Writer should get his own opinions

To the editor:

You printed a guest column by Nick Swan of the Daily Helmsman titled "Is this what the Dems call electable?" Is this what the Daily Helmsman and the Southeast Missourian call journalism? From what I can tell, Swan's only source of information was the home page of the Republican National Committee's Web site. There is little detectable difference between what Swan wrote in his column and what the spin doctor clones at the RNC were droning on about on the cable news programs regarding John Kerry, the apparent Democratic presidential nominee, during the previous week.

What does Swan study at the University of Memphis? Please don't say journalism. I realize this is an Opinion page, but Swan may want to use his university education to get an opinion of his own rather than cutting and pasting the politically biased opinions of others. There's more news and more perspectives out there on what it all means to us as Americans then you will ever hear from Rush Limbaugh, David Limbaugh and Fox News.

ANDY LEIGHTON

Cape Girardeau