Candidate Dole’s Campaign Issues

Dan Schnur, in his April 30 Column Right, suggests that because President Clinton vetoed the bill banning partial-birth abortions, now is the time for Sen. Bob Dole to reach out and bring both pro-choice and pro-life voters into the Republican Party. Schnur’s incorrect assumption is that the partial-birth abortion ban was vetoed by Clinton because the president does not believe that a woman’s right to abortion should be restricted. In fact, Clinton vetoed this bill because he believes that, on the advice of her physician, a woman facing the anguish of a catastrophic pregnancy should have the means to terminate.

To suggest that if Dole were to choose a pro-life vice president he would need to remove the party’s pro-life plank, or conversely, to choose a pro-choice vice president and leave the pro-life plank in place--to believe that either of these options might bring voters of both persuasions into the Republican Party--is to imply that the voters are uninformed or just plain stupid. Neither the vice-presidential choice nor the party platform is likely to have a major influence on legislation that may come out of the Congress.

VICTORIA W. BELL

San Marino

* I urge the Republican Party to follow Gov. Pete Wilson’s lead and remove the antiabortion plank from the party’s platform (April 30). This would at least allow them to be consistent with the Republican disregard for human life.

It seems they wish to protect the fetus but raise the child in an environment that is toxic, in schools that are inadequate, imprison children at an increasingly early age and then kill them off when they inevitably become sociopaths. Dole should not have to be placed in the awkward position of justifying support for human life within the uterus, but disdain for it elsewhere.

DAVID ESTES

Yucaipa

* So Dole thinks that HUD housing is too much like socialism and there should only be vouchers (April 30). With my mother, her sister and her brother, ages 86, 87 and 77 respectively, each living happily in HUD seniors’ buildings in the San Fernando Valley, I say that HUD provides an indispensable service. Not only is rent reasonable for people who have worked all their lives and raised families and are now living on Social Security--but the well-kept and sociable buildings reinforce the independence these seniors value so much.

DENA SCHULMAN

Canoga Park

* With respect to the American Bar Assn.’s participation in the judicial selection process, I believe there are many knowledgeable people who would agree that this is inappropriate (editorial, April 29). As one who worked very closely for 30 years with the late Atty. Gen. William French Smith, in his law practice and at the Department of Justice, I can say that he would wholeheartedly agree with Dole. Smith felt that in recent years the ABA’s committee on judicial qualifications was predominated by members who were notoriously prejudiced and left-wing.

I say hurray for Sen. Dole! I only wish more people were aware of these matters and could base their opinions on something more substantive than the spurious respect accorded the ABA.

MYRA TANKERSLEY

South Pasadena

* As an independent and sometimes Republican voter, I watched with absorption and wonder as my ideological friends went though the usual four-year stint of sorting out their ticket leader. They huffed and they puffed and they blew down all of Dole’s competition.

And now the gnawing question arises: Is Dole the guy they really want? Or are they like the little puppy dog who chases after a car. And upon catching the car all the other little puppy dogs ask: “Now that you’ve got it, what are you going to do with it?” Whereupon our first little puppy replies, “Why, I’ll convince Gen. Colin Powell to drive it. I’ll tell him it’s his patriotic duty (to me).”

LESTER KUSHNER

Valley Village

* A charismatic president with a silver tongue is leading this country in the wrong direction, but he is still going to be reelected. There is something definitely wrong with this scenario. If the Republicans do not run a charismatic candidate, I guess this country will never get headed in the right direction.

FRANK BLEDSOE

Claremont