Letters to the Editor
This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.
Penn Station Rises Again
Re: “Maura Moynihan Out to Make Father’s Station Dream a Reality.” A friend in New York who worked on Senator Moynihan’s campaign sent me the article on Maura Moynihan [Lauren Mechling, New York, July 26, 2005]. When I read her reference to the senator’s fondness for Ginger Rogers, it carried me back to that 1982 election. I was his personal secretary at the time, and it was I who orchestrated the phone call from Ginger Rogers to Senator Moynihan on election night. With the assistance of Vicki Bear, assistant to Tim Russert, who at the time was the senator’s chief of staff, we managed to get an address for Ms. Rogers from a celebrity service. Some weeks before election day, we sent a letter saying what a fervent fan Moynihan was and pleading that she make a congratulatory call on election night. In due time, we were informed that she would do so.
Not being in the inner sanctum with the senator as the results rolled in, we saw to it that those on the campaign staff who would be with the senator, and most likely to answer the phones, were aware that a phone call would be made by Ginger Rogers and not to think it was a prank! It worked.
HELEN GALEN
Washington, D.C.
Prevailing in Iraq
Re: “New Hope That the War Is Winnable,” Amity Shlaes, Opinion, August 2, 2005. I am a supporter of the war against terrorism (or whatever they want to call it now), including the battle front in Iraq. I actively supported President Bush for re-election even though there are many issues where I disagree with the president. I supported the president primarily because I believed he was clear in his views about the need to fight the enemies of freedom and democracy.
I still support Mr. Bush, and overall I believe he is doing a good job as president. But I must say that I am at a loss about why we are not fighting the war to win. As much as I hate to admit it, I can only think of President Johnson fighting the Vietnam War from the Oval Office. That is the feeling that I get now. There is only one way to win a war: Destroy the enemy’s ability to fight. I understand and agree with the president that it will also take major changes in governments to ultimately be victorious. But that will take generations, and right now we cannot have American soldiers, sailors, and Marines being killed because we continue to refuse to fight the war to win an immediate military victory.The president needs to tell his military commanders to do what is necessary to win a military victory now. This continued reticence to crush the enemy cannot be tolerated, and it will only delay the inevitable day when we are forced to do it.
RICK GEIGER
Law Office of Rick S. Geiger
Pittsford, N.Y.
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