Letters: Feb. 26, 2007

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Mineral Ridge, Ohio

At a speech in Egypt, Rice famously said, "For 60 years, my country, the United States, pursued stability at the expense of democracy in this region ... and we achieved neither." Unfortunately, the epitaph for her work in this Administration will be a perverse twist on that logic: since 9/11, our country has pursued democracy at the expense of stability--and we lost both.

STEPHEN E. PHILLIPS

New York City

Hotheaded Democrats?

In his Viewpoint "How the Democrats Have Lost Their Cool" [Feb. 12], William Kristol questioned why Democrats feel frustrated with Bush's decision to escalate the war in Iraq. I would respectfully remind Kristol that the frustration in the air today is held by a solid majority of Americans, not just Democrats. Frustration is mounting because the President has decided to stick with what is primarily a military solution. The diplomacy recommended by the Iraq Study Group has been rejected by President Bush. Perhaps most startling, the neoconservative architects of the foreign policy failures of the past six years still influence the President's thinking. Yet I would not expect Kristol to touch upon any of these points, since he is in the vanguard of the neoconservatives.

STEVEN R. SCHELS

Hamburg, N.J.

Kristol lost sight of the big picture. He wrote that Bush "crossed up Democrats" by replacing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and rejecting the Iraq Study Group's strategy. The political maneuver might be nice sport, but Kristol failed to point out that Bush continues to lose the only battle that counts--the one in Iraq.

SANFORD RUBIN

Rochester, N.Y.

Kristol accused the Democrats of hoping this war fails so that Bush and the Republicans look bad. That is spin at its worst. Kristol also tried to perpetuate the tired notion that it's important to sustain this war as part of a larger war on terrorism. But we will not condone this lie of an occupation anymore.

PAM BERGREN

Hartford, Conn.

Kristol's implication that Democrats "have lost their cool" because they are turning away from moderation is a bit silly. Turning away from moderation is exactly how Republicans have won elections for 12 years.

ETHAN ALLEN SMITH

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Scooter's Secrets

I agree with Michael Kinsley that we need a strong free press and leaks to keep government honest [Feb. 12]. But he also argues that leaks are so central to democracy that it's O.K. to commit them even if one violates the law. I am an immigrant from a Third World country, and one thing I really appreciate about the U.S. is the ideal that nobody is above the law. The rule of law is a prerequisite for a civilized society and more central to democracy than leaks are.

JAY DE LOS REYES

Alameda, Calif.

Outing an undercover CIA officer to help one's boss should not be protected by the First Amendment. It would be a travesty of the concept of a free press. False leaks are simply lies. The manipulation of the press has been a common tool of this Administration.

MARTIN SANTRY

West Cape May, N.J.