Stand up, be counted, moderate Republicans

I do not know Robert Knapp of Carthage, but the letter he wrote on how to lose an election in eight steps was marvelous (Tuesday paper). He hit the nail right on the head.

I would only add one other step, making it nine steps on how to lose an election and that is, pick a candidate who does not live in the district so he has no knowledge or feeling of what is important to the people in the district.

Somewhere back in American history, I recall we were taught that in a democracy our elected officials were to represent us. Somewhere that concept got lost in the Republican Party because they do for us peons what they think is best for us. The Republican Party owes Dede Scozzafava a giant-size apology.

A couple of months ago, Gen. Colin Powell, in an interview on the Larry King show, said that if the Republican Party doesn't rein in the radical right wing of the party, they are doomed. May it happen sooner rather than later unless they change their ways. They had a moderate candidate who knows the people she represented and what issues were important to them and they trashed her.

Moderate Republicans, stand up for those moderate values and don't let the radical right sweep you away.

Bea Schermerhorn

Hammond