ON May 1, George Bush exercised his democratic right to veto a ludicrous Democratic-inspired Bill placed before the Senate and House of Congress, requiring US troops to withdraw from Iraq according to a completely unrealistic timetable.
In his six years at the White House this is the first occasion upon which Mr Bush has taken the step of veto. His predecessor, Bill Clinton, used the power 37 times in eight years, so if invoking the veto is a measure of what constitutes a US dictator, according to Hugh Pender (HAS, May 14), presumably this places dear old Bill on a par with Adolf, Benito and Joe.
FD Roosevelt used the veto 635 times and, it is my belief, would be seen by most of us as the man who saved the world from Nazi domination.
Whether you agree or disagree with the war in Iraq, it would be useful if future analyses were based on a mature and reasonable assessment of the facts, not simple hatred of those taking the hard decisions.
DW Lacey, Newton Hall, Durham.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article