Obamacare vote reveals Democrats’ hypocrisy In the days since Congress passed President Obama’s health care reform act, numerous left-leaning pundits have hailed their Democratic brethren for “voting with their conscience,” “putting their country before party politics,” and showing off the “courage of their convictions.” Where was their “courage” during the Bush administration? Eight out of the nine 2004 Democratic presidential candidates (save Joe Lieberman) charged during a televised forum that the Bush administration “lied” us into an “unnecessary,” “unjust,” “immoral” and “illegal” war that killed and maimed thousands — the worst crime against humanity accusation ever levied against an American president. But they never dared lift a legislative finger against the president they vilified as “worse than Hitler.” Former Vice President Dick Cheney, the driving force behind the pre-emptive war that deposed one of history’s worst tyrants, still goes around taunting the Obama administration as if he’s completely unafraid of any retaliation. While Bush endured these relentless attacks, not one Democrat had the courage to back up the incendiary rhetoric and formally impeach him for this impeachable offense. It is now clearer than ever that the “Bush lied” controversy was nothing more than the worst smear campaign in American political history. Eugene R. Dunn
Medford, N.Y.
Young people are fighting moral decay Re: “Don’t trust anyone under 30?” March 2 As an avid reader of the Examiner, I almost always agree with the excellent editorials. However, I take issue with Gene Healy’s column in which he asserts that because some poll shows that “Generation Y” is more socially liberal, conservatives should abandon social issues to attract more young people. How insulting. That Mr. Healy would prefer to let abortion and moral decay continue by telling people not to fight against it just to score some political points is extremely disturbing. Young people are waking up. Hundreds of thousands of Americans came to Washington for this year’s March for Life, as they do every year to protest America’s holocaust. But the crowd is getting younger each year. By my estimation, at least 60 percent were under 30. Fiscal irresponsibility stems from moral decay. If we give up on social issues, we will make our fiscal situation worse, not better. Stop the libertarian lies. Keep fighting on the social issues. Our great nation depends on it. Tommy Valentine
Alexandria
Limited government has been abandoned Rules that guided America to become the freest and most powerful nation on Earth have been eroded over the past half century, and have left our nation in a vulnerable condition that will be hard to fix if present trends continue. Beginning with Woodrow Wilson, presidents began to change in the 20th century. Franklin D. Roosevelt shared Wilson’s view of an expanded role for the government. Lyndon Johnson did more of the same. Thereafter, national debt never stopped growing. Presidents ever since have viewed their job expansively. In the 1970s, social programs became more costly than national defense. In 2009, they amounted to more that 50 percent of the entire budget. America has not learned the lessons of history: If government continues to grow, liberty will shrink. The current administration, more than any other, seems determined to control the public. Take heed! As John Adams wrote to his wife on July 17, 1775: “Liberty once lost is lost forever.” Robert E. Kelly
Peabody, Mass.
