Readers write for July 15, 2010

Some Republicans and members of the Tea Party movement are making outlandish claims about President Obama and about Democrats in general. There are time-tested ways to counter them.

In 1984, former Vice President Walter Mondale beat Colorado Sen. Gary Hart for the Democratic presidential nomination by asking one simple question: "Where's the beef?"

If today's Democrats want to avoid a calamity, they have to do the same. To Michele Bachmann's claim that the liberal agenda is making Americans into "a nation of slaves" -- where's the beef? To "Obama's a Muslim" -- where's the beef? To "death panels" -- where's the beef?

If Democrats don't stand up to baseless attacks, they deserve to lose.

FREDERIC J. ANDERSON, MINNEAPOLIS

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Politicians in Congress should wear uniforms just like the ones NASCAR drivers have. Then we could see who the corporate sponsors are.

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The trademark triviality and polarizing pettiness that U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., brings to her position is an ongoing disgrace. Her service thus far holds such dubious distinctions as forcing a public smooch on former President Bush, arguing against energy-efficient light bulbs and shielding an out-of-country corporate entity from accountability for the massive destruction it has wreaked upon our country's shores. An elected agent of the people cannot possibly be addressing our very complex problems while continually positioning herself out front, fomenting divisiveness in order to ride the crest of political polarization.

If our leaders cannot roll up their sleeves and work toward bridging our differences with dignity, respect and intelligence, we are all going down. Now may be the time for Minnesotans throughout the state to help guide Sixth District constituents back into some semblance of sensibility in their contribution to our national leadership. The local tourism industry is that district's economic Achilles heel. A little bit of consumer pressure systematically applied might persuade the electorate of that district to adopt a more sober understanding of what our shared leadership and statesmanship needs are at this very troubling juncture in history.

C. MANNHEIM, APPLE VALLEY

Because of a rare situation of having no other races with which to share the spotlight, Minnesotans can focus attention on the race for governor as the dominant statewide contest this fall.

While helping to reveal depth of support for candidates from the most-committed followers, the current approach doesn't reveal the breadth of support from a broader field of potential voters.

No change in law or approval from political parties is needed. Just a simple change in polling itself: A pollster would ask and report voters' first and second choices, not only their first choice, as at present.

Results could be reported in any number of ways, including the ranked-choice voting approach, now in use in some local elections in Minnesota. But even if that voting method never is enacted statewide, pollsters would be providing more enlightenment on voter sentiment.

The Civic Caucus, a nonpartisan public affairs educational organization, originally advanced this polling suggestion in 2007.

VERNE JOHNSON, CHAIR, AND PAUL GILJE, COORDINATOR, CIVIC CAUCUS

Polanski did not "have sex with" a 13-year-old girl. He raped a 13-year-old girl, and one can't dance around that fact just because he is rich and famous. I had hoped the AP and the Star Tribune would be above rape apologia, but it seems my faith was misplaced.

Perhaps there has just been some confusion on the definition of terms, so to conclude I will provide a basic lesson in English: to "have sex with" implies consent; to "rape" implies no consent.

Polanski's victim did not give consent.

Polanski raped a child.

No amount of disingenuous euphemisms will hide that fact.

A July 13 letter writer beat me to it when she said "kudos to St. Paul's Sage Holben for her warm, wonderful work ... and kudos also go to reporter Bill Ward and the Star Tribune for covering her story."

The July 10 story about Holben ("Now showing ... a sense of community,") was one of a trio that day that struck me as being the kind of articles we look for.

"Woman's flower shop features native flora," about a Fargo woman's flower shop and her love of prairie blooms, as well as "R.I.P., city's oldest 'resident,'" about the 300-year-old bur oak with its span of Minneapolis history soon to come to an end, helped make the Saturday issue particularly interesting.

Stories that tell us about ourselves are the ones that touch us the most. While headlines of news-making events are important to a newspaper, we all have the touch of the hometown in us.

Stories that inspire, inform, entertain and teach us about our neighbors and community are still the best reason to subscribe to, and stay attached to, the daily local newspaper.