Victory is bitter sweet

Dear Fellow Democrats:

I can't describe how happy I am that the Democrats of America elected Barack Obama as the next President. Everyone I have talked to is excited about the new direction the country will be taking. It has been a long eight years of abuse by the Republicans. For the most part, the Democrats ran a clean, goal oriented race and the fact they we triumphed is fabulous.

I wish the same could be said of the Texas House District race run by Donnie Dippel and Tim Kleinschmitz. Mr. Kleinschmitz won his race through slander, liable, and the dirtiest smear tactics I have seen. It is my hope that Mr. Dippel will pursue legal recourse for the illegal part that was committed.

The race for Bastrop County District Judge was also messy. I am so elated that Chris Duggan, who ran a clean and honorable race, was able to prevail. His opponent also committed acts that border on illegal. Fortunately, the voters saw through it!

Now it is time for the healing process to begin and the Democratic process to win out and take hold. I believe it will be easier in two years to win races honorably. I believe the Republicans have finally realized that no group can fool all the people forever. Good for all of us!!!

Linda L.

Debate Number 3

The third and final debate is now over and Senator Obama did a fabulous job! He was cool, calm, and collected. He didn't stutter. He didn't waver.

McCain, on the other hand, was as slippery as ever. I had a few comments about his statements.

One, he and his running mate keep referring to her experience with special needs children. He said she was very aware of the difficulties experienced by parents with autistic children. Her child is not autistic. He has Downs Syndrome. Over the years there have been huge improvement in the treatment of Downs Syndrome children and their quality of life is very good. Autism is a very big problem but it is not within Sarah Palin's area of experience.

Two, I was offended that he could not remember Michelle Obama's name. He referred over and over to his wife Cindy. However, when he tried to recall Michelle's name, he could not and reverted to Mrs. Obama. My impression was that she, as a woman, was not sufficiently important to remember.

Third, I thought Senator McCain stuttered, stammered, and frequently searched for words. When stumped, he reverted to the old tactic of saying the same thing over and over. The Republican state of mind seems to be that "if you say a lie over and over enough times, it becomes the truth."

Fourth, the interview with the undecided voters after the debate was very informative. I was surprised to see that all the six members stated that they doubted Senator McCain's judgment since he choose Sarah Palin as his Vice-Presidential running mate. That said volumes to me.

Linda Laughinghouse

Vice-Presidential Debate

Hope everyone will tune in to the debate tonight. I hope everyone really gets to know the caliber of people the two candidates are. If they are true to themselves, then the country will know exactly who to vote for.

Linda L.

Letters to the Editor

I want to thank the Bastrop Advertiser for publishing my letter to the editor regarding my support for John Klaus for Precinct 3 Commissioner. I am fascinated by the way the Republican Chair responded. He did not refute what I said, he attacked ME. I guess when you don't have any facts to support your position, attacking the writer is a logical tactic. It certainly detracts attention from the real issues.

BTW have you ever noticed that NONE of the campaign signs for Republican candidates have the word REPUBLICAN on them. I guess if I belonged to that party, I would not broadcast it either.

Linda L.

On feminism

Dear Fellow Democrats:

A friend sent me this. Thought you might like it.

Linda


Kathleen Reardon-Huffington Post
Posted September 12, 2008 03:04 PM (EST)

Is It Sexist To Want The Person Flying The Plane To Be A Pilot?

With all this talk about Sarah Palin redefining feminism and people who don't support her candidacy being sexist, I think we could use a little clarification.

Women's progress at work and in government is critically important. We are not, after all, living in the Dark Ages. But, and this is a VERY IMPORTANT BUT, consider the following scenario.

You're about to board a plane and a flight attendant says, "Today as part of our responsiveness to customers program you may choose Mr. Jones here as co-pilot. He will fly the airplane should something go wrong with the pilot, who isn't at his best today. Mr. Jones has been a pilot for twenty years and has an impeccable record. He is, however, a man. Because you support the advancement of women in the workplace, we also have a woman here who is willing to fly your plane. She is not a pilot but she didn't blink when asked to do this and for the past week a team of experts has been talking to her a lot about how to fly."

Who would you choose? If you chose Pilot Jones, would that be sexist? Or would you simply not be a complete idiot?

Apply this to Sarah Palin. She has not spent time in Washington as a senator or a congresswoman. She has spent most of her life in Alaska. From her interview with Charlie Gibson, it is clear that she is proud of not blinking about making decisions that affect millions of lives. And she is uninformed about the workings of the U.S. government.

Personally I'd have nothing against Sarah running for a seat in the House or Senate. It's a reasonable next step. And were she blocked from this path because of her gender, disparaged and demeaned in the press, I'd be miffed for sure. That would be sexist.

But just because I'd like to go to NASA and tell them that by November I want to be an astronaut, doesn't mean they should hand over the space shuttle.

There is far too much at stake to put someone completely inexperienced in the ways of Washington and the world so close to the presidency. There's no excuse for it, really. John McCain should know that. That's not sexist; it's simply common sense.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen-reardon/is-it-sexist-to-want-the_b_126021.html

Precinct 3 Bastrop Commissioner Race

The Democratic Candidate, incumbent John Klaus, has a proven record of service to his voters. I have lived in Precinct 3 for four years and John has been accessible and fair. His opponent, Don Loucks was commissioner in the past and his legacy is still with us, not in a good way. I live out in the Sand Hills and when I moved here, Sand Hills Road was a mess. There were patches on the patches for two sections and then one section was smooth. I asked around and was told that the smooth section was in front of a prominent political backer of Mr. Loucks. There was also discussion about the arbitrary change in name of Red Rock Ranch Road. Apparently, the road had been an extension of Sand Hills Road and was changed by the county with no consultation with the residents.

I for one do not want Mr. Loucks to regain control of my roads. I urge you to join me and vote for John Klaus for Bastrop County Commissioner of Precinct 3.

Linda Laughinghouse

North to Alaska

Let's work really hard to send her back!

What an impudent woman! If you ever had doubts about McCain and his decision making ability, there is no longer a doubt. Can you imagine having Ms. Palin in the White House making decisions? I can't.

Linda