Letter to the Editor

A response to ‘scare' column

Regarding Sunday's Lou Pritchett's "President Obama: You scare me" op-ed column:

1. If you know nothing about Obama, then read his books and other articles about him.

2. Pritchett infers Obama's Harvard education was obtained surreptitiously. He said it was through student loans and hard work. 70 percent of Harvard's students have student loans. Harvard is looking for bright students, not rich students.

3. Pritchett is afraid Obama is not an American "culturally." Then I assume Joseph Pulitzer, Frances Cabrini, Albert Einstein, Felix Frankfurter and Irving Berlin ("God Bless America") are not Americans, as they were all foreign born.

P&G execs are given international assignments to broaden their view of the world market. This is a requirement for senior-level positions. Pritchett was in the Philippines. If cultural enlightenment is a recognized benefit for P&G, then why is it bad for a president?

4. The Constitution says nothing about presidents being required to have business experience. The president will always have a number of advisers which come from this sector to advise him on business issues relating to legislation or law.

5. Regarding military experience, please see No. 4 and insert "military." And how much experience would one consider relevant for a president? Sergeant, drafted or general?

I can go on, but one final point: The American capitalist goose came within a few days of slashing its own throat last year. Perhaps more business oversight would have prevented many of the foreclosures, bankruptcies, business closings and job losses we are seeing now.

NORM KRUEGER, Jackson