TUESDAY'S LETTERS: King's Call to Prosecute 'NYT', Coulter a 'Bully', 'Denver Post' Beheading Letter and the Right

By: E&P Staff In today's letters, a reader responds to the Denver Post's beheading letter story, another calls Ann Coulter a "bully", and several readers weigh in on the 'New York Times' bank records scoop.


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The Bank Records Scoop and the Press

Someone should ask Rep. King [and the GOP] if it was criminal to plant lies in the New York Times while lying their way to a criminal war. Why isn?t Rep. King railing against the bribers and profiteers obscenely grabbing money that could be used in New York for their protection services. Illegal is illegal whether by government or citizens. The New York Times should be commended. The administration has botched everything about this unnecessary war from start to present.

Robert N. Horey
Amherst, Ohio



Would Representative King have been so outraged had the story been released by Newsday? I'm sure he's not serious about his New York Times espionage charge; rather I think he's pandering to his right-leaning constituent base on Long Island.

Albert Colone
Oneonta, N.Y.



It's time for the editors of the nation's papers to remind the public and the Administration of J. Edgar Hoover, and comment on just why it is that those of us who do remember him are made nervous by the government monitoring us so closely.

What, in the absence of oversight, prevents them from noting which senators and representatives have been dialing up 900-number sex lines, making bets with bookies, arranging trysts with paramours of either sex, etc. Hoover did keep track of these things and then used the information to blackmail our legislators into voting the way he wanted. I do not believe that evil intent died with him. I approve of the wiretapping, etc.., but I don't want them doing it without oversight. I just don't trust [the administration], and they are as much a threat to my liberty as the terrorists. Horray to you guys for shining a light on it all.

Amos M. Capps
Newport Beach, Calif.



Peter King should be hounded out of office for not asking for impeachment resolution of both the military deserter George W, Bush and his evil puppet-master, Dick (five deferments) Cheney.

Hopefully the people of his congressional district in N.Y. are smart enough to see through the superficiality of King's rantings.

Gerry Long
Newport Beach, Calif.



Kudos to Bill Keller, executive editor of the New York Times for such a well-written response to criticisms of their article on the "secret" program the Bush Administration is running (another secret program) to review in this case our financial transactions.

His statement that it is ... "an unusual and powerful thing, this freedom that our founders gave to the press" ... is absolutely the key to all of this, in my opinion. When the President and Vice president of the United States attack the New York Times and other publications for informing American citizens as to what our elected government is doing to/for us, then we are truly treading on dangerous Constitutional grounds. And when a terribly misguided member of Congress (in my humble opinion) threatens to ask the Justice Department to find the New York Times guilty of "treason" for reporting this story ... well, that's a wake-up call to ALL Americans.

Please, please, please keep up the good work, Mr. Keller ... we Americans so desperately need you right now.

Ken Ubsdell
Oakland, Calif.



Why do they hate us? No, I'm not talking about Islamofascist terrorists. We know why they hate us. The "they" I'm referring to are the editors of The New York Times. They have gotten into the habit of acting in reckless disregard of our safety.

Michael Barone



So, according to the New York Times' interpretation of the 1st Amendment, they would have been fully justified in publishing all the WWII plans for the invasion of Africa, Italy, and Europe, prior to the actual implementation of those plans, irrespective to the cost in our lives and the advantage given to our enemies. They would have been fully justified in publishing every battle maneuver planned by the allies after the invasion. ...

The NY Times is just too liberal and too dishonest (that's redundant) to admit it. ...

Jim Kress
Northville, Mich.


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Coulter a Bully

Saying something hurtful, or expressing a death wish for someone else, or denigrating people with slurs that also denigrate others (like that comment about Helen Thomas) -- a lot of this is plain old-fashioned bullying.

The bully has or assumes power of some kind (like a claim to be a pundit). From that position of power, s/he then proceeds to use it for physical, verbal and other forms of abusive behavior. A claim of humor is made, preferably in front of others, when the abused protest. Thus the victim not only gets abused, but also gets accused of having "no sense of humor" in the process.

The bully thereby acquires adherents from the bystanders -- because who would want to be seen by someone powerful as having no sense of humor? And the adherents can then engage in bullying also, and in groups -- where personal responsibility is diluted, but individual enjoyment is maximized. ...

What I can't understand is why so many others haven't figured this out yet [about Ann Coulter]. She's not dishing tasty dirt on publicity-hungry celebs, she's dishing pathogenic filth on anyone handy who happens to catch her eye (and ire). Those who can't tell the difference shouldn't have the power to select copy for publication or program air time.

Do bullies have a right to free speech? Absolutely. Are they entitled to column space and airtime to promote themselves and their bullying? No. Does talent make their bullying acceptable? No. No. No. ...

Louise Kosta


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'Denver Post' Beheading Letter Illustrates State of Press

Thanks for posting about the infamous DP LTE. What bothers me about the paper's response is the notion that positions (i.e. plural) are getting extreme. This somehow implies in the usual "he said she said" world of today's press that there are positions on the left that are this extreme getting published in the MSM. I thank you for asking for input to answer the question as to whether this is true. I confidently assert that you will not find an analagous example coming from the left. The really scary commentary is only coming from the right. The rhetoric from the left may be loud but I haven't seen anyone advocating beheadings and snuff shots of those who disagree with them.

Kevin Judge