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Spotlight on the Vice President

When I saw the cover image of Vice President Dick Cheney [March 19], I thought I would be reading an informative and factual piece, in spite of the cute cloud you put over his head. Instead, I pored over an opinion piece with a number of unattributed quotes, more condemnation of the President and the Iraq war and a diatribe against I. Lewis (Scooter) Libby.

Tom Tock, DWIGHT, ILL.

Your story claimed that President George W. Bush chose Cheney as his running mate. Have you already forgotten that Cheney chose himself? Cheney has been running the show ever since, not sock puppet Bush.

John Lovejoy, LEBANON, ORE.

I like Bush, but there's no doubt that having Cheney in the Administration was an even bigger mistake than hiring former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Long gone are the days when a Vice President only attended funerals and did not cause them--so many of them. Libby (now Fibby) has been ruined playing a dangerous game for the V.P. and losing. Halliburton is moving to Dubai. Let's hope the company takes Cheney along.

Mel Maurer, WESTLAKE, OHIO

Upon reading Michael Duffy's "Cheney in Twilight," I realize how out of touch the media seem to be. I am no fan of Cheney's, but his vice presidency has been a political footnote. Only the media are hyping the Libby story. Compared with the scandals of the Clinton Administration, this one seems mild. It's barely a blip on most Americans' radar screen.

Ed Lybrook, CINCINNATI, OHIO

Hope Lives in Ghana

I was glad to see that your article about the Deh family of Ghana gave a nuanced portrayal of Africa rather than the cliched depiction we often see [March 19]. Your report was honest because at the center it was a human story. Having lived in Ghana's Volta region, I recognized in the Deh family's story the tales of people I know. I hope your coverage reminds readers of our common humanity. The people of Ghana are friendly and full of life. We cannot write off an entire continent. It is possible to have hope.

Rachel Tyler, SUDBURY, MASS.

Your report captured the essence of a continent's conundrum. Delight Deh is the embodiment of the African whose hopes and dreams are incessantly shuttered by the archetypal African Big Man, such as Presidents Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. My prayers go out for Delight. He is full of promise.

Henry Mukasa, SHARON, MASS.

What's in Store for '07

In your discussion on the upcoming French presidential elections in the What's Next package [March 19], you neglected to mention the role of Franc,ois Bayrou, the popular leader of the Union for French Democracy and former Education Minister. He has been rising in the polls more rapidly than Nicolas Sarkozy and Segolene Royal and is positioned to determine who will be France's next President. He will be able to sway votes to either Sarkozy or Royal--or even become Jacques Chirac's successor.

Michael Bayer, NEW YORK CITY

RE "Rise of the Religious Left": Why was there no mention of John Edwards? Edwards has made eliminating poverty and helping working families his top priorities. He was director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina and has established One Corps to organize grass-roots efforts to help the needy. While Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama frequently mention their faith, Edwards is quietly living his.

Kathy Callan, PALO CEDRO, CALIF.

The religious left see an opportunity to flex its muscles in the 2008 presidential campaign, but the religious left is hardly a new phenomenon. Most Americans are probably familiar with the following names: Daniel and Philip Berrigan, Robert Drinan, William Sloane Coffin, Paul Moore, Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton.

Evan Edwards, NEW YORK CITY

RE The report on compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs): I own two hybrid vehicles and am as green as anyone, but I don't encourage rushing out to replace incandescent lightbulbs. A CFL may consume 75% less energy to generate the equivalent light, but my furnace has to make up for the heat no longer provided by the incandescent bulb. Since there are also disposal issues (CFLs contain mercury), I suggest that CFLs be used only in the refrigerator.

Richard Wilhelm, PORT ANGELES, WASH.

Richard Lacayo remarked that architecture has become "practically as glamorously daredevil as bullfighting." But bullfighting is certainly not glamorous for the bull, which is destined to die in a hideous, cruel manner, nor is it daredevil for the coward who wields the swords. Any way you look at it, bullfighting is not a good comparison for great architecture.

Joyce Janicki, ST. CLAIR SHORES, MICH.

Caring for Our Wounded

I would like to thank Michael Weisskopf for his essay on Walter Reed Army Medical Center [March 19]. I recently retired from the Army Medical Corps after 20 years, most of which were spent as a staff cardiologist at Walter Reed. No doubt, the notorious Building 18 has deficiencies, but Walter Reed is an acute-care hospital that has had to reinvent itself into a rehabilitation facility to care for soldiers with wounds that they never would have survived in previous wars. By and large it has done an excellent job. Failing to identify the excellence at this fine institution will no doubt have a negative impact on morale, and that, in the long run, hurts those who come in harm's way. We could do better for our wounded, but there is no scandal here.

Colonel Thomas M. Wiley, HICKORY, N.C.

Thank you, Michael, for remembering Vietnam veterans. I remember the Vietnam heroes who came home to unfair treatment. It's not too late to pay our respects. I would gladly pay taxes to give every Vietnam combat veteran a full college scholarship and proper medical care. And I'm sure there is much more that the veterans can tell us about--when they see that we really care.

John J. Pickreign, SARANAC LAKE, N.Y.

Enduring Faith

Your report on James Cameron's documentary The Lost Tomb of Jesus and books that challenge the Resurrection referred to "a more speculative style of scholarship" [March 12]. This is not about Christianity bashing, by either those in Hollywood or anyone else. It is merely the presentation of evidence that invites enlightened discussion. Although the dogma of the physical Resurrection might be called into question, faith in Jesus and his teachings should not be threatened by new findings.

Richard Miller, NEW YORK CITY

War in High Res

In his review of the movie 300 [March 12], Lev Grossman wrote, "The Spartans were sick, scary fighters, brutally trained from childhood, the ancient equivalent of special forces." He should have stuck to the subject of his review without making backhanded insults about members of the armed forces. Grossman also called director Zack Snyder a "dork" for having read a comic book about the Battle of Thermopylae. Professional warriors in our armed forces read Thucydides, Clausewitz, Sun Tzu and Herodotus. I challenge Grossman to call those members of our military dorks.

Walt Stachowicz, INVERNESS, FLA.

MAILBAG Biggest Mail Getter: The verdict on Cheney The problem is Cheney 68% The problem is Libby 20% The problem is the media--their out to get Cheney 12% HOW TO REACH US Our e-mail address is letters@time.com Please do not send attachments. Our fax number is 1-212-522-8949. Or you can send your letter to: TIME Magazine Letters, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y. 10020. Letters should include the writer's full name, address and home telephone and may be edited for purposes of clarity and space.

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