TO THE EDITORS:
We used to and still do refer to a group called the idiot fringe. Today, it has been simplified for us - it's now the Republican Party.

The president holds a town meeting and the attitudes and demeanor of the attendees both left and right are cordial and respective. It resembles a sensible and deliberative New England town meeting.

Congressional town meetings packed with right wing Republicans and even Democrats sound like a bar room brawl. Some right wing Republicans hold tele (Bart Simpson like) town meetings where they will not have to meet with their constituents face-to-face.

During the Nixon years, we had a group called the "silent majority." They are still with us today (many of them moderate Republicans who are currently in the party and/or may shortly leave it) in contrast to the shout-'em-down rabble-rousers and politicians who are battling our president, calling for him to meet his Waterloo and haranguing us with their "let them eat cake'' rhetoric.

Having their portfolios and 401k's depleted, these silent individuals cannot afford to continue to pay higher and higher health care insurance premiums if nothing is done.

Today, our president's remarks must be reviewed and censored by the opposition party. What's next from these fanatical discontents? Don't they realize they lost the last couple of elections and will probably repeat the same in the 2010 general election? Today, the Democrats hold 63% of Congress.

Woe to the Republicans and their irrational malcontents. The GOP is playing with fire and may be consumed. When will this evil doing stop?
Mike Dini
Mount Joy