Recollection - you got it or you don't

11/12/2005

I find very interesting that the jargon de jour in Republican circles these days is "recollection." As Gypsy Rose Lee's momma once bellowed on stage, "either you got it or you don't." It does appear that the GOP has a large surplus of recollection, or lack thereof, at their ready when the occasion arises.

When the Bushies are attacked, recollection quickly turns to the previous administration, citing Bill Clinton's foibles, but, of course, recollection is absent when asked to explain current issues, e.g., I. Lewis Libby's lack of recollection to the grand jury discussing Valerie Plame's identity; Gov. Bob Taft's lack of recollection having played golf at Inverness; Tom Delay's lack of recollection of his best friend Jack Abramoff; William Frist's lack of recollection that his stock portfolio was about to go south. And on and on.

For once, wouldn't it be refreshing and totally honest if supporters of the Bush Administration could keep and remember their "recollections" to current events?

Constant flashbacks to past administration's failures to fend off criticisms of the current quagmire is like saying, "well, at least the bird flu is not as bad as the bubonic plague."

Then again, I can't recollect!

Anthony Thiros

Lambertville, Mich.

Republican ideas used to confuse me, but lately they've become increasingly clear, though contradictory. Republicans are against perjury and lying to a grand jury if they think President Clinton did it. But if a top Republican does it to betray a CIA agent, apparently it's fine.

Republicans say Supreme Court nominees deserve an up or down vote in the Senate. This rule does not apply if the extreme right wing of their party does not like the nominee.

Republicans may think they can keep fooling the voters with their inconsistencies. Let's hope the voters provide the contradiction to that belief in 2006.

David J. Jackson

Virginia Street

Although we enjoyed the part about baking in Mary Alice Powell's Halloween article, the rest was a major bummer. There's so much more to it than just trick-or-treating (which she seemed to focus on).

This time of year is when our family loves to watch scary movies, look for and carve pumpkins, go to local corn mazes and haunted houses, attend parties, and check out other yard displays that can top ours (haven't found too many yet).

We invite her to come over some Halloween, hang with us, and see how much fun she has missed over the years. Maybe we will even let her run one of our smoke machines.

MARTIN KRALIK

Rossford

Any chance that we could get someone from Iraq here to show our board of elections how to hold an election and count the votes? Seems to me they had a lot less problems than we have, and they have had only one "free" election.

Carl Zellner

Waterville