Statesmanship

I wish to commend the Los Angeles Times for its support of the Pasadena Star-News during its moment of crisis. In the competitive arena, I was always trained to destroy the opposition at any and every opportunity. This single act constitutes a remarkable exercise of decency and professional statesmanship in the printed media. ROBERT CURLENDER Pasadena

BOSTON - Mitt Romney's seven-day foreign tour this week promises to be an elaborate show of statesmanship - from his meetings with more than a dozen leaders from Britain, Israel and Poland to his attendance at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games in London. But his advisors cautioned that voters should not expect any major policy pronouncements. The former Massachusetts governor, they said, is mainly traveling abroad to "learn and listen. " In a campaign dominated by the economy, the international trip offers Romney a rare chance to show voters that he would be a capable leader on the world stage.

How wonderfully heartwarming is the news account (Part I, Sept. 20) of the unanimous vote by the Yorba Linda City Council declaring President Nixon's birthday a city holiday. It is not surprising that this resolution has met with such tremendous enthusiasm, for the greatness of achievements and statesmanship of our 37th President becomes more evident with each passing day. SUSAN SPREEN Mission Viejo

Sen. John F. Kerry said Friday that despite public declarations from France and other European countries that they would not send troops to Iraq, there were indications some of the nations would be willing to change course with the right diplomatic effort. "There are senators and ...

I wish to compliment The Times for the article by Bernstein. I find it interesting that President Kennedy found it necessary to risk nuclear war with the Russians in order to appear macho to the American people and insure his reelection in 1964. This curse of seeming macho is apparently something that appears to enthuse most people, which must account for the popularity of "Rambo." What we need today more than ever is statesmanship from our elected politicians before we are bankrupted by this insane arms race, or something worse happens.

Bravo to the U.S. Senate for the override of President Reagan's veto on South African sanctions. For the first time in nearly six years, the U.S. government has acted wisely, both from a political as well as moral standpoint. Apartheid is dying and it is important that the United States be in a position to deal with the inevitable black leadership in South Africa. At the same time, the United States is seen as opposing human rights violations from a non-communist government--a refreshing departure from past Reagan Administration actions.

When a respected columnist such as George F. Will states, in reference to the president's nomination of an individual to a governmental post, that "a deeply satisfying and entirely valid reason for rejecting the nomination is payback" for the rejection eight years ago of his party's nominee, it is a concise illustration of the priorities of many of those in power and, presumably, much of the electorate (Column Right, Oct. 12). How sad that, rather than applying thoughtful, mature statesmanship to the managing of our country, any of our leaders would make party vengeance a primary consideration in their decisions--government by "gotcha!"

Re "Bush Hails Victory in Iraq," May 2: In what has to be one of the most silly stunts ever staged by a sitting president, Bush burns up countless taxpayer dollars to have some low-paid, hard-working Navy aviator provide taxi service. Meanwhile, what's happening as the press gushes over this newest legerdemain of distraction? Not much -- just a huge jump in unemployment, further bombings in the Middle East, continued fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. The mind reels at the prospect of Bill Clinton doing the same thing; The media would have had their hammers and tongs out. For the record, I support our servicemen.

Reading Don Cook's article (Opinion, Aug. 3) reminded me that I, too, was fortunate enough to savor several samples from Averell Harriman's "vast repository of unpublished tales, gossip elevated to statesmanship because it involved firsthand encounters with national leaders." For me the most memorable bit of "gossip elevated to statesmanship" occurred in 1978, during the United Nations Special Session on Disarmament. Because we were driving to a Soviet reception for American delegates, it seemed perfectly natural for Governor Harriman (as he always preferred to be addressed)

The leaders of the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities have agreed to meet at the United Nations in a fresh effort to solve the problems of Cyprus at the summit on Jan. 17. Their agreement is a welcome act of statesmanship in a situation riven with historic animosities that always generate more reasons to disagree than to agree.

CHICAGO -- With Afghan reconstruction efforts languishing and much of the world focused on stabilizing and rebuilding Iraq, the U.S. is trying to draw companies to Afghanistan with a method novel to government but well known in the business world: the old-fashioned trade show. The combination of statesmanship and salesmanship appeared surreal at times Monday, with one of the United States' two ambassadors to Afghanistan, William B.

Re "Bush Hails Victory in Iraq," May 2: In what has to be one of the most silly stunts ever staged by a sitting president, Bush burns up countless taxpayer dollars to have some low-paid, hard-working Navy aviator provide taxi service. Meanwhile, what's happening as the press gushes over this newest legerdemain of distraction? Not much -- just a huge jump in unemployment, further bombings in the Middle East, continued fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. The mind reels at the prospect of Bill Clinton doing the same thing; The media would have had their hammers and tongs out. For the record, I support our servicemen.

One brother will be installed Saturday as the leader of a newly liberated Afghanistan. The other will be planning his newest restaurant in America. Both are members of the Popalzoi, a tribe whose Durrani ancestors--part of the larger Pushtun clan--have been involved in Afghanistan's governance for centuries.

The real measure of how far George W. Bush's Texas conservatism has put him out of sync with moderates is that he's become the first Republican president to have a rumored renomination challenger even before he spends 100 days in office. Part of why Bush has been unusually provocative so unusually early in his administration is because potentially crippling circumstances are dancing on the 2001 horizon. Sure, Arizona Sen. John McCain quickly denied any intention of running in 2004.

In times of crisis, taxpayers look to elected officials for statesmanlike leadership. Instead of a statesman, Ventura County has been saddled with a venomous state senator who vows revenge on administrators she doesn't like by seeking to block mental-health funds to the county she was elected to serve. When I recently asked state Sen.

When a respected columnist such as George F. Will states, in reference to the president's nomination of an individual to a governmental post, that "a deeply satisfying and entirely valid reason for rejecting the nomination is payback" for the rejection eight years ago of his party's nominee, it is a concise illustration of the priorities of many of those in power and, presumably, much of the electorate (Column Right, Oct. 12). How sad that, rather than applying thoughtful, mature statesmanship to the managing of our country, any of our leaders would make party vengeance a primary consideration in their decisions--government by "gotcha!"

The real measure of how far George W. Bush's Texas conservatism has put him out of sync with moderates is that he's become the first Republican president to have a rumored renomination challenger even before he spends 100 days in office. Part of why Bush has been unusually provocative so unusually early in his administration is because potentially crippling circumstances are dancing on the 2001 horizon. Sure, Arizona Sen. John McCain quickly denied any intention of running in 2004.

In times of crisis, taxpayers look to elected officials for statesmanlike leadership. Instead of a statesman, Ventura County has been saddled with a venomous state senator who vows revenge on administrators she doesn't like by seeking to block mental-health funds to the county she was elected to serve. When I recently asked state Sen.

Ten months before the Republican convention, Bob Dole established himself as the clear front-runner for the GOP presidential nomination over Phil Gramm, Patrick J. Buchanan, Pete Wilson and other largely faceless aspirants running on hopes of a miracle. Those hopes increased recently. Dole's approval ratings have slipped as he defines his positions, on everything from culture to economics, to appeal to his party's right wing.