Military service is not prerequisite for White House
Re: “Let’s require presidents to have prior military service,” June 28
Gregory Kane’s choplogic that prior military service be a prerequisite for the presidency, a notion he first developed as a prepubescent lad watching the Kennedy-Nixon debates in 1960, demonstrates that his thinking has not evolved in the intervening 50 years.
To suggest that military service is the sole path for preparation as commander in chief makes about as much sense as claiming that a conservative columnist’s experiences in Air Force basic training qualifies him for the Oval Office.
Craig Taylor
Alexandria
Ruling against health care bill would be a blessing
On March 23, Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli filed a lawsuit against Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius on behalf of the commonwealth because the federal health care law has an unconstitutional mandate to purchase health insurance.The individual mandate exceeds the enumerated powers conferred upon Congress by the Constitution. If Congress can force individuals to buy health insurance, what prevents the government from requiring citizens to purchase a car every three years from a government-financed company such as GM?
Critics complain about the $350 cost to file. But the health care law will incur trillions of dollars, and cause huge tax increases for all Americans, including taxes on payrolls, retirement plans, investments, insurance policies, prescription drugs, and medical devices.It will not reduce the deficit, but exacerbate it.
The health care law does nothing about a shortage of 40,000 doctors, according to American Academy of Family Physicians. Even with insurance, it will be harder to get a doctor’s appointment because there won’t be enough medical staff available.
In short, the health care law is unconstitutional, increases costs to citizens, exacerbates the deficit, and fails to cure the doctor shortage. A decision rendering this law unconstitutional would be a blessing to the citizens of Virginia and the nation.
Jim Ruland
Falls Church
Same rules of engagement will yield same results
Re: “President Obama took command,” June 24
I disagree with Michael Barone. President Obama is painting himself in a corner as the captain of chaos. He can’t limit his warrior general and troops with unreasonable rules of engagement and expect them to win a war against fanatic barbarians without overwhelming force and collateral damage.
With the same restrictions in place, General Petraeus won’t make a difference. Plus, he seems beleaguered, nearly passing out in front of a congressional committee.
Our troops should kill as many Taliban as they can, herbicide the opium poppy fields, and leave Afghanistan. Then they can step up intelligence, find Osama bin Laden and go after al Qaeda and its terrorist training camps with Predator drones and cruise missiles.
Daniel B. Jeffs
Apple Valley, Calif.
