Reagan’s Taped Testimony

Former President Reagan’s taped deposition for the trial of Adm. John Poindexter (Part A, Feb. 23) may act as a catalyst for some Americans to more closely scrutinize the qualifications of future presidential candidates.

Iran-Contra was the stuff of mental midgets. It started as a preposterous scheme to sell some of our most deadly weapons to a terrorist enemy in hopes of gaining the release of some of our hostages. There was apparently insufficient thought given to the plight of future hostages because of these actions, or to the impact this would have upon the Iran-Iraq war.

According to the generally accepted account of Iran-Contra, once the President approved of the arms for hostages plan, he stepped out of the picture, and by so doing, gave his second-stringers the opportunity to rip-off the Ayatollah so that the people of Nicaragua could enjoy the fruits of democracy.

President Reagan’s defense of his actions in Iran-Contra is based upon the dubious characteristics of lousy judgment in approving the plan, formidable incompetence in not controlling the actions of his subordinates, and poor memory in not recalling many of the key details. All of these traits belong out of the White House.

The legacies of Iran-Contra are found in our rightful expectations of future presidents. If we truly seek first-rate chief executives, then we should demand the most rigorous scrutiny of candidates by our political parties and by ourselves. On the other hand, if we are primarily interested in candidates who make us feel good by appearing presidential, individuals who are able to deliver good speeches, then we should hire actors.

MICHAEL A. SCOTT

Glendora