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Hernando Today

Not paying attention

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Hernando Today

Published: October 28, 2009

After reading Peter Stathis's letter, I realize that I owe an apology to the right wingers out there. I had thought that you were egregious hypocrites. Now I realize that you just weren't paying attention during the Bush era.

Did Bush spy on Americans without warrants? Well, New York times reporters James Risen and Eric Lichtbrau won the Pulitzer Prize in 2006 for their reporting on Bush's illegal spying on Americans. Take it up with them. As an example of what Bush believed he could do to American citizens, look up the case of Jose Padilla.

While we're at it, does Mr. Stathis realize that there is no such job title as "czar" in the federal government?

Charles Rangel? Ask me about it AFTER the investigation.

The spending? The Congressional Budget Office has a nice little website (cbo.gov). Go to the home page, click the blue ECONOMIC AND BUDGET INFORMATION bar. Look at the budget month by month. Look at the historical tables. You'll see who the big spenders are.

As for myself: I don't watch MSNBC, since I don't have cable. And, I'm not particularly left wing. My views on most issues are the same as the majority of Americans, according to public opinion polls. As of Oct. 18, though, only 20% of the public identified themselves as Republicans. Maybe you guys are the ones on the fringe.

Finally, Mr. Stathis to the contrary, I'm not angry at the teabaggers. They're fun to watch. But, when people carry signs calling for states to secede, or saying it's "Time to water the tree of liberty, (the rest of the quote is "with the blood of patriots and tyrants,") or calling for a "Second American Revolution," they're entering dangerous territory. It's free speech for now. But it will seem a lot more sinister in the event of something like another Oklahoma City. In fact, it might be considered sedition.

So, once again: Before you get involved with something like this, make sure you know who is behind it and what their intentions are.

Dallas Dunlap

Brooksville

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