Last week I fired off an LTE to the big three Chicago area papers: The Sun-Times, Tribune, and Daily Herald.
I'm pleased to see that today's Daily Herald, a paper with a largely suburban and therefor Republican readership, has printed it in full. To my surprise they even included my little dig at the Bush daughters.
Bush puts limits on sacrifices during war
In his recent address to the nation, George W. Bush sought to assure Americans that the ongoing war in Iraq is, as he put it, "worth the sacrifice." But of whom exactly is Bush asking a sacrifice?
He remains the only president in American history to go before our nation's wealthiest individuals during wartime and tell them he wanted them to contribute less to their country.
The war's horrific monetary costs are not being born by today's taxpayers but are instead being charged to a giant national credit card to be hung around the necks of our children and grandchildren.
Bush and his party continue to defend their tax cuts to the rich even as Veterans Affairs admits it is hundreds of millions of dollars shy of the money needed to treat our wounded returning soldiers.
With the military stretched to the breaking point and recruiters falling far short of enlistment goals, Bush not only blithely dismisses talk of a draft but even declines to use his bully pulpit to exhort the war's supporters to enlist.
The conservative pundits, Rush Limbaugh, Bill O'Reilly, etc., also have yet to urge Bush's supporters to join the fighting. What an inspiration it would be to see the Bush daughters sign up, but they seem to prefer the comfort of a Manhattan loft.
It would appear that George W. Bush thinks that sacrifice for his war is acceptable, as long as it is other people being asked to make it.
Here's a link, probably only good for a day or so.