Tom Finch – 4/9/07

This page was last updated on April 10, 2007.

Critics are way off base; Thomas Finch; Beaver County Times; April 9, 2007.

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 14^th anti-Bush and/or anti-Republican letter from Mr. Finch since December 2004 and the ninth since August 2006. I wish he could get a regular column in the Times. I also wish he could get at least five minutes per day on a local radio and/or TV station.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“I only want to make two points.

“The first concerns Peter Homitz’s April 1 letter to the editor ‘Iraq war isn’t that costly’ that claims the money spent on welfare and social programs is somehow worse than the billions we squandered in Iraq.”

[RWC] The Homitz letter is not on the Times website so I can’t comment on its content or Mr. Finch’s representation of it. Mr. Finch, however, has a history of misrepresenting the contents of letters he bashes. His letter of 12/13/06 is one example.

“If he lost a loved one there, he might think differently.

“If he has ever made use of Medicare, Social Security, a FHA mortgage or any of the numerous other government-funded programs, it makes him a hypocrite to condemn those less fortunate than himself who rely on those programs to eke out an existence.”

[RWC] So let me get this straight. If you have no choice but to have your earnings confiscated (15.3% for Medicare and Socialist Security) to support “Medicare, Social Security, a FHA mortgage or any of the numerous other government-funded programs” and you try to minimize your losses by using those programs, you’re a hypocrite?

“Jesus had it right - the poor will always be with us - but how many of us are independently wealthy enough to just turn our backs and let them die in the streets?”

[RWC] I love it when folks who write letters like Mr. Finch’s mention religion.

Where in the U.S. are “the poor … dying in the streets?” What does being “independently wealthy” have to do with letting “the poor” die in the streets? In Mr. Finch’s mind, apparently the “independently wealthy” must be uncaring monsters.

“This inept administration outsources decent jobs that could get people off welfare so Republican-sponsored corporate America can realize bigger profits.”

[RWC] Another talking point for which Mr. Finch provides no supporting evidence. What jobs were outsourced by the Bush administration? As a reminder, the only people employed by any administration are government employees. If Mr. Finch’s allegation is correct, how can the unemployment rate be only 4.4%?

What is “Republican-sponsored corporate America?” Does Mr. Finch believe only Republicans run businesses? As a reminder, the two largest political contributors (Peter Lewis & George Soros) during the 2004 presidential campaign were both big liberals. Though this data is old, Roll Call reported in 2002 the four richest U.S. senators, and nine of the top 12, were Democrats. The richest Democrat (John Kerry) had over 13 times the wealth of the richest Republican (Lincoln Chafee). FYI, Mr. Chafee is no longer in the Senate. If these Democrats didn’t earn their wealth from business, where did it come from?

“My second point concerns Roy Whipple’s Democrat-bashing letter to the editor ‘Democrats hurting our troops’ (Thursday).

“This is his hero Bush’s war. He started it on false pretenses with no clear plan on how to wage or win it. The truth is, it can’t be won, no matter how many more dollars or lives you throw at it.”

[RWC] From Mr. Whipple’s letter, how does Mr. Finch conclude President Bush is Mr. Whipple’s “hero?”

“Hero” or not, this is not “Bush’s war.” It is America’s war, just like Vietnam, Korea, World War I, World War II, et cetera. Making the war appear to be personal is what allows folks like Mr. Finch to believe surrender is OK.

Here’s how SSgt Porupsky, USMC, Camp Fallujah, Iraq responded to Mr. Whipple’s letter on the Times website. “I agree 100% with Mr. Whipple’s comments on the negative impact the Democrats ‘resolution’ will make on U.S. Troops. But then again, what do I know? I am only in Iraq for my third time. Thank you for your support Mr. Whipple. The memories of those who have paid with their lives should be honored by finishing what we started. America is in a position to either show the world that we are still a superpower, or that we do not have the will to see things through. Semper Fidelis.”

“Now that America is sick of his mess, all of a sudden the responsibility for ‘losing’ the war is placed on the Democrats?”

[RWC] Actually, it’s not “all of a sudden.” Democrats in Congress have been undermining our efforts almost from the beginning, even the ones who voted to authorize the war.

“Attaching pork to bills is something both parties do. It isn’t right, but that’s how the system works.”

[RWC] Actually, Mr. Whipple understated the pork in his letter. Instead of the $2 billion Mr. Whipple mentioned, the real level was about $24 billion. That’s a full 24% more than President Bush requested for stuff not remotely connected to Afghanistan or Iraq.

“Why don’t I hear Whipple complaining about corrupt Republicans mismanaging the war, misleading the public with their lies or wasting billions of dollars that are supposed to be ‘fighting terrorism’ going into Haliburton’s [sic] pockets?”

[RWC] Note Mr. Finch didn’t name his “corrupt Republicans” or provide supporting evidence. Mr. Finch also didn’t describe “their lies” and provide supporting evidence of those alleged lies. Accusations without credible evidence are a hallmark of Mr. Finch’s letters.

At least Mr. Finch didn’t forget his Halliburton talking point, though he couldn’t spell the name correctly.

Since Mr. Finch is so worried about corruption, I wonder why he didn’t mention Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s (D-CA) abrupt resignation from the Military Construction Appropriations subcommittee. According to the liberal Metro, Ms. Feinstein “had a conflict of interest due to her husband Richard C. Blum’s ownership of two major defense contractors, who were awarded billions of dollars for military construction projects approved by Feinstein.”

Of course, this allegation can’t possibly be true, ca it? After all, Mr. Finch above told us only Republicans are involved in “corporate America.”

Finally, what didn’t Mr. Finch mention? You’ll note he didn’t mention one word about the “get out by” dates in the Democrat bills. Does anyone care to guess why?