Sound Off for Feb. 4, 2007

Batch Data Processor | Saturday, Feb 3 2007 10:40 PM

Last Updated: Saturday, Feb 3 2007 10:43 PM

Reader: In a recent TV interview Hillary Clinton was asked if her track record showed she could stand up to "evil men" around the world.

Her response was an embarrassed giggle and then she said something like, "Well, I have had some personal experience." Her husband, as is well known, lied to her, his daughter, the nation and the world about his dalliances in the oval office.

There was an article on Page A6 of Monday's Californian by Mike Glover of The Associated Press, who mentioned the same question but said absolutely nothing about Mrs. Clinton's response. Would you be able to explain to me why her response was not noted? If the question was important enough to be asked and written about, it seems to me Mrs. Clinton's answer is important.

Did The Californian by any chance edit Mrs. Clinton's response out of Glover's article? If so, why?

-- Caroline Reid

Jenner: That story about Hillary Clinton's campaign swing through Iowa was trimmed so the story could fit in the allotted space.

The story we printed included a reference to that question, but Clinton's response was cut by an editor fitting the stories on the page.

This was an unfortunate trim, because Clinton's response was illuminating and newsworthy. The story as sent by The Associated Press described her response in greater length than we could print in the allotted space, but I think we should have condensed the description of how she handled this question and her explanation of why she responded that way.

Here's the section of the original story about that question and Clinton's answer as the AP sent it:

One questioner asked Clinton if her track record showed she could stand up to "evil men" around the world.

"The question is, we face a lot of dangers in the world and, in the gentleman's words, we face a lot of evil men and what in my background equips me to deal with evil and bad men," Clinton said. She paused to gaze while the audience interrupted with about 30 seconds of laughter and applause.

Meeting later with reporters, she was pressed repeatedly to explain what she meant. She insisted it was a simple joke.

"I thought I was funny," Clinton said. "You guys keep telling me to lighten up, be funny. I get a little funny and now I'm being psychoanalyzed."

She told reporters that evil men included al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, who remains at large. "Isn't it about time we get serious about that?" she said.

Reader: As a new resident of Bakersfield, I did not vote for any of the people running for office. Actually, I only voted for state offices.

However, next election time I believe I will be familiar with the general flow of Bakersfield life to make an intelligent decision.

I especially appreciated Dianne Hardisty's "Trust us not good enough" column. I think it is very important for the local paper to keep us acquainted with the individual items concerning how the city is run, and the follow-up concerning items coming before the council or other things pertaining to running the city.

I really appreciate Robert Price's columns. Because of his discussion on the projected freeway, I understood the need for the highway bill.

I also enjoy Herb Benham's columns. They hit a note every time.

Having raised five sons, I empathized with every feeling in the column about raising kids.

Mike Jenner's Q&A is always interesting, too.

I do have one complaint. By the time I read the paper, my hands feel like the paper was dropped in the dirt, and also I have ink on my fingers and hands. Is it the grade of the paper, or the quality of the ink?

Sincerely,

-- Louise Matson

Jenner: Thanks for the nice comments, Louise. Our ink, not the paper itself, is the likely cause of your inky hands.

We've upgraded our inks over the years and have reduced the amount of "rub-off," but we know it's not perfect.

If ink manufacturers come up with further innovations that reduce this problem, we'll certainly try them.

Reader: I have enjoyed Joan Swenson's column for years. Joan shares gardening knowledge and experience from a local perspective.

The information has spared me costly gardening mistakes over the years.

One recent example was not to pull up injured plants after a frost. If I had pulled up my dead-looking plants immediately after the freeze, I would have lost more plants than necessary.

Thank you for sharing helpful tips with those that love to garden.

-- Gayle Ortiz

Reader: I just wanted to say thank you for the "Cheers & Jeers" section in last Saturday's paper. Every letter was positive! As most people, I read the paper daily and it's rarely positive and uplifting.

So, as you can imagine, it was a wonderful surprise to open Saturday's paper and read only positive words in these letters.

I wonder how different the world would be if only the "good guys/girls" made it in the news. Thank you for printing these letters.

-- Rebecca Bishop

Reader: I was thrilled to see the story of the Symphony Ball and The Californian's acknowledgement of Bakersfield culture. This is the sort of coverage I like to see in our local newspaper.

I only wish that you had expressed appreciation to the very hard-working and competent Ball Chairman, Clare Jacobs, who made the best Ball ever possible. I hope you continue to publicize the many wonderful philanthropic/cultural events that make life in Bakersfield so worthwhile.

-- Helen Hawk Windes