"The O Team": Readers commented on how Barack Obama's campaign team has resisted getting down and dirty. One said, "I hope Republicans will rise to meet Obama, instead of dragging him down to them." And another posited, "We have yet to see the nastiness, the vile thing we call a 'campaign'." Some charged us with "blatant favoritism," but one said, "NEWSWEEK did Obama no favor. Both parties will resort to spirited, pointed attacks this fall, as they should; the key difference between the likely nominees is that John McCain's seen and withstood far worse in his life."
Looking at Team Obama
As a former naval officer and graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, I have great respect for Sen. John McCain. However, I am an ardent supporter of Sen. Barack Obama. That said, I am appalled by the political bias of "Sit Back, Relax, Get Ready to Rumble" (May 19) on Obama's campaign strategy. Republicans, and increasingly moderates, contend that the press in the United States clearly and fervently favors the left and the Democrats (with the exception of News Corp.—which has the opposite problem). Not only have you proved conservatives correct, but what I find even more disconcerting is the inevitable backlash against Senator Obama and the more compassionate and pragmatic agenda he would bring to the White House.
Chip Walz
Jersey City, N.J.
I was very disappointed in your fawning cover story on Obama's campaign team. Somehow you forgot to mention that Obama walks on water and heals the sick with his touch. Otherwise it was a very balanced piece, along the lines of The New York Times's suggestion of McCain's romantic relationship with a lobbyist. You can do better. If not, then you need to just openly join Obama's campaign and stop passing yourself off as a newsmagazine.
Richard Blackburn
Princeton, Ind.
The subhead of your cover story reads, in part: "How Obama and his team will battle the GOP onslaught." That sums up the disgust of so many voters with the political season. We all know it won't be pretty. There have been too many political casualties over the past eight years to think this year will be any different. Both parties are guilty, but the GOP has refined "hate politics" to the highest level with its mantra of "winning at all costs"—just ask John McCain who was its victim in 2000.
Bill Lewis
Austin, Texas
Newt Gingrich's advice to Barack Obama ("Dear Senator Obama ...") was laughable. In citing Ronald Reagan's "bold agenda" he lauds the clarity of promising a three-year, 30 percent tax cut and strengthening the military, but forgets a third promise: a balanced budget. Reagan left office with one of the biggest deficits in history. Gingrich goes on to pat himself on the back for the "Contract With America," recalling its main points except one that never came up for a vote in the Republican-controlled Congress: term limits. My advice to Senator Obama is not to promise what you have no intention of fulfilling.
Jim Welch
Granton, Wis.
Heart-Wrenching Devastation
I am crying as I write this. Will Baxter's photo of the lifeless child floating on the Pyapon River is heart-wrenching ("A Curse From the Heavens," May 19). I cannot imagine the anguish and heartache that child's family must be feeling, that is, if they survived. My initial reason for writing was to express anger: anger for sharing such an awful photo with the world. However, I must thank Will Baxter, not chastise him. My own small children have received numerous additional hugs and extra moments to snuggle. I've long reflected on being blessed to have my children, and realize my initial anger was due to the sheer ambiguity of the cyclone's path. I mourn for that child, but in doing so I am also more mindful of the value of life.
Sunday Conine
Thurman, N.Y.
Defending Richard Nixon
I have never been a Richard Nixon fan, but the visceral hatred that journalists seem to feel, even all these years after his death, moves me to defend his battered reputation ("Divide and Conquer," May 19). Yes, he did all the bad things that Evan Thomas describes when discussing Rick Perlstein's new book "Nixonland." And, yes, many hated him, and, yes, he was crooked, and he was often wrong, no more so than when he said, "You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore." But then Thomas mentions "Nixon's overwhelming re-election in 1972." If Nixon was re-elected by so many, did some Americans actually like him? Could that be because he opened up China, established affirmative action, ended the war in Vietnam? (It actually ended during his tenure.) Evan Thomas was right. Nixon was a bad guy. I didn't like him. I campaigned for JFK. But it seems only fair to recognize that something real led to "Nixon's overwhelming re-election in 1972."
Edward C. Stephens, Professor Emeritus
Syracuse University
Syracuse, N.Y.
A Father Has His Say
"O Father, Where Art Thou?" (May 19) raised important points about the crisis of absentee African-American fathers. Joshua Alston makes a misleading reference to my memoir, "The Pursuit of Happyness," and argues that my struggle was to provide my son with financial security. He missed the point of the film and my book in which I describe growing up fatherless, how at age 6 I committed to breaking the cycle of fathers who abandon their children and to being an active, protective parent someday. As a struggling single dad in the early 1980s, at no time was my value as a father based on my ability to earn money. Sure, a promising career ended our year of homelessness, but being constant and loving, and establishing normalcy, even in crisis, is what made me a father. I've asked Christopher Jr. what he remembers most from that time and he says, "Whenever I looked up, you were there." His answer shows that being his dad has nothing to do with the size of my bank account.
Chris Gardner
Chicago, Ill.
All About Playboy
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s Empire
I was surprised to read "Penthouse Gets Pious" (May 19), which treated Penthouse as comparable to Playboy Enterprises. Playboy is a globally recognized consumer brand. From our early years, the company has extended Playboy's idea of "the good life" into other profitable businesses. Last year alone, Playboy generated more than $800 million in global retail sales of fashion, accessories and home furnishings. In Las Vegas, a 30-foot rabbit head adorns the Palms Tower—home to the highly successful Playboy casino/club. Playboy TV, now celebrating its 25th anniversary, is seen around the world. "The Girls Next Door," a reality show set at the Playboy mansion, is the highest-rated series on the E! channel. We have a very profitable digital business anchored by Playboy.com—launched in 1994. And of course, "Playboy" remains the most popular men's magazine in the world. By contrast, Penthouse today has gone through bankruptcy and is now attempting to relaunch the magazine and develop a multi-media strategy. We welcome news coverage of our company, our strategies and our prospects. However, given the facts, it's hard to see why you would relate Penthouse to us.
Christie Hefner, Chairman/CEO
Playboy Enterprises, Inc.
Chicago, Ill.
Can
'
t Get Enough of
'
Seinfeld
'
I am a 70-year-old "Seinfeld" junkie whose evenings would not be complete without a dose of "Seinfeld" reruns, some of which I have probably viewed a half-dozen times ("Legend or Loser: Does 'Seinfeld' Still Hold Up After 10 Years?" May 12). They still make me laugh out loud. Only recently did it sink in that "Seinfeld" was intended to be about four reprobates with little social redemption. The show's well-drawn characters made common human foibles somehow endearing. I don't think there will ever be a sitcom with the built-in endurance of "Seinfeld." Oddly enough, I have seen Jerry Seinfeld do stand-up and had always considered his act boring. But as a comedic actor there was a stroke of genius. Of course, the real genius behind it all is Larry David, who's proved, once again, with "Curb Your Enthusiasm" that everyday events are the funniest.
Mel Novit
Morton Grove, Ill.
Corrections
Periscope's May 19 "Dignity Index" incorrectly stated that Rep. Vito Fossella had resigned from Congress following his arrest on drunken-driving charges and revelations of marital infidelity. In fact, Fossella remains in office.
In "A Summer Camp for Losers" (Tip Sheet, May 19), we incorrectly listed the cost of the Wellspring Family Camp weight-loss program. The correct cost is $3,950 per week for two family members, not one. NEWSWEEK regrets the errors.