Letters to the Editor
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‘Living in a Closet’
I just read the article by “Living in a Closet” [“Mr. X,” Opinion, September 8, 2004]. All I can say is bravo. He seems to hit it right on the head.
I, too, am a Republican; I have been for 20-plus years, and, yes, here in New York City. I am also a firefighter here in the city and stood by President Bush on September 14, 2001.
I stood by him two weeks ago during the Republican National Convention and have a photo to prove it. I am proud of that photo just as I am proud of the president. I will be voting for President Bush in November and tell as many people as will listen to do the same.
I know some of those guys armed with guns at various points in the city and, believe me, they’re not there just to look intimidating. Ask some of the bleeding heart liberals who stand there yelling that we didn’t do enough when another terrorist attack hits. I hope that day never comes.
PAUL S. IANNIZZOTTO
Manhattan
‘Bloomberg’ s Bounce’
Columnist John P. Avlon should have given Mayor Bloomberg even more credit [“Bloomberg’s Bounce,” Opinion, September 14, 2004]. Consider that Democrats occupy virtually all congressional, state Assembly, and state Senate seats, along with the offices of city comptroller, public advocate, 48 of 51 City Council seats, and four of five borough presidents.
Outside of Staten Island, Republican organizations and public officials are virtually extinct. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans 5 to 1. Supporters of Mayor Koch and other crossover Democrats, who voted for Ronald Reagan in the 1980s, Mayor Giuliani in the 1990s, and Mr. Bloomberg in 2001, continue to move out of town, retire out of state, or succumb to old age.
There has been no successful GOP outreach to new Caribbean, Hispanic, Asian, and other immigrant groups. Many independent campaign surveys reveal that Mr. Bloomberg is polling around 40%, virtually even in any head-to-head match-up against all of his potential leading Democratic contenders, including the City Council speaker, Gifford Miller, the former Bronx president, Fernando Ferrer, Rep. Anthony Weiner of Brooklyn and Queens, and the former public advocate, Mark Green.
Mr. Bloomberg is clearly drawing upon the support of many middle-class Democrats who seldom vote for the GOP. It is bad news for Democrats when they can’t count on their own base.
There is only one person standing in the doorway at City Hall blocking the return of a Democratic Party monopoly with its accompanying history of municipal corruption. For that reason alone, Mr. Bloomberg deserves our thanks and another four years.
LAWRENCE PENNER
Great Neck, N.Y.
CBS and Viacom
Josh Gerstein’s excellent article about Viacom’s key executives being overwhelmingly left-leaning, as evidenced by their generous financial contributions to the Democrats, was very informative [“Political Affiliations of Viacom Board Could Impact CBS Case,” Page One, September 21, 2004].
Adding to that, however, is the fact that Viacom owns not only CBS, but publisher Simon & Schuster, among others. Simon & Schuster has also been working for the Democrats by peddling Democrat/anti-Bush nonsense for the past few years.
Remember the Joseph Wilson and Richard Clarke Bush-bashing books that CBS’s “60 Minutes” ran multisegment infomercials for? Both writers’ accusations have since been discredited by the 9/11 commission. And they are still in the game.
Simon & Schuster is also releasing Michael Moore’s new book in October, just before the election, wherein he’s printing letters from disenchanted soldiers in Iraq. Should we assume that these aren’t manufactured letters in the CBS/Viacom tradition? And don’t forget Viacom’s Paramount Pictures, which recently released “The Manchurian Candidate.”
The whole Viacom operation has been functioning as a Democrat 527, as far as I’m concerned.
JAMES SMYERS
Glen Allen, Va.
‘Living in a Closet’
Imagine this: Two Upper East Side “Madames X,” eager to volunteer for the Bush 2004 campaign, arrive at the imposing but nearly empty East Side Republican headquarters.
They’re looked upon with suspicion by a lone intern working upstairs. Bottom line: They learn that in all of Manhattan, there is no Bush/Cheney headquarters.
Very disheartening. We’d read The New York Sun. We knew our pro-Bush numbers were far greater than four other mothers at the private school our girls attend.
There are Westsiders, there’s a gay publisher…and who knows how many other closet “reds” out there would be willing to emerge, given the safety of numbers?
What a great idea of Katherine Richardson’s for Mr. X and the Sun to bring together these rugged New York individuals [Letters, September 22, 2004].
Certainly for Bush/Cheney 2004 – but also for looking toward whatever could lie ahead for us in 2008. If this were to happen, be assured there are two East Side female volunteers ready and willing to get to work.
AN EAST SIDE MS. X
Manhattan
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