America's (Fighter) Jet-Set President

To the editors:

I agree with Luke Smith ’04 that it is outlandish that Paul Krugman would suggest a link between President Geroge W. Bush and the French general Georges Boulanger (Comment, “Horsing Around with the Electorate,” May 12).

After all, Bush avoided service in Vietnam by hiding in the Air National Guard while Boulanger tried to use a legitimate military career to further his political one.

Boulanger dressed up to draw attention to his military career. Why does Bush dress up?

Smith has incorrectly stated that pre-war 60 percent of Americans supported the war in Iraq. The support was only above 50 percent if the U.S. had U.N. support. This U.N. support never arrived.

Smith states: “In our democracy, ambition can’t subordinate the will of the majority....” Al Gore won the 2002 election by over 500,000 votes. Florida was decided not at the ballot box but by Bush Sr. appointees. Obviously, ambition did subordinate the will of the majority.

By attacking Paul Krugman, Smith avoids the obvious question: Do you think there was any valid reason for Mr. Bush to dress up and jet out to the USS Lincoln?

Mark Grice

May 13, 2003

The writer is a student at the Graduate School of Education.