For Better or for Worse

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I was a big fan of Bill Clinton's until he started campaigning for his wife [March 10]. For what seemed like the first time, there was overt negativity in the race, and it came from someone who wasn't even running! Hillary would have been better off standing on her own. She could have taken the high road, but Bill's words and actions pushed her off it. Unfortunately, I no longer feel the same toward the former President, and I'm sure I'm not alone.
Erin Borry, NEWARK, N.J., U.S.

Perhaps Hillary should have jettisoned Bill before she began her campaign. A Hillary presidency could eclipse Bill's, and that would rub his ego the wrong way. And you can take this to the bank: if Hillary does not get the Democratic presidential nomination, their marriage is toast.
Patricia Chlum, HOMER GLEN, ILL., U.S.

Bush's Secret Mission
I really loved Bob Geldof's article about President George W. Bush's policies for Africa [March 3]. Geldof made clear his opinion of Bush, but in the course of the article he also paid homage to some good the President has done. I am a fan of the President's (barely), and I didn't know about the success in Africa. Too bad Bush doesn't have enough p.r. savvy to put a spotlight on this proud legacy. I really loved the article, and Geldof's unique writing style made it work.
Fred Ascher, LOS ANGELES

Last month my wife and I traveled to Rwanda and Tanzania. When we told people where we are from, many smiled and responded, "Ah, yes, U.S. good country!" We had no idea what the locals were referring to until one of our guides mentioned Bush and all that he has done for Africa. Thank you for Geldof's article. Apparently "the great unacknowledged story of America in Africa" is less important to most of the media than what Obama and Clinton had for breakfast yesterday.
Tom Reynolds, DURHAM, CONN., U.S.

After watching this administration make thousands upon thousands of errors that have plundered our nation's treasure and reputation, it is encouraging to read about Bush's successes in Africa. It sounds like true compassion at work — finally. I commend the President on his vision and leadership on this issue.
Randy Haldeman, MENLO PARK, CALIF., U.S.

I had to laugh out loud when I read that "the continent's rebirth is the Bush Administration's greatest achievement." Is that the continent where there has been war after war in the past eight years, perhaps hundreds of thousands have been killed in Darfur, Kenya has been destabilized and the U.S. would not fund the distribution of condoms as the cheapest way to fight aids? Most of the poverty-fighting in Africa has been done by private citizens or organizations for which Bush cannot take credit. Later in the article, Geldof got to the real reason the U.S. is interested in Africa: "It's a continent of 900 million potential producers and consumers ... the continent America must befriend, if only out of self-interest." The U.S. wants to exploit Africa, especially for its oil.
Christine Halpin, ANSONIA, CONN., U.S.

Legislating Life Decisions
In her essay, Nancy Gibbs posited that politicians will soon need to make firm decisions regarding reproductive technologies and embryonic stem cells [March 10]. But she cited the work of professors who argue that, as Gibbs put it, "the embryo is a whole, living member of the human species in its earliest stage of development, not just a potential one or a part of one." This leaves out one critical factor: a mother's uterus is needed to complete gestation. Until we recognize the mother as the vital, key component to creating new life, we will continue to make egregious errors in public policy.
Abby Loberg, GRANBY, COLO., U.S.

As a 41-year-old woman whose mother was 42 when she had me, it is upsetting — after years of trying — to not have a child of my own. Yet I don't want to pursue the variety of options out there, even though my doctor recommended IVF because I have "eggs some women would kill for." Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but I think I'd rather have God or Mother Nature make the call on whether I can have a child.
Ann Tomaselli, PLEASANT HILL, CALIF., U.S.

Gibbs spelled out so many of the issues that complicate the abortion and stem-cell debate. The bottom line is that life is a continuum. Once it has begun, once the DNA "spells" a human and the fertilized egg starts dividing, the only difference between it and the 10-month-old "product of conception" is time and nurture, not substance. I do not consider myself religious, but I do have compassion for life and see it as precious. I don't understand how otherwise compassionate people can think it's O.K. to end a life. Abortion and embryonic-stem-cell harvesting are permanent, negative solutions (or attempts at solutions). Let's work on positive solutions.
Diane Shakal, FAIR OAKS, CALIF., U.S.

A Healthful High
Dr. Sanjay Gupta's perceptive article about the benefits of exercise didn't mention the euphoric aftermath of a workout [March 3]. As an octogenarian with more than 50 years' experience doing daily exercise, this feel-good effect never fails to reward. It is not just a satisfaction of accomplishment and knowledge that it's good for your health, but it's also a corporeal euphoria: you simply feel better physically right afterward. A 4-ft. by 8-ft. (1 m by 2 m) floor space is sufficient for the 20-min. routine of calisthenics I developed years ago. The human animal evolved over an unimaginably large expanse of time, during which physical exertion was necessary for survival. Simulating the evolutionary norm with only 20 min. of workout per day is a stupendous bargain, if you ask me.
Maxwell P. Iverson, MACOMB, ILL., U.S.