Letters

THE FALL OF NEWT

"As much as I dislike Newt, he deserves better than being a scapegoat for the incompetence of the entire Republican Party." MARK ASCH North Yarmouth, Maine

When Newt Gingrich decided to resign from Congress after the recent elections, he turned on his own confederates [ELECTION REPORT, Nov. 16]. Not only did he chicken out on his colleagues in Congress, he forgot that his primary mission there was to represent the interests of his congressional district back home; by resigning only days after 71% of those citizens voted that he continue to represent them, he betrayed them just when they needed him most. Then to top if off, he blames his woes on the "hateful cannibals" in his own party! This is like shaving yourself in a mirror, then afterward complaining that you were attacked by someone with a razor. ROBERT B. BUTLER Mahopac, N.Y.

Your cover should have read "The Courage of Newt." People may bad-mouth him all they want, but it takes uncommon courage and good sense to step down at this time. No more will Newt be the Democrat's whipping boy and everybody's scapegoat. But you watch: he'll be back in a new role; his integrity will be proved in the end! WANDA RAE BUTLER Mesquite, Nev.

Newt Gingrich, leader of the Republican revolution, which now has turned on him. I could not help finding a similarity with Robespierre. JAMES N. HOWELL Pacifica, Calif.

President Clinton should be as honorable as Gingrich and resign. It is amazing how many people continue to support this disgraceful President. DARREL W. STONEBRAKER Gahanna, Ohio

Given the opportunity to lead, Gingrich failed. His successful Contract with America campaign was based on unfulfilled rhetoric, posturing and appeal to fringe groups. The Republican Party must move away from the fanatical right, just as the Democratic Party has moved away from the radical left. Most Republicans identify themselves as conservatives. However, few consider themselves reactionaries. The loss of the South and West in the elections was the result of a lack of insight and leadership. Newt's resignation is not the "honorable thing"; it is the necessary action to allow the party to move forward and return to championing the issues. ED GROOMS Taylors, S.C.

It's hard to win elections when your main issues are presented by Linda Tripp, defined by Ken Starr and disseminated by Gingrich. What a trifecta! PHIL KENNY Colorado Springs

Perhaps now that the grand inquisitor himself has been dethroned, we can all return to the real issues this country needs to address: poverty, education, the economy. Hopefully, Gingrich's failure will be a lesson to all. ALIDAD VAKILI San Diego

I just don't get it. Why would a tough-skinned career politician like Gingrich resign from a pushy job in the House of Representatives? There is something very smelly about this development. EDWIN N. DOUGLASS Albuquerque, N.M.

It is a bitter irony that Newt should have lost his job while Clinton stays as President. The loss of face by the Republicans in the elections was because they saw and heard only what they wanted to. The electorate had been giving a warning ever since the House got preoccupied with Monica. But it fell on deaf ears. RAJA RAMAN Chennai, India

Nancy Gibbs and Michael Duffy's piece on the "Fall of the House of Newt" was excellent. However, I have difficulty with a simplistic assertion early in the article: "Clinton has an affair with an intern, and Gingrich loses his job over it." Gingrich's position as a politician should not be judged against Clinton's private activities. Gingrich and the Republicans approached the midterm elections with the complete deck of cards up their sleeve. The public betrayal by Democrats of Clinton to protect their own political careers provided the Republicans with invaluable free negative advertising. Throughout the campaign the revelations regarding Clinton's private life grew more embarrassing by the day. For the Republicans to lose in the election, given Clinton's troubles, was reason enough for Newt to resign. Clinton and the Democrats have been judged on the President's political performance. That's why Newt is out and why Bill will survive! GERARD CORRIGAN Limerick, Ireland

When I heard that Newt Gingrich was stepping down as the Speaker of the House of Representatives, I recalled your article [NATION, Oct. 12] "On the Fast Track to Impeach," in which you wrote, "It takes a deft touch to set the right trap; but if you do, the other one will stumble right into it." I believe Gingrich set the right trap, but he himself stumbled right into it! KHASHAYAR RIAZY Tehran

The Conservative Republicans were evidently apprehensive, with good cause, about their basic instincts. This fear led to a heightened self-righteousness and inflamed passion to punish the President for his misdemeanor. But the Republicans carried on the flogging too long, and the people got weary. The Bard of Stratford-upon-Avon wrote in his immortal words addressed to the man flogging the whore, "Strip thine own back;/ Thou hotly lust'st to use her in that kind,/ For which thou whipp'st her" (King Lear). NARAYAN SWAMY Chennai, India

FAREWELL NEWTWORLD

Author Stephen Covey, cited in Andrew Ferguson's "Goodbye, Brave Newtworld" [ESSAY, Nov. 16], is on to us. Management consultants will suffer from the Gingrich fallout now that Newt's "thinking" has been compared with the "banalities...broken down and presented as 'steps' and 'affirmations'" in Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. For years, management mavens have been getting away with best sellers, that, like most of us passing through airport customs, have nothing to declare. Fortunately for the authors, few of their readers have ever read my 1984 article in International Management, "Sifting the Nonsense out of Management Theory."

The Gingrich era may be over, but there will always be a market for bromides, like Covey's counsel to "seek first to understand." Newt is undoubtedly trying to do just that. FRANK O'MEARA Behoust, France

THE FICKLE ELECTORATE

It seems to be common among the cleverest politicians in all democratic countries to grossly underestimate the good sense of the electorate [ELECTION REPORT, Nov. 16]. After the elections proved this homily once again, the U.S. Congress would be well advised to revise its judicial system so that a 34-year-old woman cannot sue a middle-aged man for a million dollars in damages just because she was confronted by him. HANSJORG CZINGLAR Innsbruck, Austria

It was a sheer delight to watch the results of your election. The U.S. voter indeed sent a clear message to Congressmen, puritans and a few "sex fanatics." J. HAROLDO FALCAO Rio de Janeiro

NOT A TRIVIALIZATION

Your critic said that Roberto Benigni's film Life Is Beautiful [CINEMA, Nov. 9] "trivializes the horror of the Holocaust." If anybody in the movie industry did so, it was Steven Spielberg, not Benigni. In Schindler's List, Spielberg managed to produce a film more real than reality--in black-and-white, with invented dialogue and a melodramatic, good old American ending--that actually competes with the unbearable mass of filmed documentaries. Benigni, on the other hand, does not try to reinvent reality; he comes up with the brilliant idea that while one cannot escape the horror, one can spare his child from it by presenting reality as a theater stage.

Of course, it's fiction, and we know things didn't happen this way in the death camps, but what a generous idea! Benigni thinks that, faced with such an unthinkable nightmare, anyone concerned about a child's mental future would disguise reality as a hide-and-seek game. Benigni has got guts, and he talks to us. Spielberg is a businessman. JEAN-PATRICK KRIEF Mount-Royal, Que.

MICROSOFT UNDER ATTACK

In this era of computer modernization, the monopolization of the industry could mean everything, so one can see why the U.S. Justice Department's antitrust division is suing Microsoft and Bill Gates [BUSINESS, Nov. 2]. It is hard to understand why we have put so much trust in Gates, who seemingly has misused his share of the global computer industry to attempt to topple other companies that have great potential. Computer geniuses should try to help others, not take advantage of them. MARK WONG Sarawak, Malaysia

SUPPORT PAYS OFF

In your item "Celebrities On the Stump: How They Fared" [POLITICAL WATCH, Nov. 16], you reported that Barbra Streisand supported two candidates who won and two who lost. In fact, Streisand actually gave funds to support the campaigns of 36 candidates, 27 of whom won. Streisand also endorsed 194 candidates on her website, and 155 of them were elected. In both instances, that is a win-loss ratio of nearly 80%. MARTIN ERLICHMAN, Manager Barbra Streisand Beverly Hills, Calif.

ADVANCING "US GIRLS"

As a longtime Hillary Clinton fan, I find it extremely refreshing to see that she is finally getting her just rewards [ELECTION REPORT, Nov. 16]. Now the right-wing Republican machine can no longer make bright, articulate women into pariahs. Based on Hillary's performance in the 1998 elections, maybe Democrats should look toward a Gore-Clinton ticket for 2000, the Clinton of that team being Hillary. MICHAEL R. BROWN New Rochelle, N.Y.

For their borderline stink-o performance during the congressional election, Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore deserve a "Red Neck Girl" award. Neither succeeded in advancing us girls to equal representation with our men in the U.S. Congress. So as not to upset their husbands' buddies, Hillary and Tipper saw to it that our Congress stayed wall-to-wall redneck good ole boys. VIRGINIA ("BLUE JEANS") JENNER Wagoner, Okla.

SPIDER-MAN'S CO-CREATORS

Re the eulogy of Batman's Bob Kane by Stan Lee, whom you describe as "creator of Spider-Man" [NOTEBOOK, Nov. 16]: Spider-Man's existence needed a visual, concrete entity. It was a collaboration of writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko as co-creators. STEVE DITKO New York City

THE BUSH FORMULA

The brightest midterm election result for Republicans was Texas Governor George Bush's big win [ELECTION REPORT, Nov. 16]. His social moderation and outreach to minorities, if only embraced by a stunned G.O.P. now wedded to the religious right, could lead to the big prize in Y2K. His election would then establish Clinton's place in history: a tainted twig between two Bushes. FRANCIS S. ANDREWS Lincoln, Mass.

THE WRESTLER AS GOVERNOR

Your article on wrestler Jesse Ventura's election as Governor of Minnesota [ELECTION REPORT, Nov. 16] made me question what goes through people's minds when they vote. Has politics become so corrupt that a man with hardly any position on political issues can run for office and stand a chance of winning? EILEEN KELLY Bethpage, N.Y.

Ventura has energized this state. Not only did he bring out a lot of young people to vote, he has also inspired the rest of the population as well--at least those who are fed up with "politics as usual." And no attention has been given nationally to his running mate, Mae Schunk, a white-haired elementary school teacher. She is 64 years old and Ventura's point person on education. What a combo! DOREEN B. RENTZ St. Paul, Minn.

We voted for Ventura because he best represents us, the average working person on the street. Sure, at first we all chuckled a bit upon hearing he was running. But he won us over quickly with his honesty, intelligence and true loyalty to the people of this state. Politicians have a lot to learn from Ventura. DIANE SALISBURY Apple Valley, Minn.

I could only dream of a Jesse Ventura in my state. The politicians I get to choose from are either Bible-thumping Republicans hell-bent on a theocracy or Democrats who want to solve everybody's problems with my tax dollars. A Libertarian couldn't get anybody's attention here if he were to yell "Fire!" in a crowded theater. I wish those scientists would start cloning this guy--and soon. JOHN F. SCHULLER Morrow, Ga.

I am 35 and have never even registered to vote. Then I read in TIME what was going on in Minnesota. For the first time in my life, I tuned in to election results, and cheered all the way for Jesse Ventura! I do believe I will now register to vote, as I am confident that this is an indication of things to come. I want to be prepared to vote for the first real American who comes along in Illinois. JIM ENGELMAN Champaign, Ill.

Our governor-elect Ventura will give new meaning to the term "political arm twisting" when he takes office. DICK BARAK Coon Rapids, Minn.

CORRECTION

In the third installment of our series on corporate welfare [SPECIAL REPORT, Nov. 23], TIME reported the price of raw sugar as $22 a pound. It is 22[cents] a pound.

FOCUS ON CORPORATE WELFARE

Thanks and congratulations on your corporate-welfare series [SPECIAL REPORT, Nov. 9 and 16]. Quite a number of legislators, economists and think tanks have been working for several years, trying to focus attention on this widespread, wasteful and escalating practice. It is having a serious negative impact on our distressed urban areas, as well as diverting resources from education, research and needed infrastructure repair and maintenance. In short, it is impairing the systemic efficiency of our country, and will put us at a disadvantage in global competition in terms of price and quality, unless, of course, our foreign competition emulates our practices. CHARLES F. HORN State Senate Columbus, Ohio

Including the Export-Import Bank (Ex-Im) as an example of "corporate welfare" is a mistake. Ex-Im provides market-rate loans--not grants--to help any exporting company, regardless of size, sell abroad. The $5 billion Congress appropriated to Ex-Im over the past six years has been repaid or is in the process of being repaid! Also, there are 77 other foreign-government export-credit agencies already helping their local companies seize export opportunities from American workers. If there were no Ex-Im, most likely Europe's Airbus would win many, if not all, of the foreign aircraft deals away from Boeing, thus displacing even more American workers than cited in your article. A small percentage difference in an interest rate can mean millions of dollars of savings to foreign customers, which can make or break an export deal. DONALD A. MANZULLO U.S. Representative 16th District, Illinois Washington

Your basic premise was flawed. Why shouldn't corporations try to avoid paying taxes? Corporations are owned by stockholders. Stockholders are taxpaying individuals who are taxed on any dividends they receive from the corporation and are taxed on any gain in the value of their stock. The corporations are taxed, and the stockholders are taxed. So all of the productive activity of the corporation is taxed twice. If you want to investigate the "fleecing of America," why not investigate why the government thinks it needs all this twice-taxed money? Investigate how much money is spent spending the money that it should not be spending in the first place. DAVID R. ANDERSON St. Louis, Mo.

Thank you for the series on corporate welfare. Your report is frightening, infuriating and enlightening. But will anything change? Not while legislators are building up their retirement accounts. Pity those attempting to find tax dollars to improve the standards of education, among all those others being cheated because of these unfair practices. EVELYN EVANS Seattle