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Americans need to ask themselves if GOP is helping or hurting them

by Denny Freidenrich - 03/16/15 7:20 PM ET

Are GOP critics helping or hurting America?

First, they tried to make Barack Obama’s presidency an asterisk. Many claimed he was born in Africa; despite public records to the contrary, the “birthers” said his election was a fraud.

Next came the unrelenting attacks on his overall economic policies. They seem to have forgotten he inherited the worst economy since the Great Depression. Everything he proposed, including helping the auto industry, was suspect in their opinion.

{mosads}When he became the first president ever to pass a comprehensive healthcare reform bill for millions of uninsured, they directed their lawyers to fight the provisions in court.

Now they want to become the fourth leg of government. Forget the fact they are one of three already. On the heels of inviting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to address Congress without consulting the White House, now they want to make policy agreements with foreign governments.

Last Monday, 47 GOP senators sent a letter to Iran warning its leaders that any agreement between Washington and Tehran could be voided by Congress once Obama leaves office in 2017. The New York Daily News branded the lawmakers “traitors.”

When will this Republican madness stop?

It’s no secret they dislike virtually everything the president stands for politically. During the 2014 midterm elections, Speaker John Boehner (Ohio) and then-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) pledged that, if the GOP took control of both chambers on Capitol Hill, they would end gridlock in Washington. Well, it’s one thing to end the legislative backlog. It’s another to start an uncontrolled landslide of epic proportions.

Regardless of one’s political affiliation, the question all Americans should be asking today is this: Are Republican critics helping or hurting the nation with their unfounded claims, hyperpartisan accusations and legislative meddling?

From Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach, Calif.

Emails: Public or private, not both

Hillary Clinton said, “No one wants their personal emails made public.” I basically agree with that, but the former secretary of State should also have been acutely aware that no one wants public emails made private.

She can try to “spin” this any way she wants to, but she made the choice to use a private email account while she was working for the government (even admitting that it would have been smarter to have used two devices), and further allowed the light of scrutiny to shine on herself by waiting eight days to respond while controversy grew.

At this point, the only “face saving” I could now accept is to turn over the device to a neutral party for review. I’m sorry she feels that would invade her privacy. As an American citizen, I feel she has possibly withheld public information from us. The need for public transparency should far outweigh any personal, self-inflicted discomfort.

I realize that attempts will be made to make this a political football. That will happen, but only if we allow it! Can we the people simply contact the White House and ask to knock off the gamesmanship and get the job done quickly?

From Tom Tyschper, Gilbert, Ariz.

Tags Hillary Clinton Iran