It is galling to witness the White House duck and weave and dodge the questions about what they knew and when they knew about the true events surrounding the attack on our country's embassy in Benghazi, Libya in the first several days after the terrorist attack that left a fine young Ambassador and several men from our elite military dead and defiled on the anniversary of the horrendous, infamous attacks on our homeland on 9/11/2001. This President and his sycophantic disciples were so eager to divulge classified information about the killing of Osama Bin Laden, placing members of our Special Forces at serious risk and divulging secrets of our covert operations to the enemy, putting our country at risk for the sake of political grandstanding. 

Any President, and there have been others, or slick politician who does such things should be exposed as the petty, egocentric, insecure men that they are and impeached out of their office, including the President of the United States.  Even at the third debate about "foreign policy" Mr. Obama was quick to talk about joint naval exercises with Israel to try and bolster his case to anyone who may doubt his commitment to our most important ally in the region. Play it close to the vest?  Not when your political hide is at risk. Such is the game of politics. 

When I was six-years-old, I admired John F. Kennedy. My dad, from Salem, New Hampshire, whose name was John but whom everyone called Jack (his mother called him Jackie) loved Jack Kennedy. My mom, who at age 18 went from Salem, N.H. to Washington, D.C. to work at the Pentagon, also loved the Kennedy's. We all loved the campaign's song "High Hopes." I remember one of the first books I ever read was "Profiles in Courage" which chronicled the stories of men who, in the face of adversity, did the right thing for their country. I live with the words "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" imbedded in my brain.  

To see a person such as Barack Obama bastardize these principles by using classified information for political gain, and using executive privilege to withhold classified information for political expediency, is the absolute betrayal of all that this country stands for, and warps the principles that have made this country the most exceptional place on the planet.

Obama out in 2012. 

John T. Johnston
Signal Mountain

* * * 

Mr. Johnson, you seem to have a pretty good memory, because you can remember a book you read back in the 60s.  

Can you remember how the Bush Administration manipulated intelligence to get us into Iraq?  Can you remember Scooter Libby outing one of our career CIA agents?  Can you remember "top secret" energy meetings between the VP Cheney and Enron?   

Maybe you are one of those Republicans who has selective memory?  Where was your galling then? 

Stephen Durham

* * * 

Mr. Johnston,
I believe it is fairly safe to assume you will not be voting for President Barack Obama.  

I read your post with astonishment, sadness and anger.  Astonished  that many of those who oppose the President do so with such unbridled rage.  Astonished at the “facts” you seem to possess, such as, the President and his sycophantic disciples, as you put it, divulging classified information, withholding information and putting our Special Troops, allies and America at risk, all for political gain.   If these accusations were correct, they would be grievous and possibly impeachable actions.  However, they are not correct. More likely this information is coming to you from Fox News, whose idea of reporting news is to ask hypothetical inflammatory questions posing as fact, make misleading insinuations; call on “experts," such as John Bolton, Carl Rove and Donald Rumsfeld. Now there is a group of leaders we can put our trust in.  If Fox News has not convinced its listeners with their fair and balanced reporting, they can always report on the latest inflammatory rants of Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh or Donald Trump which are guaranteed to motivate the Conservative base.

I am saddened to read your posts about Jack Kennedy and the love you and your family had for this first family. It was indeed a joyful and hopeful time until the shots rang out. I was a young mother at the time of the President’s death and it was impossible to explain my never ending tears to my little children.  Following the death of President Kennedy, we had to endure the pain of losing his brother, Robert and Dr. Martin Luther King.  It seemed the hope and future was truly gone from this nation.   

The President Kennedy’s words eventually re-motivated many of us and we tried to continue to march forward working for dreams these men embodied.   Not asking what our country could do for us, but what we could do for our country.  We volunteered, we marched, we sang, “We Shall Overcome” and we believed in the possibility of equality for all. 

The next time I shed a tear for a political leader was the day I voted for Barack Obama.  Finally, I thought, America has come of age. I believed we really had overcome our prejudice and our inability to get along. Tears of pain and loss turned to tears of joy and pride.  

If I thought the opposition to President Obama was truly related to a lack of ability, poor performance or ineptitude, it would be easier to accept, however, before President Obama was inaugurated, the opposition forces were convening behind closed doors with the major objective of making him a one term President regardless of any success or achievements. They were determined to use whatever means necessary.  

Mr. Johnston, you say, a person such as Barack Obama has bastardized the principles of his office for political gain.  I just wonder exactly what you mean when you say a person such as Barack Obama.    

This brings me to the final emotion elicited from your posts. I am angry.  

Perhaps, if we are blessed with another four years of this President’s leadership, it will give some people time to mature and grow beyond the prejudices of the past.  After all, it was the dream of three very good men. 

Cecilia Lewis
Ooltewah