Ed Hum – 3/8/06

This page was last updated on March 8, 2006.

Pity the next president; Edward J. Hum; Beaver County Times; March 8, 2006.

This is at least the 9^th anti-Bush/anti-Republican letter from Mr. Hum since July 2004. As usual he claims to be a Republican, though I have my doubts.

Before I begin, I have a “told you so.” Mr. Hum led off his last letter from September with, “Fellow Republicans, this is my last letter about George W. Bush.” I responded with, “Anyone taking bets?”

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Fellow Republicans, President Bush reports on the Katrina failure. Next, Bush reports on failure in Iraq.”

[RWC] What is sad is I believe Mr. Hum actually wants “failure in Iraq.”

“Remember WMDs, Saddam’s tie to 9/11, Mission Accomplished, Generals Zinni and Shinseki recommending 400,000 troops in Iraq, the cost of the war ($20 billion) being paid for with Iraqi oil revenues (cost now estimated at $1.2 trillion) and taxes cut in wartime for the first time in recorded history? How much is our grandchildren’s deficit now?”

[RWC] Mr. Hum knows full well President Bush never claimed an Iraq link to 9/11.

“$1.2 trillion?” Using a New York Times estimate that we’re spending about $6 billion/month, it would take us 200 months – nearly 17 years – to reach Mr. Hum’s figure.

In summary, this paragraph appears to be nothing more than talking points Mr. Hum pulled from a wacko blog.

“On Afghanistan, with 19,000 troops still there, Bush reports democracy is being promoted and terrorists are being killed. Reporters report the Taliban is still strong and President Karzia [sic] is mayor of Kabul at best. Who are you going to believe, a politician or a reporter?”

[RWC] Unlike Mr. Hum, I trust neither politicians nor so-called reporters. For the last several years, the press industry has been rocked by one scandal after another. As recently as January, remember the “All are alive!” headlines we read about the Sago mine disaster? Beyond a simple inability to report accurately, many so-called news stories are simply op-ed pieces.

“Pity the next Republican or Democrat who becomes president after these incompetents.”

[RWC] Did Mr. Hum recycle this from a letter written during the Clinton administration? <g>