Tom Finch – 11/2/06

This page was last updated on November 6, 2006.

GOP’s lies and misdirection; Tom Finch; Beaver County Times; November 2, 2006.

Mr. Finch’s letters never disappoint. As usual, his letter is little more than a string of liberal talking points. It’s at least the 11^th anti-Bush and/or anti-Republican letter from Mr. Finch since December 2004 and the sixth since August 1^st. I wish he could get a regular column in the Times.

The Times published my letter responding to Mr. Finch’s letter under the title “Glass-house dwellers.” The letter as I submitted it is shown at the end of this critique.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Previous letter writers with selective memories regarding political history (Roy Whipple on Sunday, and Michael Alberico on Monday) need to have their misconceptions addressed.”

[RWC] As you will read, Mr. Finch is in no position to address what he calls “misconceptions.” Mr. Finch has either a horribly faulty memory, was taught a horribly wrong version of recent history, or is just making stuff up.

“I agree with Whipple to the many similarities between Vietnam and Iraq. But both then and now, the wars were promoted by Republicans to benefit big business - the industrial war complex.”

[RWC] When Republican President Eisenhower left office in 1961, U.S. involvement in South Vietnam was about 700 military trainers.

By the time Democrat President Johnson left office eight years later, he, JFK, and Congress had turned our involvement into combat and our Vietnam troop strength was about 540,000.

During this period, Democrats held the majority in both the House (ranging from 57% to 68%) and the Senate (64% to 68%).

Does Mr. Finch want us to believe Republicans duped two Democrat presidents and a Democrat-controlled Congress into Vietnam?

“In the ‘60s, it was rationalized by the fear of Communism overtaking Southeast Asia, which didn’t happen. Now, it’s the fear of Islamic militants terrorizing America.”

[RWC] In case Mr. Finch missed it, Islamofascists have attacked us for over 25 years, both on foreign and U.S. soil.

“When Nixon crushed Democrat George McGovern in the ‘72 presidential election, it demonstrated America’s endorsement of the war. Back then, we operated under the delusion that military might could win a war against an unconventional enemy.”

[RWC] In the first sentence, the implication is the Democrat was anti-war and the Republican was pro-war.

Right or wrong, Richard Nixon began withdrawing troops from South Vietnam almost immediately upon taking office in 1969. From 1969 through the end of 1972, Mr. Nixon reduced Vietnam troop strength by 95% to about 27,400 and our involvement in Vietnam neared conclusion. All U.S. troops were gone by the end of 1973.

“It was a false assumption then, and we’re making the same mistakes now.”

[RWC] Where do folks like Mr. Finch come up with this stuff? Years after the end of the war, the North Vietnamese themselves conceded they were about to throw in the towel until their stunning loss in the Tet Offensive was reported as a win and they saw all the anti-war sentiment in the U.S.

“By the time Nixon presented his ‘peace with honor’ proposal, it was the only way to preserve some national dignity, and end the nightmare - 58,000 deaths too late.

“Politicians of both parties take action only if it pays off in votes. By then, everyone was sick of the war, and the politicians ended it to gain re-election.”

[RWC] As noted above, Mr. Nixon began withdrawing troops almost immediately upon taking office. Did you note that nowhere in his letter did Mr. Finch mention JFK and LBJ, the presidents who actually got us into combat in Vietnam and escalated our involvement?

“You can’t blame the media, a Democratic Congress, Hanoi Jane or John Kerry any more than you can blame Al Franken or The New York Times for Bush’s mess in Iraq today. As for smearing Walter Cronkite with allegations of hidden agendas, that just sounds like a fabrication of Rush Limbaugh’s.”

[RWC] If you believe our involvement in Vietnam was wrong, why can’t we blame the Democrat-controlled Congress? After all, Congress had to approve the spending for the war.

Regarding Walter Cronkite and the rest of the media, if they didn’t have their own agenda, why did they report the Tet Offensive as a North Vietnamese/Vietcong victory when it was really a huge military defeat?

Rush Limbaugh must scare Mr. Finch. This is the second letter within a week in which Mr. Finch mentioned Mr. Limbaugh.

“As for Michael Alberico attacking Jonas Rushman’s fine letter, Republicans have proven that lies and misdirection - as well as rigged voting machines - are the keys to getting elected.”

[RWC] “[R]igged voting machines?” When have there ever been credible reports of rigged voting machines?

“Democrats are finally learning to use the same tactics, yet we’re the ones being tagged as hypocrites. Being open-minded and tolerant are admirable traits, as long as you keep losing elections.”

[RWC] “Democrats are finally learning to use the same tactics?” Here’s a partial list of Democrat voter suppression efforts from the Republican National Committee.

Democrats are “open-minded and tolerant?” Read Mr. Finch’s letters and make up your own mind.

The title of the letter as I submitted it was “Glass houses II.” Below is the letter as I submitted it.

Thomas Finch’s letter (“GOP’s lies and misdirection,” November 2nd) is the most recent example of local attempts to distort reality.

In an attempt to portray Republicans as warmongers, among other things Mr. Finch told us the Vietnam War was “promoted by Republicans to benefit big business - the industrial war complex”.

Let’s look at the facts.

When Republican President Eisenhower left office in 1961, U.S. involvement in South Vietnam was about 700 military trainers.

By the time Democrat President Johnson left office eight years later, he, JFK, and Congress had turned our involvement into combat and our Vietnam troop strength was about 540,000.

During this period, Democrats held the majority in both the House (ranging from 57% to 68%) and the Senate (64% to 68%).

Does Mr. Finch want us to believe Republicans duped two Democrat presidents and a Democrat-controlled Congress into Vietnam?

Mr. Finch also wrote, “When Nixon crushed Democrat George McGovern in the ‘72 presidential election, it demonstrated America’s endorsement of the war.”

The implication is the Democrat was anti-war and the Republican was pro-war.

Not exactly.

Don’t take my word for anything I wrote here. Check it out yourself.

Finally, Mr. Finch told us Democrats like him are “open-minded and tolerant.” Read his letters and draw your own conclusions.

Repeating a suggestion I made to one of his fellow travelers several days ago, perhaps Mr. Finch should sell his glass house before he throws rocks at others for their “lies and misdirection.”