Marc Perkel's
Letters to the Editor

The party that wins the most seats gets to pick the Speaker of the House and the heads of all the committees. If the Republicans stay in control then Newt Gingrich, who shut down the government last year, will be the Speaker of the House again.

When you vote Republican your voting for Newt. If you like Newt and the job Newt's done so far, then vote Republican. But if you don't like the job Newt's done, vote for the Democrat. The Democrats may not be that great of a party either, but at least Newt won't be running the Congress.

In spite of the fact that Bob Dole was a smoker himself and that he lost a brother to lung cancer, in the final Clinton-Dole debate Dole still will not say "Cigarettes are Adictive". Phillip Morris, the nations top cigarette manufacture, is also the nations top Republican campaign contributor.

Is there a relationship between cigarette money and confusion about the addictiveness of cigarettes? Do you believe tobacco money influences politicians? You'll have to answer that for yourself when you vote on November 5th.

Bob Dole swears he's going to give you a 15% tax cut, protect Medicare and Social Security, and still balance the budget. Bob Dole has given you his word and his oath and put his honor on the line that he's going to keep this promise. If you think that you are actually going to get that 15% tax cut and that Bob Dole isn't just saying it to get elected, you should vote for Bob Dole.

Last year Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich shut down the government. This year is an an election year. They now promise to never shut down the government again. Listen carefully to Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich and watch how they conduct themselves leading up to the election. Then ask yourself this question: "Do I really trust Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich to run America, balance the budget, cut taxes 15%, and not shut down the government?" This election really is about who do you trust.

President Clinton took a bold step to try to bring the Middle East leaders together to avoid war while Dole and Newt undermined the peace process saying irresponsible things during the delicate negotiations. If Bob Dole wants to be president, he needs to show he can restrain is verbal discharges. We don't need someone who is incontinent in the Whitehouse.

One message the Republicans are making clear is that they don't feel your pain. They twice shut down the government trying to force President Clinton to give into their demands to take from the needy and give to the rich. I suppose that's what this election is all about. Do we want to elect someone who feels your pain, or someone who does not feel your pain?

If Republicans think they are so smart on foreign policy, I would remind them that in 1991 if the Republicans weren't to chicken to finish the job and take Saddam Hussein out, President Clinton wouldn't be stuck cleaning after them. Clinton has already had to clean up Somalia, Haiti, and Bosnia that he inherited from the Republicans. I think the Republicans, who failed to achieve victory in 1991, should sit down and shut up while Clinton cleans their mess in Iraq.

In the 1994 election the Democrats made a very serious mistake opposing Clinton. This angered many voters like myself who like Clinton, but don't care as much for Democrats in general. Many Clinton supporters stayed home allowing Republicans to win.

I think the Democrats have been properly punished and humbled and are now ready for a second chance. And since the Republicans proved they can't govern without shutting down the government, it's their turn for punishment. The voters want change. In 1992 we threw the President out. In 1994 we threw the Democrats in Congress out. Now we need to throw the Republicans in Congress out.

Tobacco is addictive. Everyone who smokes knows that. Tobacco Money is addictive. Tobacco Money can cause brain damage. One symptom is when you start confusing Tobacco with Milk!

The Republicans in Congress decided they wanted to accomplish something and were no longer willing to sacrifice their jobs to support Bob Dole's futile bid for the presidency. I think the Congressional Republicans and the President should be commended for doing the right thing, making the tough choices, and putting the public ahead of politics.

After having spent the last two years in divorce court, I've come to realize that what is called marriage in America is nothing more than a license you give the government that allows thieving opportunistic lawyers to steal everything you own. No sane person who understands what a marriage contract really is would ever get married.

So I say to the gay community, you don't want what you are trying to get. Go back and fight over job discrimination rather than the right to be robbed blind by crooked lawyers like we heterosexuals have. When it comes to marriage, you're better off without it.

If I were to choose our next president between a former Pot smoker and someone who doesn't know if cigarettes are addictive, I'll take the Pot smoker any day.

If Bob Dole can't demonstrate the ability to answer questions and state his positions on the issues, how are we voters going to know if we want to vote for him?

Bob Dole could have trippled his support among blacks by showing them a little respect. Instead he's managed to solidify the opposition against both him and the Republican Party.

Now, with Clinton as President we are talking about the economy "overheating" and "putting the breaks on" because the economy is "growing too fast". Because "unemployment is too low" the Fed fears that "wages will go up". And because Clinton has cut the deficit in half we are now talking about "when" we will balance the budget, not "if" we will balance the budget.

Sorry Bob, attacking Clinton on the economy is a bad plan. Better stick with the character issue.

The Phillip Morris Company is running ads in British newspapers claiming that the fat content in milk makes it as dangerous as tobacco. Here in America, Bob Dole questioned if smoking was addictive and also compared smoking cigarettes to drinking milk. It's not surprising that Phillip Morris is a big Dole contributor.

I think that smokers and non-smokers agree that they don't want their kids to start smoking cigarettes. I am concerned that if Dole were president, that sending the message that smoking is as safe as drinking milk would cause a lot of kids to get hooked. I'd sure hate to see big tobacco win the battle for our childrens future.

You think that Bob Dole would have gotten the message, but anything that's good for America is bad for the Dole campaign. So in his final act as Senator, Bob Dole managed to get his amendment put back in the bill by the conference comittee.

So now when it's voted down Bob Dole has someone to blame. He can point his shakey old finger at Clinton and say, "He killed the bill!" Bob Dole's "Blame Politics" isn't working. If this election is about "Character", Bob Dole sure isn't impressing anyone.

But Bob Dole is trying to be in the middle where there is no middle. On the one hand he supports a constitutional ban on abortions. However, when interviewed on Larry King Live this year, Bob Dole was asked what would he do if his daughter wanted an abortion? Dole replied, "That would be up to her." No Bob, that's what Dan Quayle said. "Up to her" is Pro-Choice!

Bob Dole offends the pro-choice voter because he doesn't even understand the question, and Bob Dole offends the pro-life voter because he's insincere and that life is merely a campaign slogan. To pro-life advocates it is painfully clear that Dole lacks passion for this issue and at best Dole's convictions can be described as "Better than Nothing".

Personally, I think their both right. But one things for sure. After June 11th the Senate won't have old Bob Dole to kick around anymore.

Bob Dole likes to spike legislation to make sure Clinton won't sign it. In this case Dole wouldn't allow a bill with an exemption for the health of the mother that Clinton would have signed. Thus, Bob Dole put politics ahead of life for a cheap political shot against the President.

I therefore challenge the morally superior pro life Republicans to offer Clinton a clean bill and see if he signs it. Then we'll find out who really owns the moral high ground on the late term abortion issue!

Bob Dole's resignation had no other strategic value. If it had, he would have let his fellow Republicans in on it. But they were as surprised as the Democrats. The fact that Clinton knew about Dole's resignation before Newt did clearly indicates that Dole made the decision on an emotional impulse.

Bob Dole realizes the end is near. He's 20 points behind and losing ground. He'll drop out before the convention. If he does, you heard it here first!

Now Clinton's called Dole's bluff and says he'll sign Dole's temporary gas tax cut and Dole's running away from the deal. Is this an example of Dole's leadership? I wish Dole would quit making the Republican party look so bad. The Republican party can't afford to keep giving Bob Dole political welfare.

However, when Pat Buchannan is shunned at the convention, but pro-choice Republicans like Pete Wilson and Christy Todd Whittman are welcomed, it sends a different message indeed! As Senate Majority Leader, Bob Dole could have passed a bill banning late term abortions that Clinton would have signed if it had the exception for the health of the mother. But Dole put politics ahead of pro-life and sent Clinton a bill he knew he couldn't sign.

While Clinton is clearly pro-choice, Dole is at best weakly pro-life. Dole is being evasive about where he stands causing both pro-choice and pro-life Republicans to be uninspired. Obviously pro-lifers have to vote Dole, but his lack of position doesn't turn them on.

This latest money laundering scandal isn't Bob Dole's first. In 1993 the FEC levied the largest civil penalty ever against Bob Dole's 1988 presidential campaign. The Dole campaign paid a fine of $100,000, and publicly admitted to taking contributions from corporations, illegally using corporate jets, and violating state-by-state spending limits.

Makes me wonder how Republicans who supported other candidates feel about this latest Dole scandal.

When Bob Dole want's to help the rich he gives them more money. But when he want to help the poor he takes money away. Bob Dole, who's family made 50 times what a minimum wage earner makes, and voted to raise his own paycheck, doesn't realize that a tax cut doesn't help people who don't earn enough money to owe taxes in the first place. Bob Dole should stop being a sour puss obstructionist and let Congress vote it up or down.

John Kasick, for example, is young and attractive. Governor Tommy Thompson is even tempered and well respected and would help give the Dole ticket credibility allowing Dole to move to the right. However, a conservative like Olie North could integrate the Buchannan voters while allowing Dole to move to the left. Or Dole might consider running with a woman to pick up an area where he trails badly, but that might offend older white male conservatives.

Bob Dole has yet to get his message out as to who he is and what he stands for, and his running mate should help him define himself.

During Watergate, Bob Dole stood by Richard Nixon. In 1976 Bob Dole ran and lost with Gerald Ford. After losing to George Bush in 1988, Bob Dole turned around and supported him. Bob Dole's supporting legislation that Bob Dole doesn't believe in because of Bob Dole's party obligations.

Bob Dole has always put loyalty ahead of Bob Dole's personal convictions. Therefore, I think Republicans are obligated to put their convictions aside and support Bob Dole.

Can someone be duller than George Bush? Dole proves it can be done! He should be thankful that "None of the Above" isn't a ballot choice or he'd be in fourth place right now.