War Clouds Over Iran?

Saturday, April 19, 2008

War Clouds Over Iran?

On April 10, The Post published a "tag cloud" showing how often certain terms were used during the Petraeus-Crocker hearings on April 8 and 9, but it did not include the word "Iran." I fear that the Bush administration is desperately building a case for war with Iran before the end of its term.

The April 12 front-page article "Iran Top Threat to Iraq, U.S. Says" described the latest step in this process. Please republish the "tag cloud" with "Iran," so that we may see the degree to which our military and diplomatic leaders and Congress are unwittingly contributing to Bush's war plans.

-- Eugene Weiblen

Fairfax

Cheaper Loans for Students

The front-page story on the student loan situation ["Exit of College Lenders Sets Off Scramble to Fill Breach," April 10] was misleading.

The majority of students will be paying less for their federal student loans next year, thanks to legislation passed by Congress last year. This is not an issue of different predictions from different analysts; it is the legal maximum rate on the loans that most students get.

Some borrowers will find a different array of lenders participating in the program because of the turbulence in credit markets. But rates are down, not up.

-- Robert Shireman

Berkeley, Calif.

The writer is executive director of the Project on Student Debt at the Institute for College Access & Success.

A Presence in Qatar

Business columnist Jane Bryant Quinn, writing about "Tomorrow's Emerging Markets" on April 13, failed to mention Virginia Commonwealth University as one of the five major U.S. universities with campuses in Qatar. Cornell University opened a branch of its medical college in 2002, and Texas A&M University set up shop in 2003. What is known as VCUQ opened in 1998, and VCU's main campuses, in Richmond, are closer to home for readers of The Post.

-- Derick C. Moore

Cabin John

Bad Angle

I was dismayed to see the April 14 Reliable Source item asking readers to "point and shoot" their cameras, cellphones, or whatever else when they see celebrities in the area, e.g., Angelina Jolie with her children at a museum.

Are we Washingtonians now working for the National Enquirer? "Entertainment Tonight"? I thought we all had a tad more class than that. Why can't celebrities have some peace in the nation's capital?

-- Tess Sanders

North Potomac

The 'Free' in Freedom

Regarding the April 12 Metro article "First Reactions Run From 'Awesome' to 'Expensive'; Museum's Opening Draws Long Lines":

It's funny: Of all the news stories I've read reporting the gripes over the Newseum's $20 entrance fee when most other museums in Washington are free, none mentioned the actual reason for the difference.

The Smithsonian? Federally funded. Newseum? Private donations. Doesn't this massive shrine to the news media deserve a little balanced reporting, too?

-- Dianna Parker

Washington

Entangled With Lou Piniella

Talk about guilt by association. Are you now, or have you ever been, a Cubs fan?

Out of nowhere, an article that implied that Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich is on the take ["Illinois Governor Is in Courtroom in Spirit," April 13], even though "the two-term governor has not been charged with a crime," revealed he is "a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan."

That's it. There is no other mention of the Cubs or their relevance to the court case against Antoin Rezko, who is accused of corruption.

I and millions of other Americans would be honored to plead guilty to the "lifelong Cubs fan" charge. Just ask Post columnist George F. Will.

-- Richard Prosten

Washington

Polar Eclipse?

The auto racing reference on Page E1 of the April 11 Sports section said that Ryan Newman has earned "the poll for tomorrow's race in Arizona." Does that mean that NASCAR has decided to forgo the two-hour duel of high-speed machines, relying instead on voter preference in advance to determine the winner?

-- Leonard Sherp

Arlington