Do Democrats Really Love Bush?

Re “Deep Down, They Love the Guy,” Commentary, July 29: Max Boot may be right that we liberals have all been made exquisitely wealthy by the Bush years, but he inadvertently makes a convincing pitch for divided government. As he says, governing should involve compromises and trade-offs that Republicans, controlling all branches of government, have had precious little need of.

Bringing a little balance to our government this November would give the people the benefits of division, liberals a taste of the access they crave while preserving the fun of protest, and Boot some of the prosperity he seems to assume we’ve been hoarding the last four years.

Theodore Littleton

Millburn, N.J.

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I have read Boot’s columns before, and I always found him to be shallow. But this column enraged me. To think that man has the temerity to even suggest Democrats love George W. Bush because he’s given us a focus for our discontent! To denigrate Democratic feelings and thoughts in this way is an affront to anyone of any party who can think.

Further, what makes Boot so gullible as to believe that “it’s exciting to brave Uberfuehrer John Ashcroft’s attempts to suppress dissent” because “[we] don’t face any actual danger”? Perhaps I see Bush and Ashcroft as more dangerous than some people do; I believe that my dissent -- even writing this letter -- does put me in harm’s way, and I don’t find this in the least exciting.

Bonnie Ross

Sherman Oaks

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Is Bush’s former Treasury Secretary Paul H. O’Neill a left-wing polemicist? Is former counter-terrorism chief Richard Clarke? John Dean? The 27 diplomats and former military officers who signed a letter criticizing Bush? Boot’s efforts to paint the broad-based opposition as a bunch of far-left nut jobs is sad indeed. Oh, previously I’ve heard him decry the cultural elite. Max, only cultural elitists use words like polemicist.

James Dutcher

Los Angeles