Re: “With election and cliff behind him, real Obama returns” (Charles Krauthammer column, 1-4).

I think it is time to look at the real Krauthammer rather than the “real Obama.” He regularly criticizes President Obama for “redistributionism” while showing little concern for the form of it he favors: redistribution of wealth upwards into the hands of extremely wealthy people.

He calls Obama’s efforts to reverse that upward trend “class warfare” yet ignores the already devastating impact of another form of “class warfare” which has been going on for decades.

Using their political influence to cut back governmental regulations and to …

Read more »

Charles Krauthammer (column, 8-31) presents a good case for Israel being concerned about presumed Iranian nuclear weapon ambitions, but is less than convincing that it would be advantageous to Israel to launch an air attack on existing nuclear facilities, some of which are underground.

Any attack on Iran by a nuclear power (which Israel is) would tend to justify Iran’s need for nuclear weapons. Secondly, doesn’t it appear from statements by Iranian officials in regard to Israel that Iran is trying to goad Israel into attacking?

Similarly, in making public statements about “progress” and intentions to reconstruct surface nuclear …

Read more »

Charles Krauthammer discusses possible Israeli pre-emptive war with Iran (column, 8-24) without mentioning Israel’s nuclear stockpile estimated (in a national publication) at 75 or more warheads.

If Israel launches a conventional bombing strike at Iran, there are three possible outcomes:

• Most Israeli planes are downed, with limited damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, some of which are constructed underground.

• Damage by airstrike is considerable, in which case Iran might chance a counterattack, knowing that Israel might escalate to a nuclear strike or the United States might intervene militarily.

• Damage of the initial airstrike is considerable, but Iran …

Read more »

Re: “Letters should be more substantive” (letter, 7-13).

The letter writer is tired of reading (and I paraphrase here) poorly researched, illogical, deceptive and unnecessarily provocative letters to the editor. I share his irritation.

Imagine how annoyed I was Friday morning when I turned to the editorial page and found it dominated by those bigoted, mean-spirited ideologues, known in the world of editorial journalism as Michael Gerson and Charles Krauthammer. Had I not seen the piece by my old favorite, Gene Robinson, on the same page, I also might have written a critical letter to The News Tribune.

But, …

Read more »

Re: “So now we’re down to two choices: Lousy and terrible” (Charles Krauthammer column, 6-15).

Krauthammer’s grousing about the candidates focuses on tarring and feathering President Obama as a “big-government liberal” who panders to special interests and risks national security with leaks, all for votes.

Krauthammer makes his living by savaging the president, but he misses the point. Over the past 3½ years the Obama administration has laid the foundation for our recovery from the eight-year Bush disaster.

Obama has put the U.S. back on a peaceful footing with the rest of the world; he has reined in the …

Read more »

Celebrating “The beginning of the end for public-sector unions,” Charles Krauthammer’s column (TNT, 6-8) demonstrates he knows as little about history as he does politics and economics.

The first recorded strike of organized “public-sector” workers took place in the Valley of Kings more than 2,000 years ago. The union city workers of Rome walked out on a general strike in the first century.

I could go on, but the point is “public-sector unions” have been around far longer than Krauthammer’s reference and will no doubt long outlast his prediction of pending collapse.

What Krauthammer and his right-wing cronies fail …

Read more »

Re: “Obama touted his small ideas when we need big ones” (Charles Krauthammer column, 1-27).

As with most columns Krauthammer pens, they’re directed at President Barack Obama with utter scorn and disdain. His latest rant is about the president’s lack of big ideas and hints that what the president is doing is shrinking.

He also makes sure that he throws out those tired old GOP-baiting terms like socialism, Maoism, Leninism and the rest of the red meat he feeds his party to keep them in a rabid frenzy.

Krauthammer knows that Congress is stifling  Obama at every turn in hopes …

Read more »

Watching the polls carefully since Congress engaged in the tea party default drama is fun. The approval rating of this current Congress is at 14 percent, the lowest in their history. I add that the initial clamor for Congress to return to D.C. has died early. Upon reflection, there was gratitude for not having to see these idiots for awhile.

In the proud tradition of Republicans everywhere, Charles Krauthammer is pointing his fingers at President Obama. At no point in his column (TNT, 8-19) does he acknowledge the political malfeasance of the tea party in causing the downgrade to …

Read more »