MAILBAG:

What turnip truck did John Campbell fall off of?

The Republican Party is not about privacy, it’s more concerned about everyone’s personal affairs. The GOP is more interested in what someone’s doing in their bedroom (i.e. gay marriage, pro life) than they are in dealing with healthcare, education, immigration and, dare I say, the war in Iraq.

Chalk it up to their farsighted alliance with the religious right.

I love his remarks about socialized health care. What would you call the healthcare plan these congressmen have? I guess it’s fine for them to work all of about 75 days a year and have their healthcare paid for by the public until the day they die. Lord forbid us common folk even dreamed of having the same type of coverage available to us.

His three-step road map to success? First, confess our sins of the past (Ah, I feel better already); secondly, clear the deadwood (apparently he’s concerned about the environment); lastly, lean toward an America with more freedom (whatever the heck that means).

No wonder congressional approval is at 11%. I’d laugh if it weren’t so sad.

Costa Mesa

After reading Tom Williams’ letter differing with Joe Bell’s column (“Columnist fails to see both sides of war,” Sept. 15) which was unnecessarily insulting by the way, I have to differ with his views on the Iraq situation.

I was one who listened to the president announce the attack on Pearl Harbor and experienced the reaction and the five years that followed, and I can tell you Mr. Williams there is no comparison whatsoever between World War II and the mess we are in today.

I think it is naive to believe that all the Middle Eastern countries will become democracies because we want them to or try to force it on them. These tribes have been fighting for millenniums and will probably do so forever no matter what we do.

ANN MERRITT

Newport Beach

Having lived three doors down and across from Dennis Rodman for several years prior to his moving away from my area, there was always someone to gossip and gab about when the bad boy lived on my street.

I see where he is back to his old antics of being in the news and causing trouble for someone. This time, however, it appears that even Dennis is most likely not guilty of what some lady is accusing him of doing.

Wild as he was in his prime, assuming his prime is past him, I can’t picture Dennis doing what he was accused of, at least in public. To tell you the truth, it has been pretty quiet here on Seashore Drive without the parties, loud noises and, oh yes, helicopters landing on the beach.

BILL SPITALNICK

HOW TO GET PUBLISHED

Mail to the Daily Pilot, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Send a fax to (714) 966-4667 or e-mail us at dailypilot@latimes.com. All correspondence must include full name, hometown and phone number (for verification purposes). The Pilot reserves the right to edit all submissions for clarity and length.