As the editor of the Phalanx, I receive a great deal of unsolicited junk mail in both my personal and professional life, but perhaps nothing has taken me aback quite like the socialist diatribe I recently received from the Leftist Leader, Nancy Pelosi. Pelosi’s letter began with the following question: “Do you really want to be told the truth?”

Right away I knew I was in of a snow job. Pelosi begins by pointing out that 59 million Americans voted against Bush’s “four years of failure.” Pelosi further notes that Bush’s margin of victory was the smallest margin of victory for a sitting president since Wilson. What Pelosi fails to point out is the fact that Bush won re-election with a clear majority of the vote, something no Democrat has done since Carter in 1976. She goes on to deride the Republican leadership because of the recent incitement of Tom Delay, leading one to assume that Democrats are devoid of scandal. Pelosi then goes on to point out that the war in Iraq is not going well, contrary to Bush’s claims. What evidence does Pelosi use? Well clearly she can’t site the successful Iraqi elections, the success of Iraqi commerce or the fact that Iraqis have assumed the bulk of the responsibility for security. What Pelosi does site is the US death toll in Iraq. What does she use as a barometer? Certainly Pelosi doesn’t site the fact that the death rate in the Iraq war is by far the lowest of any US war. In 2 years in Iraq, approximately 2,000 servicemen have been killed in the line of duty. Lets contrast that with other American wars. In Vietnam nearly 6,000 had died in a 2 year period, in WWII the figure would rise to 75,000 and during the Civil War the figure rises to an astounding 300,000. The death of any serviceman is tragic but in comparison with historical reality, Pelosi’s premise simply doesn’t hold water.

Also in Pelosi’ letter she blames Bush for the increased federal deficit, arguing it was the Bush tax cuts that eliminated the surplus. No Ms. Pelosi the tax cuts did nothing to create the deficit. Indeed, since the tax cuts, government revenues have increased significantly. Pelosi ignores these facts because it does not support her version or reality. She can’t get away with this because her leftists supporters are equally ignorant. If Pelosi was truly interested in the “truth” she would correctly identify the recession, which began during Clinton’s last year in office or the Sept 11th terror attacks that exacerbated that recession or the increased spending attributed to the subsequent war on terror as the principle cause of the current deficit.

Pelosi concludes her socialist diatribe with an appeal for financial support. Perhaps what is so disheartening is the fact that many Americans, mostly the uneducated and the socialist elitists will fall for this line of propaganda at the drop of a hat.

-The Phalanx Editor