Edward Hum – 10/29/08

This page was last updated on November 2, 2008.

Who would have thought?; Edward J. Hum; Beaver County Times; October 29, 2008.

Mr. Hum was a regular contributor (at least 28 letters) from mid-2004 through September 2007. After about 10 months, Mr. Hum came out of “retirement” to bash President Bush’s Air National Guard service with two letters in less than two weeks. It will be no surprise most of Mr. Hum’s letters are no more than exercises in bashing President Bush and/or other Republicans. Mr. Hum’s letters are also flame-throwing exercises. I don’t know if Mr. Hum actually believes what he writes, or if he simply likes to stir things up to call attention to himself.

Mr. Hum is one of a group of local Republican impersonators (The group also includes Messrs. William A. Alexander, Arthur Brown, William G. Horter, and George Reese.) who write claiming to be disgruntled Republicans. You have to give Mr. Hum “credit,” however, for going the extra mile to further his impersonation. As of September 2006, Mr. Hum was actually registered as a Republican despite the fact he’s no more a Republican than is Dennis Kucinich.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“Fellow Republicans, we thought we didn’t have a chance in 2008, but who would have thought four years ago that the Iraq War mistakes and not finding Osama bin Laden in seven years would not be a factor at all?

“Who would have thought that turning a budget surplus into an additional $5 trillion in national debt would just be laughed off?

“Who would have thought we could nationalize the banks, blame it on the Democrats and call Barack Obama a socialist?

“Ronald Reagan said government is not the solution, it is the problem. After Bush and our Republican Congress changed the Glass-Stiegel Bank Act in 2001, who would have thought Rush Limbaugh could say it’s the Democrats who deregulated and that is why we’re in this terrible mess.”

[RWC] This last sentence is indicative of the factual accuracy of the rest of the letter. Mr. Hum was almost right. All he got wrong was the act’s name, the action taken, the year, and the president. Public Law 106-102 repealed (not “changed”) the “Glass-Steagall Act” in 1999 when Bill Clinton was President.

75% of House Democrats, 98% of House Republicans, 84% of Senate Democrats, and 94% of Senate Republicans voted for the repeal and then-President Clinton signed the bill.

“Who would have thought we could call Obama a terrorist and get thunderous applause?

“Who would have thought that an even-tempered candidate out of Harvard Law School would be running for his political life against a hot-tempered playboy who finished near the bottom of his class?”

[RWC] I have to admit this is the first time I heard Mr. McCain referred to as a “playboy.” As for the “hot-tempered” comment, the Obama campaign and the media have been trying to push this story for months, yet all we get is innuendo, no examples, no circumstances, et cetera. Even if it were true, you can bet the same behavior by Mr. Obama would be lauded as indicative of his passion.

Have you noticed how Mr. Obama graduating from Harvard is indicative of his “intellect,” but the fact President Bush graduated from Harvard meant nothing?

“Fellow Republicans, it’s not over yet.”

[RWC] Wow, Mr. Hum finally got one right!