Tea Party

As if Mitt Romney's defeat weren't a cross enough to bear, the kind of campaign he ran could make him uniquely a man on the outside of his party looking in. His chameleon-like shades of Republicanism - he presented himself as "severely conservative" during the GOP primaries to appeal to the party base but then moved toward the center as Moderate Mitt from Massachusetts to woo independents - could make him a pariah in both circles from now on....

Even spending zillions of dollars, the Republicans could not defeat a president struggling with the national depression ("Re-elected," Nov. 7). Their message of, "trust the rich" is not working. The tea party was a disaster. The elections in 2014 and 2016 will be more of the same unless they change course and leadership. William L. Akers, Windsor Mill

I am genuinely puzzled by the bewilderment of people like Dan Rodricks who do not understand the anger of voters and the source of that anger ("At long last, it's time to cast our votes," Nov. 6). They are angry about the augmented intrusion of government into their lives at every level — national, state, municipal. It is an intrusion that, almost without exception, is expensive and ineffective in advancing any social or fiscal progress. It is not the bailout of Wall Street, the auto industry, and other TARP beneficiaries — although that bailout is an indicium.

Letter writers like Michael Stevens who maintain that "President Barack Obama has had four years to dig us out of the economic slump and has not done so" ignore the fact that tea party members of the Republican-controlled House have stymied his every effort to move ahead with responsible budgets and job-creation ("Romney can create jobs," Oct. 10). Immovable objects who then blame others for lack of cooperation should not be given a free pass. The grown-ups need to take back the U.S. House of Representatives so our country can move ahead again.

In a letter to the editor ("Experience counts," Oct. 8), Mike Callahan writes that President Barack Obama "can't work with Congress and overrides congressional laws and regulations. " Is it possible that he cannot work with a Congress that has chosen not to work with him? This is a Congress, fueled by a tea party, that has decided not to believe in compromise and has vowed to make him a one-term president. These people are so dogmatic in their attitudes that they cannot work with anyone who may disagree with them.

St. Paul's School for Girls, in Brooklandville, recently hosted a visit by Peter Crawley, headmaster of St. Hilda's School in Queensland, Australia, and his wife, Anne, as a continuation of the school's exchange program with St. Hilda. The partnership with the school has run since 2009. Sophomores Kerri Clayton, of Lutherville, and Victoria Easton, of Parkton, will spend spring 2013 at St. Hilda's. During the Crawleys' visit to SPSG, they toured the school with senior Caroline Ponsi, met with visited classes, talked with faculty and enjoyed a tea party with students.

The usual whining from the extreme right about media bias is evident in a recent letter from Stephen Sewell ("Sun lavishes attention on 'Occupy,' ignores tea party," Sept. 24). The writer is long on allegations and short on facts. Mr. Sewell suggests that tea party members are "perceived as backward, ignorant, uneducated … bigoted, homophobic, sexist, religious zealots, etc. " Those are pretty strong charges, yet unsupported by any examples. On the other hand, the letter writer portrays "Occupy" members as slovenly lawbreakers that get "above the fold" coverage in The Sun - coverage Mr. Sewell claims is "usually glowing and lauds the goals and principles of these people.

Let me get this straight: a spontaneous movement arises and takes up the name "Tea Party" based on historical actions and the acronym "taxed enough already," amasses a very large number of either followers or sympathizers, and literally reverses the party breakdown in the U.S. House of Representatives and state-level assemblies, but it is not worth receiving any reporting. When it is reported upon, the items are buried deep within the pages of The Sun and are usually flippant or derogatory in nature.

When running for the highest office of our country character matters. Everyone running for president has released at least eight years of income tax returns - except Mitt Romney, who has submitted only one full year. Why? If the GOP presidential candidate has nothing to hide, the American people have a right to know if a potential future leader's finances are in order and there are no improprieties. Mr. Romney is being given credit for his business experience. However, being a good businessman has nothing to do with being president of the United States.

One of the more intriguing aspects of Campaign 2012 is the impact of Obama administration rhetoric and policies on the Jewish vote. Obama supporters dismiss any thought of discord among this vital Democratic constituency. They point to sustained Jewish support for Democratic presidential candidates in every presidential election cycle. Indeed, it is a rare occasion when the Democratic nominee fails to garner 65 percent of the Jewish vote. And this year's Republican ticket fits their preferred narrative to a T. In Mitt Romney, they see a conservative Mormon businessman with a tea party favorite as his running mate.