Apr 24, 2016 2 min read

In order to form a more perfect union, individual Americans are more important than party labels. Consider Republican President Reagan and Democratic Speaker Tip O’Neill, and Democratic President Bill Clinton and Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich worked together, kept us out of unnecessary war, and wrought 16 years of peace and prosperity; the best years in my long lifetime. (Maybe the best years in American history).

Then the gang that could not shoot straight came along. You guessed it: Bush, Cheney, Powell and Co. On their watch, 15 Saudis attacked New York City. So what did Bush do? He invaded Iraq, a country that did not attack us. Now that made no sense! As a result of that gang’s stupidity or baseness or both, we suffered the worse period in my lifetime; war, military casualties, high unemployment, recession, and home repossessions. To make matters worse, Bush cut taxes for the very wealthy, doubling the nation’s debt. Some “compassionate conservative.”

Presidents Reagan and Clinton proved that good ideas are more important than ideologies and good results, doing the most good for the greatest number, are more important than partisanship brawling.

Please voters, bring back the Reagans and O’Neills. We need quality leadership, not more fighting at home or abroad.

John Cavanagh

Hopwood