THE WASHINGTON TIMES

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Pelosi, Dems reach new low

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's temper tantrum when she ripped up her autographed copy of President Trump's State of the Union address was unbecoming for someone in the third most powerful position in Washington ("Pelosi rips up Trump's State of the Union address," Web, Feb. 4). None of the past 53 House speakers in history has ever resorted to such theatrics. Any guest of the president or member of Congress in attendance would have been more than happy to accept Mrs. Pelosi's copy. She could have donated it to a museum or charity. Published February 5, 2020

EDITORIAL: Nepotism should be avoided when political terms end prematurely

Back in the dusty recesses of history, Massachusetts briefly had a Republican senator. His name was Scott Brown. Mr. Brown, during the campaign for the seat, unleashed a memorable line that got to the heart of our republican form of government. Published February 5, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: China’s virus efforts good-faith

In "Virus-hit Wuhan has two laboratories linked to Chinese bio-warfare program" (Web, Jan. 24), Bill Gertz claims the coronavirus "may have originated in a Wuhan laboratory linked to China's covert biological weapons program," and he cites a "biological warfare expert" without providing any evidence. These allegations are simply groundless, wrong and irresponsible, prompting media outlets such as The Washington Post, Foreign Policy and BBC to debunk them. Published February 5, 2020

EDITORIAL: Iowa caucus snafu unleashes a gaggle of candidates with nothing to show

The Democratic Party's 2020 Iowa caucus was a little bit like a child's soccer game: Everybody got a trophy. At least on Monday night in the Hawkeye State, everybody who wanted to be one was a winner. Published February 4, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Free thought could be antidote

Cal Thomas' column, "After Trump acquittal, what's next?" (Web, Feb. 3), ends by unambiguously pronouncing that a win by President Trump in the 2020 election "will send the left and most of the media into another deep depression." Such judgments reflect how America's Jacobin divide between the populist left and populist right is getting deeper, with only an indefinable chance of being healed in the foreseeable future. The chasm is too simply too large. Published February 4, 2020

EDITORIAL: Get well, Rush Limbaugh

There are some certainties in life: Death, taxes and Rush Limbaugh on the air each weekday from noon to three. For more than three decades, Mr. Limbaugh, a Missouri native turned New Yorker turned Floridian, has been a fixture of American life. Published February 4, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Prayers for Limbaugh

Conservative radio icon Rush Limbaugh (the self-proclaimed "mayor of Realville") announced this week that he has advanced lung cancer ("Rush Limbaugh reveals he has lung cancer, shocking and saddening his listeners," Web, Feb. 3). His millions of radio listeners know all too well what that means. Published February 4, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Antifa a terror group

It is time the Trump administration designate antifa a domestic terrorist organization ("Anti-police protesters demand 'cop-free' NYC subways," Web, Jan. 31). The organization's recent attempt to take over the New York City subway system, its members' brutal attacks on people and property, and the violence and turmoil it stirs all make it a domestic terrorist designation. Published February 4, 2020

EDITORIAL: The Super Bowl and sex trafficking

Super Bowl LIV is in the books. For only the second time in 50 years, the Kansas City Chiefs are the world champions. MVP Patrick Mahomes is headed to Disneyworld and Andy Reid, the winningest active coach without a Lombardi Trophy to his credit, is probably headed to the Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Published February 3, 2020

EDITORIAL: Editing the junk out of journalism

Journalism isn't the most admired profession, and its practitioners certainly wouldn't win a popularity contest. But in the category of inquisitiveness, they're off the charts. News hounds are dogged in their pursuit of truth, and for that they deserve kudos. Where journalists go off the rails is with their tendency to skew coverage of events to reinforce preconceived notions of how they think the world ought to be. It's time they set aside their personal prejudices and get back on track. Published February 3, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Right to oppose abortion protected

Bravo to Everett Piper for pointing out in "Liberals' 'Big Brother' push for federally-funded abortion" (Web, Feb. 2) the astonishing ignorance of Human Rights Watch President Kenneth Roth, who stated that the First Amendment gives us the right to "freedom of belief," but not the right to exercise these beliefs in the public square. Published February 3, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Left wants stigma, not removal

As senators ponder how they might vote — impeachment or acquittal of the president — folks are wondering why the Democratic House managers are challenging senators by calling them names and stating that voting for acquittal would mean aiding the president in a cover-up. Published February 3, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: ‘Obvious’ evidence absent

Watching the Trump impeachment proceedings has reminded me just how important one of our constitutional principles, innocent until proven guilty, really is. The Democrats have essentially accused President Trump of attempting to rig the 2020 election by pressuring the Ukrainian government to "get dirt" on his "political rival." And they have managed to put the Republicans on the defensive. But what the Republicans should be doing is making the Democrats present evidence supporting the accusation, such as witnesses testifying they actually heard the president state he was going after Joe Biden to rig the 2020 election. Published February 2, 2020

EDITORIAL: Trump’s adversaries have plotted a lengthy course

The impeachment of President Trump may resemble a reality TV show, but it only makes sense when the camera close-ups give way to historical perspective. Published February 2, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Chasm between GOP, voters

I fear the Republican members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. They are much more conservative than are our conservative Republican citizens they are supposed to represent. While research indicates that 63 percent of Americans who identify as Republicans do not want Social Security benefits cut, my researched estimate is that 95 percent to 99 percent of Republicans in the House and Senate want to cut such benefits. My research and studies tell me that about 75 percent of these politicians would also love to abolish every other federal government social program that helps people, but will never admit to it publicly because they know that most Republicans would disagree with them. Tens of millions of Americans would be devastated if all of these programs were abolished. Published February 2, 2020

EDITORIAL: Taking the coronavirus seriously

Here's a measure of how seriously China is taking the novel coronavirus, the mysterious pneumonia-like ailment that has killed more than 150 people and infected many thousands in the few weeks since its emergence: 60 million people, mostly in and around the central city of Wuhan, are under quarantine. That's an astonishing figure. Published January 30, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Zelensky must pursue democracy

When Vladimir Zelensky became president of Ukraine, there was a strong expectation that the winds of democratic change would be forthcoming. Perhaps they will come. But in the meantime, the road seems rocky. Published January 30, 2020

EDITORIAL: Senate unseating the president the wrong way

Americans cherish their freedoms, and none is more jealously guarded than the right to choose their president. Though an election is coming up in nine months to determine whether Donald Trump remains in the White House or is succeeded by a new national leader, Democrats want to thwart that choice by booting the president from office prematurely. Congressional impeachment pomp may be on full display in Washington, but will it play in Peoria? So far, it doesn't look promising. Published January 30, 2020

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Trump triumph will be historic

These are indeed historic times. Never in the history of the United States has a president been impeached by the House of Representatives, acquitted by the Senate and been renominated by his party to run for a second term in office. Published January 30, 2020

EDITORIAL: Trump offers Palestinians a chance to build their own state

There are deals, and then there are deals. President Trump could not claim to be the best of dealmakers unless he challenged, in his own words, "the toughest deal ever to make." And so he is — attempting to end the seemingly endless conflict along the ragged edges of Israel with the creation of a separate Palestinian state. Despite the long history of past failures, this time there is reason for hope. Published January 29, 2020