Dear Editor:

Ernest A. Howell says that "one of your readers thinks that my support of him is over the top." (See Public Commentary 1-21-09). Actually more than one, including myself.

Mr. Howell says that the Bush administration shows "excellent progress in the war in Iraq."

With over 4000 US soldiers killed, over 100,000 Iraqis killed, and over one trillion dollars spent, maybe we should remember that Bush started this war on false pretenses invading a country that had no way to harm the US. Donald Rumsfeld said that the war could last "six days , six weeks, maybe six months." Now after six years, we show "excellent progress."

Evidently Mr. Howell doesn't realize that Christians could always worship in Iraq. It was one of the most secular governments in the Middle East. Iraqi women could always drive cars, could attend schools and colleges. Maybe he has confused it with "our friends", Saudi Arabia.

Even George Bush admitted that there was no evidence that Saddam was participating in 9/11, why does Mr. Howell believe otherwise?

Mr. Howell says that "to win the war "we must not cut funding for the military". The US military budget is approximately $680 billion. This is more than the rest of the entire world spends on their military funding. Certainly we can reduce the pork barrel spending on programs that are building unneeded equipment.

The Bush tax cuts in combination with the lack of oversight in financial institutions are what has destroyed our economy, and appears to be destroying the world's economy. Over the last eight years the middle class has suffered as unemployment increased and the rich get richer. Is that why we want to keep Bush's tax cuts?

"The President should support laws that would require a 20 percent deposit for home buyers". I wonder where George Bush was for the last eight years as Greenspan et al. allowed home loans with no money down?

The auto industry asked for $34 billion dollars to keep it running as it negotiates with labor, its suppliers and plans a recovery. Bush only gave them $18 billion. Meanwhile Bush's Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Paulson, gave out over $300 billion to Wall Street financial institutions and banks without any strings attached.

The one thing I agree with Mr. Howell on is that we must support this new President and understand that the financial, military and Middle East problems must be solved.

Frank Greenhalgh