Contrasting Leadership of Bush and Powell

Secretary of State Colin Powell calls world leaders, attempting to get their cooperation and to collaborate with them in fighting the terrorism the U.S. experienced this week. President Bush, on the other hand, says, “We will lead the world to victory” (Sept. 14). This kind of rhetoric doesn’t build cooperation and collaboration among other nations and ourselves. It smacks of hubris.

The president might take note of Powell’s work and that going on at the World Trade Center. Many different groups are cooperating in rescue efforts. No one group has said, “We will lead.” The work is getting done.

Mary Kay Crouch

Fountain Valley

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Re “Tragedy Measures a Leader,” by John Balzar, Commentary, Sept. 14: Would I follow Bush from a foxhole? I heard the president speak on PBS Nightly News (Sept. 13) for five painful minutes of stumbling and rambling and, at one point, a few excruciating seconds of “deer frozen in the headlights.”

This was followed almost immediately by Powell’s clear, calm and coherent explanation of the diplomatic offensive, the military options, what we could expect and why our enemies attacked us. Powell’s presentation was blessedly void of hyperbolic claptrap about good and evil and how we were going to take care of those bad guys, just you wait.

I would follow Powell from a foxhole any day. I wouldn’t follow Dubya across the street!

Margaret Morris

Ventura

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Re “Bush’s Image Fails to Fill the Screen,” Sept. 14: I realize that Howard Rosenberg is a partisan critic of our president, but could he please complain about something more substantive than his video presence?

I disagree with his conclusions in any case; to me Bush’s style is more real and reassuring than the slick style of our previous president. This nattering on, complaining about nothing, is distasteful in light of the acts of war last Tuesday and the lives lost, with more attacks possible at any time. Please, Mr. Rosenberg, if you have nothing substantive to say, let others help form our opinions.

David Corcoran

Oceanside