Now is the time for impeachment hearings. The tyranny must be stopped.

After the 2000 election I rationalized that Republicans were just dumb ideologues, blinded by religious intolerance.

But recently, with their increasingly successful attacks on public radio, universities, Social Security, the judiciary, environmentalists and any dissenting voice, I can only conclude that the Republican power-brokers know exactly what they are doing and are carrying out their clever plan in a very organized way. It is McCarthyism redux.

Democrats are accused of not having a plan, but the Republicans do have a plan, and it is a dangerous, insidious one that benefits only a small segment of mostly affluent Americans, while impoverishing and killing the spirits of the rest of us. Condemning our sons and daughters to die in wars for oil, trading with corrupt governments, squandering our tax dollars, torture, suppression and lies are all acceptable tools to promote this Republican-backed plan.

Now is the time for impeachment hearings. The tyranny must be stopped. The real patriots and true people of faith who want America to once again be a light for others need to stand up before it is too late to recover from the destructive and criminal behavior the Bush regime is relentlessly pursuing.

ALEXANDER W. PITCHER
Winston-Salem

This Speech

Last week, I was disappointed that the president did not give this speech:

"This is a mess, but we must stay the course. We underestimated resistance from religious fanatics, and who would have thought there’d be a play for power, especially with the civility displayed by the U.S. Congress? Regardless, we have to finish this one out.

"I, too, want America troops coming home. We had planned a puppet regime with permanent military bases, giving America oligarchs control of the oil - after all, they know how to best exploit Iraq’s only nature resource, and heck, we need it. Considering our hard work, America’s earned it. Besides, I promised America this war would pay for itself, and I’m using taxpayer money to buy the best men and women, so come on, Iraq - cut America a break!

"Rummy, Cheney and others will resign. Halliburton will turn over all profits to the federal treasury for the health care of veterans. Billions of tax credits given to thank campaign supporters will be reversed. Loopholes allowing corporate wealth to be shipped out of the country will close - come on guys, how selfish and unpatriotic can you get?

"Thank you, and God bless America."

JAMES ALLEN WHEELER
Winston-Salem

Steadfast Byrd

As a native West Virginian, I was appalled by the unfair criticism of Sen. Robert C. Byrd in the letter "Over and Over (June 29)." Sen. Byrd has served my state and this country well for almost 50 years. He has earned the respect of his colleagues from both political parties in Washington, and his knowledge of the Constitution and the history of the Senate knows no bounds.

While other politicians in Washington spend their time discovering new ways to ignore the mandates of our Constitution, Sen. Byrd remains steadfast in his defense of its every line. Instead of rubber-stamping all of President Bush’s decisions, Byrd continues to ask the hard questions, the questions that every American should be asking.

Should we have given Bush such broad and unfettered war powers? Should we continue to pretend that everything is going smoothly in Iraq instead of drafting new and perhaps more successful policies? Should we allow the Justice Department to ignore the civil rights of citizens and the human rights of non-citizens? In short, if West Virginians decide not to vote for Sen. Byrd in 2006, this country will lose one of its greatest and most patriotic statesmen.

JENNIFER L. BARKER
STUDENT
WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY
Winston-Salem

Collective Future

Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said recently that it could take 12 years to fully end the insurgency in Iraq. That’s good; America’s Vietnam experience spanned 25 years.

President Bush never tires of reminding us that we are in Iraq to bring democracy to the Middle East. More good news.

Elections in Iran recently gave a landslide victory to an Islamic "hard-liner" who has vowed to continue Iran’s nuclear program. During her recent visit to Egypt, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice praised the government for pursuing democratic reforms, especially in regard to the planned election. Democracy is always good news.

Another democratic leader who has U.S. support is Uzbekistan’s Islam Karimov. Nary an eyebrow was raised a few weeks ago when he ordered his soldiers to stop protests in Andijon, which resulted in the shooting of hundreds of women and children. But Karimov is our friend, and Uzbekistan controls the territory vital to an oil pipeline.

When one starts to connect all of the many dots, one has to wonder if the administration ever had any semblance of grand strategy. Intelligent, rational Americans owe it to our collective future to assess the facts apart from partisan emotionalism.

MICHAEL STREICH
Winston-Salem

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