Obama puts politics first
Hopefully, the damage emanating from this puzzle palace on the Potomac will cease with the coming election
Over 3 1/2 years ago. Canada offered the United States the Keystone project, providing massive oil reserves. Obama refused. The pipeline would produce 830,000 barrels of crude oil a day, 20,000 direct jobs and hundreds of thousands of indirect jobs.
Now Canada gave the opportunity to China. Obama alleges he didn't have enough time to consider, although he forced the so-called stimulus bill through in one month. Five-dollar gasoline is imminent, and China continues to fuel their war machine.
And the administration continues to hold up Alaskan oil!
Over the years, our Navy developed the Seals, secret, brave and skillful. But operating details haven't remained secret. After the Osama bin Laden raid, Obama continued bragging about top secret capabilities; multiple references in State of the Union, "Good Morning America," etc.
Then the Somalia operation became common knowledge to the world. Seals are dismayed and betrayed. High risk, high sensitivity of missions exposed. Disclosure of details, manner, timing of attack, names of participants increases risk, denies success, creates unnecessary casualties.
Placing political gain above safety and security must be stopped. Our country badly needs a "Great Awakening."
JOHN J. SPITTLER, Signal Mountain
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View of president is skewed badly
You must realize that President Obama has gotten a free pass from what some call the liberal media, and this is not debatable.
Let's look at two possible reasons for this. The media do not necessarily agree with Obama, but they know that anything they print with a negative slant might be labeled racist, an unenviable place for a newspaper; or, they truly side with the liberal left.
I must believe the former to be true. We as voters must be smart enough to see through this, and we owe it to ourselves to dig for the truth. Consider that some may be counting on our ignorance.
So whether we like it or not, our view of our illustrious president is skewed and skewed badly.
Remember, lies of omission are just that, lies. Fox is not concerned about its image and as such you can count on a fair representation of newsworthy events including negative Obama news when it is appropriate. Wake up, the election is not that far away. If the truth be known, nobody should get re-elected with the record he has amassed nor should they be. Quae nocent saepe docent: What hurts, often instructs.
PAUL PEPI
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Morris struggles with the facts
Where does this paper come up with its editorialists?
Anyone with an ounce of curiosity knows that Dick Morris has always struggled with the facts.
In the Feb. 17 edition of this paper he boldly discussed our current economic condition. He loves to quote Jim Fitzgibbon, who makes predictions that nearly always turn out to be wrong. Dick's most flagrant finding is the statement that GM is drowning in cars they can't sell.
In truth, GM just announced its highest profit ever, $7.6 billion.
Certainly they are still not totally out of the woods, but come, Dick, a little fact with your fiction would make your drivel more interesting.
Readers, just for fun Google "Dick Morris facts" to get the real lowdown on his pitiful record.
Of course, we also have Steve Barrett and Lee Anderson to round out the right-wing crowd. Come on, Free Press, your job is to present the news, not make it up.
WILLIAM H. McGRATH, Cleveland, Tenn.
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Follow Mooresville on education
Buried back on page A7 of the Feb. 19 Times Free Press is an article about the Mooresville, N.C., school system furnishing laptop computers to 4,400 fourth through 12th graders in 2008.
The results of the issue, after only three years, led to a graduation rate of 91 percent, up from 80 percent in 2008, 88 percent of students met proficiency standards in reading, math, and science, up from 73 percent in 2008.
Attendance is up and dropouts are down.
Mooresville ranks 100th out of 115 districts in North Carolina in terms of dollars spent per student at $7,415.89 per year, but it is now third in test scores and second in graduation rates.
I believe McCallie and Baylor are already doing this. This is a wake-up call on the future of successfully educating our youth.
With the city and county spouting technologies with the fiber optic and high-speed data systems, along with the Gig City promotion, it seems the school system should also be pursuing this avenue.
SAM THAL, Red Bank