"Blood on her hands" is a bit over the top, and frankly, devalues the meaning of Mr. Forrester's words. We don't need that type of inflammatory rhetoric in our politics. He misses the irony that he's doing precisely what he is in the same breath criticizing Robin Smith for having done.

Nevertheless, as a Republican, I am very embarrassed to say that if we could only calm him down, Mr. Forrester does have a point. Robin Smith did indeed demonstrate as chairman of Tennessee's Republican Party that she was willing to go to questionable extremes in campaign tactics. We don't need that either. We can only go by the past record, so it is fair to conclude that if elected to Congress, Ms. Smith would continue to engage in the slash and burn type of partisan attacks she was practicing in Nashville. Since we already have gracious plenty of that going on in the U.S. House (on both sides of the aisle), we should look for someone else to replace Zach Wamp.

Ray Minner
Collegedale
minnerray@gmail.com

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"(S)lash and burn type of partisan attacks"? "(W)illing to go to questionable extremes in campaign tactics"? It would appear that Mr. Forrester isn't the only person capable of being "a bit over the top" with his rhetoric.

So Smitty released campaign literature and advertisements using a man's legitimate, legal middle name. So? The man did that himself after he was elected. Some might call that visionary on Smitty's part. It isn't, after all, as though she sent cards to a bunch of people containing music that some might find offensive, or hire someone who did.

Didn't President Obama do exactly the same thing, begin using his legitimate and legal middle name, when he went on his tour of the Middle East? Why? How can Smitty be chastised for doing exactly the same thing, even if it was before the fact.

As a republican, I'm offended that someone would purport to be "embarrassed" by the truth. It's about time we began speaking and hearing the truth, even when it hurts. If, in fact, that truth hurts, perhaps it's because we aren't abiding by the standards and principles we claim to stand for. Since when is speaking the truth negative? Since our elected officials began trying to put on airs and presenting an image of being "statesmen" rather than leaders our nation has done nothing but go on a downward spiral toward mediocrity. It bears little resemblance to the greatness it was when many of us were children, much less the greatness the founders envisioned.

In the end, the battle will be between that engineer dude and the blonde chick. They're the only ones who can look those us wearing blue jeans and plaid shirts in the eye, and truly say "been there and done that, got the scars to prove it."

But I also figure the one with the guts to have me standing at attention saying "yes Ma'am," while she's telling me I'm wrong, when I am, has guts enough to go to Washington and say those same things to a bunch of hair spray wearing, manicured men whose hands haven't seen callouses in years, if at all, who are spending my grandchildren and great grandchildren's inheritance.

Our children and grandchildren deserve better than what we would lay at their feet right now, today. It's time to get over the SSDD mentality.

Royce E. Burrage, Jr.
Royce@OfficiallyChapped.org