Editors, Vineyard Gazette:

The recent budget deadlock, shutting down many government operations and services, can be blamed on adherence to principle on both sides. The Democratic winners of the last election claim that under the Constitution they are trying to do what the voters elected them to do. The Republicans just claim they are protecting the people against an unpopular, ruinous, radical agenda.

Ever since President Obama’s election the Republicans have asserted a claim to speak for the majority in opposing whatever he does. Their faithful “news agency” emits a 24/7 stream of biased, misleading reports of government misdoings, complete with warped statistics and comment by unreconstructed Bushies. It is all as prescribed by Dr. No.

In our tradition the losers should be working on an alternative governing plan of their own to win the voters back to their side. As a serious plan, “Not Obama” doesn’t cut it.

W. R. Deeble
West Tisbury