Oh for crying out loud.

Editor Eric Mathison's recent column reads like it was written by a nostalgia-brain-soaked Baby Boomer with his feet mired in the muck of the sixties. We all know some Boomers didn't quite mature beyond that era of rebellion. Most die-hards never suffered a day in defense of their country and have been rationalizing their guilt ever since. Moreover, most hid behind a "going to school" deferment when their country called.

In the Feb. 20 edition of the Times/News, Eric takes on his colleague Ralph Nichols, Ronald Reagan, Tim Eyman, and capitalism, blaming them for the ills of our society. Capitalism, meaning corporations, are blamed even though one would be hard pressed to find someone who didn't owe their security to corporations. Corporations furnish the jobs they do, including Eric.

A consummate Baby Boomer, Eric never takes responsibility for his part in fostering the government we have. Then he defends Sen. Karen Keiser, Democrats - and the notion that the labors of each of us belong to the government to be distributed for our good by legislators such as Sen. Keiser. Eric's notion of government would dictate how you and your employer earn the money that they covet for their favorite programs.

I enjoy reading Eric's comments except they tilt a bit portside. Here are some examples:

How can Eric blame Tim Eyman for what the voter's want? The people, in best democratic tradition, vote yes or no for the Eyman proposition on the ballot. Historically, citizens have voted both ways. Eyman is the best legislator we have in the state, allowing the people to decide the outcome. Only someone who doesn't trust the people could complain about the result.

Eric complains that Presidents Reagan and Bush are big spenders and cites budget deficits as evidence. Then he crows about the later Clinton years and a budget of surplus. Just increase taxes and cut defense and intelligence to the bone. That leaves national security weaker but what the heck? We can leave that worry to when we are next attacked.

If the Clinton Administration had paid down the debt we would have made progress on the debt, but it didn't. They created more programs.

And my favorite, "George Bush's war." It is hard for the left to own up to but it takes a Congress and President to go to war. Many of the complaining Democrats were stumbling all over themselves to sign on for the Iraq War. Politically they wanted to appear strong on Defense. Later they discovered Iraq was a good political issue for them and began undermining the national effort.

A good first step for the Congress is to repeal the War Powers Act and stop sloughing responsibility for their congressional duty to declare war instead of carping about being taken advantage of.

Paul Willoughby

Tukwila