Midterm Messages, Heard and Unheard

I was disgusted to read that incoming Senate Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) plans to push for a $75 billion increase in the bloated military budget ["Reid Pledges to Press Bush on Iraq Policy," front page, Nov. 15]. I saw no poll indicating that people voted for Democratic congressional candidates so our country would increasingly have to rely on its military.

The indications are, rather, that people hoped for a more cooperative, less militaristic foreign policy.

WILLIAM SAMUEL

Silver Spring

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In its Nov. 16 editorial "The Economic Agenda," The Post inaccurately asserts that the midterm elections were a repudiation of Republican economic priorities. A close examination of the results shows that voters rallied behind the economy while they were less enthusiastic about corruption in Washington and the war in Iraq.

There is no denying that the president's tax cuts and other pro-growth policies have played an important role in spurring the economic expansion we've seen under this president. More than 6.8 million jobs have been created since August 2003; the unemployment rate is 4.4 percent; and real wages have grown 2.8 percent over the past 12 months. We've also proved that you can have tax cuts that result in robust revenue growth.

We look forward to hearing the Democrats' ideas to promote continued economic growth. We will be looking for common ground while remaining true to the president's principles -- most importantly, keeping taxes low.