LETTERS: THE FARCE CONTINUES

To the editor:

Frankly, I suspect the latest Iraqi war crisis is as phony as Hillary's pregnancy. Remember when Hillary was talking about getting pregnant at the start of the campaign? How could we not re-elect this romantic, loving couple about to have a second child? Of course there was never much chance of Hillary conceiving, since I also suspect the co-presidents have a marriage that's about as intimate as the first couple in the movie "Dave."

As for Iraq, it's all show. Bill probably got a call from his ousted campaign aide Dick Morris telling him it was time to make like George Bush, launch a few cruise missiles (at a cost of $1 million each, if I recall correctly from the Persian Gulf War), show those all-important independent voters how tough he is, trusting that everybody would rally behind a hard-nosed commander in chief. Equally important, make them forget he dodged the draft and supported North Vietnam years ago.

If Iraq's latest adventures are so serious, why are America's allies sitting on the sidelines, even scorning Clinton's decisions? I mean, Iraq is much more their problem that ours. And suddenly we're going to war because Iraq, or any other country, is mistreating its own people? What about Russia killing Chechens? It's a violent world out there, folks.

Read the reasoning of this administration by an unnamed official: "If this (U.S. intervention) is successful, there will be no way he (Hussein) can get to Jordan, no way he could mount another attack against Kuwait." Let's see if I have this straight: Hussein is attacking Kurds, his age-old enemy, in northern Iraq. This somehow threatens Kuwait, far to the east, or Jordan, on the southwestern border? Back to class, boys.

But it's election time, and the farce continues. Clinton clearly, disastrously loses the drug war. Ordinarily this would be a damaging revelation, but with Clinton it's just another in a long list of disasters and scandals. The public shrugs its shoulders, and Clinton announces a tobacco war to divert the attention of the fawning, liberal media and the gullible populace. What? We need a White House with so little to do they have to worry about teen-age smoking?

The drug war is an area where the federal government might have some clout, but why would this administration be interested? It says to the public a massive increase in drug abuse by teens is nothing, but those little rascals smoking cigarettes is alarming. According to the Gary Aldrich book, "Unlimited Access," drug use -- and other things -- is rampant among White House staffers, and we know a bunch of them are in mandatory drug-testing programs.

The farce continues. The poll numbers prove it.

BILL ZELLMER

Cape Girardeau