Duke Bennett is the “ineligible candidate” that has caused our city to be in a political upheaval for over a year. His unethical actions are the reason that all of our votes have been thrown away.
Bennett is the person that told Patrick Fazio on Nov. 17, 2008, that the Office of Special Counsel is the only authority that can rule on his eligibility, and that they were never going to come back and rule after the fact … all the while knowing his personal attorney Chou-il Lee had a letter from the OSC stating that Bennett was in violation.
Bennett is the reason our city has to have another “special” election.
— Kim Burke
Terre Haute
Pardon abuse sends wrong message
President Bush decided to pardon another group of his friends. The Constitution was never intended to be abused in this manner.
They all do it. The Democrats, the Republicans, both are guilty of this abuse. The Founding Fathers intended for the power of pardon to be used in cases of abuse by the judicial branch of our government on innocent Americans. A way of checks and balances. Not as a way for the rich and powerful with White House connections to laugh over cocktails about how much money they made and how little time they served in their white collar country clubs.
The power of pardon has been abused and that sends the wrong message to the American people. Today, this is all about the outgoing president saving his family, buddies, or friends of his powerful buddies and has nothing to do with upholding our Constitution.
I believe the power of the pardon needs to be overhauled. It tells the youth of our nation that life is about who you know and not about what is right, and what is wrong.
Drug traffickers, environmental polluters, bank embezzlers and crimes of this nature are being wiped clean by powerful, connected people. Wrong, wrong, wrong! What a shame this is. Scooter Libby, Dick Cheney, Alberto Gonzales and others will be next. You know Bush is not leaving office before wiping that slate clean.
Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin has asked the president to pardon former Illinois Gov. George Ryan. This is the perfect example of power looking out for power. Sen. Durbin has the nerve to say that the former governor has suffered enough. Did Dick Durbin forget about the poor children that burned to death in the van which started the whole investigation on the former governor? Did he forget about how much the families and friends of those killed have suffered every day since that tragic accident? Did he forget that we are a nation of laws and no one is above the law? Did he forget about laying his hand on the Bible and swearing to uphold the laws and Constitution of this nation? Isn’t he supposed to keep the people he serves first and foremost?
The people of Illinois are outraged about this request. I heard firsthand people who participated on the Jury express outrage about Durbin’s request on WLS-AM radio which is based in Chicago. I think Durbin needs to spend an afternoon with the people killed and hear face to face how much they still suffer. Let them go over the accident site (crime scene) pictures and read the obituaries of the people killed and see if he comes away feeling the same as he did before the meeting.
Don Henley was so right when he wrote “you can steal more money with a briefcase than a gun”. I can see Georgie boy doing that little giggle thing with his shoulders, while slapping his convicted felon buddies on the back and telling them, “Don’t worry friend, that’s how we do it in Texas.”
I wonder what Adams, Jefferson and Franklin would think about all this.
— Bruce Morgan
Sullivan
Sorry to read of library funds issue
I’ve been a little “under the weather” recently (it’s been going around, I hear), so it was only yesterday that I got around to reading the article in the Tribune-Star on Friday, Dec. 12.
I realize that economic difficulties are widespread these days — at least reportedly so. But it saddened me to read about possible cutbacks facing the Vigo County Public Library.
The staff there has been unfailingly diligent, polite, helpful, and friendly. I would hate to see any restriction on the services they offer.
— John Halladay
Terre Haute
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