COLUMN: One-sided, lacks research

I was amused at the one-sided view of Chuck Malloy’s Guest Opinion on Dec. 13.

With a little bit of research, he could have answered most of his questions or by knowing any history. He asked the question when “politics became so vicious.” The WSJ on July 26, 2018, had an article titled “Bork, Kennedy and End of Civility, Rise of Ideology.” The New York Times in 2011 had an editorial by Joe Noceph and I quote what Noceph was referring to the Bork hearings … “was the beginning of the end of civil discourse in politics.” I suggest that Malloy do some research.

With a little bit more research, he could have answered another question. All presidents from FDR to Trump have withheld foreign aid to get a better result for the American taxpayers. Obama withheld foreign aid at least eight times. He held up aid to Colombia until they made a treaty with FARC, a terrorist organization. He held up aid to Nigeria until they agreed to keep an anti-gay bill from becoming law. Obama withheld aid to Uganda over an anti-gay bill that the president of Uganda went ahead and signed anyway.

Other presidents have withheld foreign aid until the country in question agreed to put a stop to female genital mutilation, abortion, human trafficking and other issues that Americans had an interest in. Chuck Malloy … do your research.

The issue I find the most ignorance on Malloy’s part is President Trump’s phone call to the president of Ukraine. President Trump is being impeached by House Democrats for enforcing the United States Ukraine Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Treaty that President Clinton signed in 1999 and was ratified by the United States Senate. President Trump did not do a Quid Pro Joe. The only Quid Pro Joe here was done by Joe Biden and he is on tape bragging about it. Malloy, do your research. Check YouTube.

ROB BARRANS

Coeur d’Alene