Letters

Ascendency of the Centrists?

Our reporting on the Republicans' loss of Congress took a look at what the triumph of moderates and pragmatists will mean for domestic and foreign policy. Many readers were eager to bid good riddance to scandals and a faltering war strategy, while others remained wary or skeptical of any bipartisan gain

Re "Reaching for the Center" [NOV. 20]: The American people used the power of the vote to boot the corrupt, ideologically blinkered, full-of-themselves Republicans out of their congressional majorities. Our Founding Fathers were skeptical of the notion that seemingly virtuous politicians would always govern wisely. The founders knew from historical experience that even the most righteous can succumb to the temptations that power brings.

TROY LEE ZUKOWSKI Portage, Mich.

The election results must have been an accountability moment for the President, even though his sense of accountability is momentary at best.

JIM GALLAGHER Petaluma, Calif.

The election did not bring an overwhelming number of Democrats into the House, and they hold only a one-vote majority in the Senate, so it was not "a robust whupping," as Joe Klein so poignantly declared. Democrats should celebrate while they can, since I trust that those who should rightfully govern this country will be back soon.

JEAN SEMBER Hawthorne, N.J.

The Republican-led Congress has acted like a latter-day Emperor Nero, fiddling with the issues of same-sex marriage, abortion and flag burning while the Middle East is a conflagration, the global climate overheats and our health-care system crashes and burns. The slim majority that the Democrats have in both houses of Congress as a result of the midterm elections is not a mandate but a challenge to both major parties to work cooperatively to solve the nation's foreign and domestic problems.

KIRK D. GULDEN Wilkesboro, N.C.

It's unlikely the Democratic leadership will move toward the center. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean would need the Hubble telescope to even see the center.

CHET WHITNEY Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Democrats won majorities in both the House and Senate, but with slim margins. The Republicans are still in pretty good shape. A single election should not make Republicans too downcast or Democrats too gleeful.

CLOYD GATRELL Carlisle, Pa.

I believe the midterm elections may finally swing the pendulum back from President Ronald Reagan's conservative revolution. But it took the needlessly spilled blood of too many young Americans to do it. Tragically, Reagan's "Morning in America" has become mourning in America.

RUSSELL KUSSMAN Los Angeles

Klein quoted an administration official who referred to the failure of Bush's Iraq policy as "a Mick Jagger moment...You can't always get what you want." Now we will find out if the President recognizes that he has to abandon his six-year Under My Thumb approach to dealing with Congress.

JAY P. MAILLE Pleasanton, Calif.

Covering the Results

I was flabbergasted that your cover in the wake of the Democratic election triumph was a Venn diagram with the headline "Why the Center Is the New Place to Be" [Nov. 20]. Huh? The Democrats kicked butt. You should have put Howard Dean on the cover. It was his 50-state strategy, along with the great fund-raising work of Congressman Rahm Emanuel and Senator Chuck Schumer, and great candidates with grass-roots support, that won the election.

RUTH ADKINS Portland, Ore.

Twelve years ago, when the G.O.P. took control of the Congress, the cover of TIME heralded the "G.O.P. Stampede." Now, when the stampede is by the Democrats, what does the cover say about it? There was nary a mention of the Democrats' historic victory, just the headline "Why the Center Is the New Place to Be." But the American people did not move to the political center; they strongly repudiated the hard right.

JAMES K. POWER North Bergen, N.J.

After receiving the third magazine cover in a row with a white background, I have to say, How boring. Half the fun of getting the magazine is guessing what will be on the cover and then seeing what TIME has chosen. I understand the red and blue Venn diagram, but it looks terrible on my coffee table. I hope the Person of the Year cover will not be an abstract artist's caricature of somebody on a white background. If I want to see that kind of art, I'll go to a museum.

KAREN WALTERS Paradise, Calif.

Postelection Pivoting

"Searching for a Strategy" [NOV. 20] reported that some Republicans are afraid "the White House is about to abandon the neoconservative project to bring democracy to the Middle East." But what right does the President have to decide which system other countries should live under? Democracy has to be desired, demanded and understood by the people. Look at the histories of prominent democracies; most involve civil wars, revolutions or painful, bloody transitions. In Iraq the concept of democracy is strange and new, so it is inevitable that democratization will be a long, drawn-out process with many pitfalls along the way, and no guarantees.

ANDREW HAILSTONE Bangkok

The U.S. midterm election results signaled that Americans want a change in U.S. foreign policy. President Bush made a start by replacing Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld. The President should have followed that by removing John Bolton from his post as U.N. ambassador. Bush also ought to re-evaluate U.S. foreign policy toward Israel. How can the Bush Administration claim to be waging a war on terrorism when the U.S. supports the Israeli government's actions in the Palestinian territories and actively blocks any attempt by the U.N. to thwart them?

RORY MORTY Giessen, Germany

The Iraqi people have squandered their liberation from Saddam Hussein's dictatorship. Religious fanaticism, political and tribal animosities and irrational anti-Western sentiments have created a crisis of national self-destruction. To reduce the regional prejudice against Western culture, a large scholarship program for young Muslims, with stays of two to four years in the U.S. and Europe, should be launched. I remember gratefully the liberation of Germany at the end of World War II and the subsequent cultural and economic development.

GERHARD FRITSCH Nuremberg, Germany

The Ideal Idealists

Re Walter Issacson's "Return of the Realists" [Nov. 20]: I am sure the neoconservatives would like the American people to believe that they led us into Iraq because they are idealistic lovers of democracy, and not because they were trying to secure Iraq's considerable oil supplies. They appear to have persuaded Isaacson, however, because his column did not even mention the subject of Iraq's oil. Nevertheless, they will have a harder time convincing many other Americans.

CARY DICTOR San Leandro, Calif.

I disagree with Issacson's argument that idealism needs to be tempered with realism. Idealists do not lie. They are so convinced of the righteousness of their position that deception is not an option. They hold the moral high ground in policy debates and do not create false impressions, like the current President. Idealists promoting democracy would never trample on civil liberties or imprison people without recourse to due process of law.

JEFF T. BARRIE Philomath, Ore.

Karl Rove's Role

Despite Rove's statement that Republicans' loss of their congressional majorities was a "transient, passing thing" [Nov. 20] and not a judgment on the President, the American public roundly expressed its dissatisfaction with the Bush Administration, a dissatisfaction certain to resound throughout the pages of history. Bush is an honorable man, but he let himself be led astray by people like Rove and Vice President Dick Cheney into an unwinnable war. I'm not certain the Democrats can get us out, but the public clearly believes it's worth letting them try.

LEONARD GREENBERG Sterling, Va.

Amicably at Odds

After a bruising campaign season, how refreshing it was to read Alexandra Pelosi's "My Mother, My President" [Nov. 20]. Pelosi's commentary was a stirring reminder that there is much that binds us as individuals and as a nation, even as we may vehemently disagree about the proper approach to the serious questions facing our nation. Ultimately, Pelosi makes it undeniably clear that George W. Bush and Nancy Pelosi have faced similar challenges within the political process, and both have paid a price for reaching their respective mountaintops. Most important, one finishes the commentary believing that Bush and Speaker Pelosi know the road ahead and will diligently search for common ground. That prospect certainly bodes well for the body politic.

BRIAN SOBEL Petaluma, Calif.

What Her Dad Carries

Re "The Things They Carry" [NOV. 20], on the tokens from home that the Marines from Kilo Company take into battle in Iraq: Since my dad is in the Army National Guard, serving in Iraq, I thought he would appreciate my telling you what he carries. It's a small Celtic cross. He got one for himself, my mom, me, my two brothers and my sister. We all wear them on chains around our necks--except he wears his with his dog tags. We wear them so we can keep him in our hearts, and he can keep us in his.

CATHERINE MORSE Hope, R.I.

Cybersisterhood

"Today's Nun has a Veil--and a Blog" [Nov. 20] demonstrated that bright young American women--well educated, talented and capable of reaching for the stars--are entering the Catholic sisterhoods in greater numbers than ever because they're disappointed by what modern society has to offer them. They're prepared to live a poor, chaste and obedient life for the sake of God and their brothers and sisters in the human family. For those who believe, no explanation is necessary. For those who do not, no explanation is possible.

(THE REV.) GINO DALPIAZ SCALABRINI HOUSE OF THEOLOGY Chicago

A big thank you for your article about modern-day nuns. As a 19-year-old who is seriously considering convent life, I can attest to the efficacy of blogs and e-mail in giving prospective sisters a more accurate view of the consecrated life. Your article presented sisterhood in a fair and accessible way, highlighting both the cultural as well as religious aspects. At a time in my life when I am starting to get the courage to tell people about my future plans, seeing this article helped me feel more comfortable with my relatively uncommon potential career path. I appreciated TIME's bringing news of this alternative lifestyle to mainstream society.

LESLIE FITZWATER Lansing, Mich.

Female religious orders are not the only sectors of the Roman Catholic Church undergoing a trend toward orthodoxy. There is a small but rapidly growing minority of priests in this country who wear the traditional habit of a Catholic priest: the cassock, a long black robe. Two orders that do this are the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter and the Institute of Christ the King. Both orders have steadily increasing membership. The Priestly Fraternity cannot build rooms in its seminary quickly enough to house the number of young men who want to become a priest. Both orders say the traditional 1962 Mass in Latin.

ANDREW DUBOIS Mission, Kans.

Born Too Soon

"Ahead of Their Time" [NOV. 20] reported that doctors are considering new approaches to the growing problem of preterm births. Even though my first child was born at 35 weeks, I received no special counseling or treatment during my second pregnancy. When I went into labor with my second child at 24 weeks, I didn't even realize there was a potential health risk for the baby. Thankfully, both my children have been healthy. Your article was the first I've read that addressed the causes of preterm labor. I was pleased to know that efforts are being made to prevent the situation and not just treat the symptom. I smoked during both pregnancies, and every time I see a pregnant woman with a cigarette in her hand, I want to loudly remind her she has another life to consider.

LAURA S. COLLINS Jacksonville, Fla.

Appropriate obstetric care can help prevent premature labor. An increasing number of Americans cannot afford medical insurance, and there is a high percentage of the uninsured among younger, less financially secure people. Since this group tends to have the highest rate of pregnancy, it's possible that premature labor may worsen as America's health-care crisis worsens. I encounter young couples all the time who are prospective parents but have no way of accessing appropriate antenatal care. This makes no sense when 16% of the U.S. gross domestic product is spent on health care.

JEFFREY R. WAGGONER, M.D. Denver

Without Apology

Columnist Michael Kinsley argued that the neoconservative policy hawks should apologize for getting the U.S. into the Iraq war [Nov. 20]. I, however, have no intention of apologizing for supporting the war. While it has not gone well by any measure, the need for it was and still is the same. Saddam Hussein was a violent despot who engaged in genocide. He was unwilling to cooperate with U.N. resolutions that support long-term peace in the region. He previously waged an unprovoked war. If Saddam were in power today, how would he respond to the development of high-grade nuclear materials by Iran? How did diplomacy affect Nazi Germany, North Korea, Iraq and Iran? Do not blame American conservatives for the failures in Iran and North Korea. Blame the world. It will be 50 or 100 years before we know the real effect of our efforts in the Middle East.

MIKE POWERS Hiram, Ga.

I was bemused by Michael Kinsley's wish for an apology from Washington's neocons. I feel it's enough that the country has spoken in the midterm elections and demanded a change in dialogue and, I hope, direction from our political elite in Washington. To expect the neocons to grovel is a bit much.

RUSS SMITH Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.

The Enduring Argument

The debate between atheist biologist Richard Dawkins and Christian geneticist Francis Collins was gripping [Nov. 13]. Regarding the idea of a supernatural cause of the universe, Dawkins said, "If there is a God, it's going to be a whole lot bigger and a whole lot more incomprehensible than anything that any theologian of any religion has ever proposed." What qualifies Dawkins to decide these matters? For someone who gets so exercised about the impossibility of God's existence, Dawkins seems to have a fairly clear conception of what God must be like.

RYAN DUECK Vancouver, B.C.

One has to laugh at the God-vs.-science debate conducted between Dawkins and Collins, because ironically, they both agree. There is a God, and it is science. In an age of ever intensifying absolutisms from the worlds of science, religion, politics and culture, perhaps the time has come to examine what might be learned from each of these areas of inquiry. Perhaps it's time to consider how each position we hold adds value to our lives and not how to convince others of the foolishness of people who hold positions other than our own.

(RABBI) BRAD HIRSCHFIELD VICE PRESIDENT CLAL-THE NATIONAL JEWISH CENTER FOR LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP New York City

Global Vision

Your selection of the best inventions of 2006 [Nov. 13] included the Science on a Sphere display and correctly credited the device as having been developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The article called NASA and Honeywell the "inventor," however, apparently referring to the 16-min. film Footprints, the latest visual display developed for this platform. We feel this is confusing. NOAA is the inventor and holder of the patent for Science on a Sphere. The technology is a significant and dramatic way to represent the world and aspects of the global environment. NOAA scientist Alexander MacDonald conceived of Science on a Sphere and developed it into a new kind of visual experience that is making its way into science museums around the world.

JORDAN ST. JOHN DIRECTOR, NOAA PUBLIC AFFAIRS Washington

A New Brand of Bond

Re "Um, Is That You, Bond" [NOV. 20]: Daniel Craig, the latest actor to portray James Bond, reminds me of Marlon Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. His muscular torso goes with a T shirt and jeans more than a Brioni suit. From your article, I understood how the movie industry's obsession with the hyperkinetic brutality of action films is choking the sophisticated elegance of 007. Isn't there any way to make more room for cultural diversity in Hollywood?

HIROAKI GODA Kasuga City, Japan