An exciting groundswell of support was apparent at Friday’s grand opening of the headquarters of Moore County Democratic Party in Southern Pines. Many new faces, many so-called closet Democrats, and many disenchanted Republicans are joining the ranks of voters opposed to the Bush administration’s policies, both at home and abroad.

Republicans who are turned off by the Bush administration need not worry about being faithful Republicans, because the past three years have witnessed a shocking betrayal of traditional Republican values. The neo-conservatives who currently dominate the party are neither neo nor conservative. For the Bush administration to call itself Republican gives the GOP a black eye that is apparent from Candor to Canberra, from Southern Pines to Soweto, from Pinehurst to Paris, from Vass to Venezuela.

Moderate Republicans are embarrassed and dismayed to witness the Bush administration spending money hand over fist, inserting itself with such aggression into public schools, handing out fat contracts with no oversight, cutting the legs from under Americans’ civil liberties, waging pre-emptive war, conducting prayer breakfasts in the White House, engineering domestic squabbles about scientific research and gay marriage while our global house is on fire.

I liken George Bush to Condi Rice. From her actions, one would assume that Rice is neither black nor a woman. So what is she? The Bush administration is neither conservative nor supportive of the Constitution. So what is it? The only word I can think of is opportunistic. They are fanning our fears and using them to recreate the nation in an image only they find appealing.

It is ironic that this Republican administration, while mouthing democratic values all over the world, is at home destroying the republic that Democrats are trying to protect and sustain.

Maureen Sutton

Southern Pines

Southern Pines