corn, wheat, cattle and feed pigs.

What is the long-term planning regarding this? What is the long-term planning regarding anything? Should we look forward to more greed and mass consumption defining our long term goals? I don’t look forward to seeing the edges of a creeping Sahara Desert while driving through Kansas. Invest in camels.

BOB NICHOLAS, Boise

American victory

For me, the election was a victory against hate and closemindedness. It made me proud to be an American!

BRIAN CLARK, Boise

HOLIDAY WORK

Thanks to the workers who serve the shoppers

With all the furor over stores being open on Thanksgiving, it has brought my experiences in retail to mind.

The company I worked for was open on Thanksgiving, and all associates worked a shift of about four hours.

It was always pretty busy, and almost every customer would say, “It's awful that they make you work on Thanksgiving!”

Although I never said it, one response always came to mind: “If you didn't shop on Thanksgiving, we wouldn't be working.”

Thanks to all of you who give up family time for the shopping public.

KATHY DZUCK, Boise