European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 25, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday March 25 2007 8 tars and stripes o Page 27 opinion what newspapers Are saying at Home the following editorial excerpts Are selected from a Cross Section of newspapers throughout the United states the editorials Are provided by the associated press and other stateside syndicates on firings resolve valid issues the Washington Post the White House and congressional democrats have drawn deep lines in the Sand Over who will testify and How As con Gress investigates the dismissal of eight us attorneys the stubbornness and Over heated rhetoric on both sides threaten an unnecessary constitutional crisis that would Only bog Down the inquiry in a distracting fight Over process its Worth stepping Back and putting the supposed scandal in perspective presi Dent Bush is entitled to replace his us attorneys the Many emails that the administration has released for the most part suggest nothing nefarious in the dismissal process it would not be acceptable for Bush to fire the attorneys to Short circuit prosecutions of political corruption among republicans so far theres no evidence that he did and in fact the most questionable conduct we know of originated in Congress but in at least two of the eight cases there Are reasonable questions to be asked and Congress is right to pursue those questions but How defiant in tone and words president Bush made what he ill advisedly presented As a final offer of his View of that question tuesday embattled attorney general Alberto Gonzales would set the record straight in new hearings on Capitol Hill senior presidential adviser Karl Rove former White House counsel Harriet Miers and two other West Wing officials would be made available but they would speak in private not under oath and no transcript would be made democratic leaders deemed the conditions unacceptable wednesday the House judiciary committee authorized the issuance of subpoenas to compel the White House aides to testify under oath and in Public the Senate judiciary committee did the same thursday a two step process could pull both sides Back from the Brink first Gonzales and other Justice department officials should testify about their decisions to re move the ousted eight if questions remain Rove and Miers should be interviewed they dont have to testify under oath since lying to Congress is a crime but their Testi Mony must be As open As possible and should without question be transcribed vow to support Iraq endures forum Fargo and As americans soberly observe the fourth anniversary of the Start of the Iraq War they confront the dilemma of what to do next two realities emerge first the War has gone from bad to worse second the United states made a commitment to the iraqi people and to the greater Middle East so a precipitous withdrawal would be both a military defeat and a dishonourable Retreat dilemmas dont get More difficult than that therefore the simplistic resolutions and hyperbolic rhetoric coming out of the democratic left in Congress Are More about political strategy than the practical realities of the nations entanglement in a War that gone badly among the resolutions Are proposals to set dates certain for withdrawal which would do Little but give Aid and Comfort to a patient and deter mined enemy even the most partisan of the Bush administrations supporters concede the War in Iraq is a civil War that will not be settled by the us military alone where they part company with the get Kutnow crowd is they believe the use of military Force is Nee prickly City by Scot Stantis Essary to give the political process a Chance to work that part of what the presidents surge is designed to do and there Are encouraging indications it is working its been about a not enough time to make an informed final judgment this nations commitments should not be so cavalierly scrapped having toppled Saddam our obligation to a new Iraq has not diminished because the War is More difficult than anticipated aboveboard on subprime Loans the Kansas City to Star with rising concern Over problems in the subprime mortgage Market Congress is expected to examine ways to toughen up on lenders lawmakers should proceed with care subprime Loans make up 14 percent of the us mortgage Market and Many Bor rowers with weak or spotty credit took huge risks in signing on the dotted line about 13 percent of subprime Loans Are now delinquent while some families were steered into Loans that we rent suitable legislative Mea sures that would choke off Access to cer Tain kinds of credit could make things worse by denying credit to borrowers who still May be Able to refinance but the financial markets Are already moving to Correct the problem lending standards have been tightened financing sources for some lenders have withered away some companies have filed for bankruptcy or put themselves up for Sale lawmakers should realize that both lend ers and borrowers have a role in determining what kinds of Loans Are suitable still one step in the right direction would be tougher disclosure requirements so that borrowers have no questions about the terms of the Deal Clear the air on states rights Herald journal Spartanburg so the Federal government has no constitutional authority to preempt or overrule most state Laws which is Why Washington should Stop interfering with states that want to legalize the medical use of marijuana the medical Efficacy of marijuana Over other drugs is up for debate but the ability of states to create their own Laws  be unfortunately Washington politicians rarely recognize the limits of their authority and courts Are still struggling with the question eleven states have already legalized medical marijuana use and recently the new Mexico legislature approved a Bill that will make it the 12th these states will constantly Battle Feder Al authorities until Washington accepts the ability of their people to make their own Laws free speech might take a hit Rocky Mountain news Denver if Joseph Frederick had been in his Juneau Alaska school that Day in 2002 when he unfurled a 14foot Banner that read Bong hits 4 Jesus wed say that the principal Deborah Morse would have been within her rights to make him take it Down it could plausibly be interpreted As a message promoting the use of an illegal drug although it could just As plausibly be interpreted As what it apparently was a publicity stunt but Frederick was across the Street from school with a group of students watching the Winter olympics Torch relay pass by Frederick was suspended from school for 10 Days and he sued saying his free speech rights had been violated the 9th us circuit court of appeals sided with the student and the us supreme court heard arguments in the a peal in a Public setting Frederick should be free to say anything he likes and the fact that the message May go against school pol icy  make any difference during the Vietnam War a free speech decision ruled that students dont shed their constitutional rights to Freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse Gate we Hope this decision makes it equally Clear that administrators authority does not extend beyond that Gate poor policy Only backs Pace the spokesman review Spokane Wash lets not kid ourselves More people agree with Gen Peter paces recent re Marks about Gays and lesbians in the Mili tary than wed like to admit when the generals comments provoked criticism though he said he should have kept his personal feelings to himself and limited his comments to his support of the existing arrangement but Why hold Back the fact is the per Sonal fears confusion and narrow minded Ness embodied in paces intemperate words Are inseparable from the policy if those who embrace dont ask dont Tell had their Way the us military would ban Gays the mandatory dishonesty now being enforced is just a Compromise with a reality they cant eradicate i respectfully but strongly disagree with the chairman View that homosexuality is immoral so says sen John Warner about paces remarks former sen Alan Simpson a Wyoming Republican who voted for dont ask dont Tell in 1993 recently wrote in the Washington Post that Many things have changed since then his opinion would be one my god wed better Start talking sense before it is too late we need every Able bodied smart Patriot to help us win this War Simpson wrote influenced heavily by the fact that several dozen Gay people with desperately needed arabic language skills were kicked out of the service and these Guys Are conservatives Early primaries change routine the Nashville tennessean it is looking entirely Likely that Tennes sees presidential preference primary will occur on feb 5 2008 joining As Many As 12 other states in moving up their Prima Ries whats the Rush its about relevance in modern presidential campaigns states that wait too Long into the season to cast their preferences get Short shrift from the major candidates once there on the ground in a Given state candidates will be More inclined to discuss issues that matter to the residents in that state in California it might be gang crime in los Angeles or prisons in Tennes see taxes the Auto Industry or Well prisons the candidates soundbites on those is sues then May reach the National Media and the theory goes issues that matter to tennesseans Are suddenly part of the National Agenda and the Downside Well tennesseans can expect a Rush of political advertising a lot sooner and the Long Campaign season will be even longer but at least no one can say they didst have enough time to de cide on their vote come november Public confession is weightier Seattle Post intelligencer some news is just too Good to be True we fear that this May also be the Case with Khalid sheikh Mohammes Confes Sion to his role in the sept 11 attacks All we have is a partial transcript of a secret military hearing at Guantanamo Bay i was responsible for the opera Tion from a to z were told the Paki Swanbom Mohammed said he confessed to plotting 28 terrorist attacks assisting with three More Twenty eight Well some one has to take the heat because Osama bin Laden has evaded arrest the Tran scripts say that Mohammed was responsible for the 1993 world Trade Center bomb ing and planned Richard reids attempt to take Down an air plane with a shoe bomb he was behind the 2002 Bah nightclub bombings he ordered Daniel pearls be heading Mohammed also plotted to kill Bill Clin ton and Pope John Paul ii and planned at tacks on London Chicago the Panama canal and Seattle what else he confessed to being the Grassy Knoll shooter and the last person to see the Lindbergh baby yes Hes also the Guy who stole your Sandwich from the of fice fridge we Arent saying that Mohammed is to tally innocent but How can we Trust this process no outside press no Independent observers no footage of the hearing