It’s very sad that the House of Representatives has passed a bill to allow more offshore drilling (“Goode votes against offshore drilling bill,” The Daily Progress, Sept. 18).

Sadly, we the people have been cheated out of our glorious and God-given heritage; led astray by an elitist few who, shamelessly and with reckless abandon, separated us from our heritage.

Politics. I hate the word. It has come to represent exaggeration, obfuscation and even falsification.

Sen. Barack Obama’s economic plan does not raise taxes on the vast majority of Americans.

The letter of Sept. 18, “Obama critiques conceal racism,” was the most offensive letter I have ever seen in The Daily Progress. 

I am writing in response to the letter to the editor titled “Obama critiques conceal racism” (The Daily Progress, Sept. 18).

Sarah Palin is no Hillary Clinton.

If not for the recent economic shocks being realized by every living person in America – unbridled inflation in the costs of education, health care, food, clothing, energy, travel and entertainment, accelerating evaporation of income earned and wealth accumulated by the working class – the current silly season of politics would be quite amusing.

The Republican Party seems to be out in left field this year, and this is shameful.

How about cutting spending and holding off on the grand projects until the economy can afford it?

True democrats support their neighborhood associations and do not allow them to die from neglect.

Let’s hire Barack Obama.

Although I respect the different views and opinions of people in the community I feel compelled to react to the inflammatory phrasing in a letter to the editor —“ Obama unqualified on all fronts,” Sept. 15 (The Daily Progress).

Every four years we Americans elect a person to lead our great nation and to help defend and champion the free world.

It would be wonderful to live in a nation where every parent can take a sick child to the doctor, where working people can support their families without living one paycheck from disaster and where leaders put the common good be-fore the interests of wealth and power.

The Republican Party has lost its way.

If you needed any evidence that the Republican candidate for vice president is anything more than a George W. Bush with long hair, you didn’t get it in Charlie Gibson’s interview with her on Sept. 11.

Could you voluntarily listen for 20 years to a teacher who promotes hate and then say that he had no influence on your thinking?

Congress’s approval rating has declined to close to single digits because Congress seems to be all talk and no action.

When 84 percent of the people say that they are dissatisfied about the direction in which the country is headed, then it is simply mind-boggling why a candidate who advocates change is unacceptable to so many of these constituents. 

The sharp criticism of former governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner would be warranted — if the underlying presumption were true.

Tom Perriello gives an exciting and fresh viewpoint to the race for Virginia’s Fifth Congressional District.

Regarding the Aug. 21 article headlined “Greenspace grows around Monticello: Foundation buys nearly 29 acres,” the Thomas Jefferson Foundation would like to clarify one point.

I do not suggest that Fannie and Freddie illegally influenced mortgage rates. But ...

Thanks to the author of the letter “Palin ‘organizer’ barbs shameful” (The Daily Progress, Sept. 7) for pointing out the hypocrisy of Gov. Sarah Palin and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in denigrating Barack Obama’s experience as a community organizer, amidst the roar of approval from delegates at the Republican convention. 

Thanks to the author of the letter “Palin ‘organizer’ barbs shameful” (The Daily Progress, Sept. 7) for pointing out the hypocrisy of Gov. Sarah Palin and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani in denigrating Barack Obama’s experience as a community organizer, amidst the roar of approval from delegates at the Republican convention.

The presidential election of 2008 is shaping up as a choice between two candidates with monumental differences in their political views and qualifications.

John McCain either doesn’t understand health insurance or he purposefully misrepresented the Barack Obama health plan.

There are three messages we can learn from John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his vice presidential running mate. 

Since listening to Sarah Palin’s speech at the Repub-lican Convention, I’ve been bothered — but unable to put into words what it was I found so disturbing.