The influence of a minister, and the vote of a parishioner As a church staff ministry professional for 34 years, I feel a responsibility to express my feelings regarding those in ministry who believe they have the responsibility to tell their parishioners who to vote for. They don't.

The main responsibilities of any person serving in church staff ministry is first to teach the faith, and second to emulate it by the way they live, then encourage their parishioners to live according to the faith as they have understood it.

It is not the responsibility of a person in ministry to tell anyone who to vote for. Politics are divisive, and expressing one's feelings about whom one should vote for may create divisions in a parish. In fact, to vote as they see fit is their right and duty as American citizens, and no one has the right to tell anyone how to vote!

If a person in ministry teaches the faith well, and lives accordingly, then one has to trust that the parishioners can use their own deductive reasoning and well-thought-out feelings to vote for the person they feel best fits their faith, if, in fact, the parishioners choose to base their vote on faith values.

JOAN STRICKLAND JOHNSON, BLOOMINGTON

Financial fiasco also has Democratic fingerprints Sen. Amy Klobuchar says, "America's current financial crisis is an indictment of eight years of failed economic policies from the Bush administration" (Opinion Exchange, Oct. 6). She and most in her party have a short memory.

On Nov. 4, 1999, 90 senators (including Joe Biden) voted for the Financial Services Modernization Act (deregulation of the U.S. financial system). Interestingly, John McCain did not vote. The bill was signed by President Bill Clinton on Nov 12, 1999.

When casting blame based on 20/20 hindsight, it's a good idea to check the facts. In this case, both parties are in the dock, as are all those people who for years have been living beyond their means.

SHIRLEY NORMAN, MINNEAPOLIS

Why he's voting against legacy amendment Although the Clean Water, Land and Legacy Amendment should be the bedrock of our Constitution, I am going to vote against it. There is far too much "legislating" done via constitutional amendment.

The arguments against this practice are subtle and complex. Even more important, most citizens should pay only one tax -- one based on income. If we have income, we most likely are able to pay, but without income the other forms of taxation can be onerous. The sales tax always was, and remains, a bad idea. And it keeps sneaking up on us.

BRUCE KITTILSON, GOLDEN VALLEY

Biden overstated his affection for Israel Among Joe Biden's several false assertions in his debate with Gov. Sarah Palin, he had a real whopper when he said, "No one in the U.S. Senate has been a better friend of Israel than Joe Biden." Unfortunately, Joe's voting record reveals a different story.

Between May 1993, and June 2008, when his Senate colleagues from both parties (e.g., Kennedy, Grassley, Mack, Lieberman, Bond, Schumer, Hatch, Clinton, Smith, Nelson, Landrieu and Collins) were signing letters supporting Israel and its quest for peace, urging that terror groups be barred from participating in Palestinian elections, calling on Syria to allow Syrian Jews to leave, and urging President Bush not to meet with Arafat until Palestinian violence ceased, Joe refused to sign any of them! Not only that, he was one of only four senators to vote against the Iran Missile Proliferation Sanctions Act in 1998, and was one of the few senators to oppose the bipartisan 2007 Kyl-Lieberman Resolution labeling the Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization.

With "friends" like that, who needs enemies! There's only one truly pro-Israel ticket in this election, and that's McCain-Palin.

MARK R. MILLER, MINNEAPOLIS

The pit bull goes to work? At last Sarah Palin has found her voice, and is able to display her skill and experience. No, I'm not talking about the recent vice-presidential debate, but her ability as an attack dog. Seriously, what does it say about a person when she can't string two comprehensible phrases together when asked about whether she reads newspapers, magazines, or Web pages for her information, yet waxes eloquent with personal attacks on her opponents?

Oh, and news must travel slowly to her however she gets her information, because the rest of us were done rolling our eyes at the Ayers allegations last spring.

CLAYTON HAAPALA, MINNETONKA

McCain might want to consider his legacy Whether John McCain wins this election or not, he has forever given up the right to call himself an honorable man. The tenor of his campaign has sunk to a level that is disrespectful of the very office he seeks. I have only one question for the senator: Have you no decency, sir?

PRISCILLA RUSSELL, ROCHESTER