9/14/1996 Akron Beacon Journal; RW letter-writer says "Men who knew war

[zbdent]

would have tried talking first"

...

President Bush was a war hero, and had the maturity and patience to wait for an Arab Consensus, and allied coalition and U. N. approval before launching Desert Storm in 1991.

After the Iraqi attack (Bob) Dole had to maintain unity, but he is also a war hero and knows well the horror of war. I believe he would have tried diplomacy first, as did Bush.

Clinton is a draft-dodger who was forced into a knee-jerk response in order to look presidential in his campaign. Saddam knew this, timed his move, strengthened his hold in Iraq, gained Islamic sympathy and further damaged Clinton's reputation overseas.

...

I wonder if this guy still stands behind the idea that a war hero would have a better understanding of how to deal with war, or, more likely, he still stands behind the guy who has no proof of having even served his full National Guard duty instead of volunteering to go to Vietnam.

Other headlines from the Letters to the Editor that day (in response to a question of the US bombing of Iraq in 1996; strangely, they sound familiar today):

"U. S. Actions don't add up"

"Clinton just trying to out-macho old soldiers"

"Clinton, United States look bad after bombing" (switch clinton for Bush, bombing for war)

and a really good one:

"Clinton hit Iraq without conferring with experts" which includes references to Bush41 conferring "with Congress, the military and our allies" before going to war.