THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Thursday, January 12, 1995             TAG: 9501120010
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A10  EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   31 lines

OPPRESSIVE PARTY

People who think that being a Republican is so great and who want Bill Clinton to become one would do well to take some time and read a little history about the GOP and its presidents.

With the exception of Teddy Roosevelt, Ike Eisenhower and, possibly, Dick Nixon, I can't find a truly great president in their ranks except the first one, Abraham Lincoln.

Also, consider that if Lincoln were around today, he might very well be a Democrat. He certainly stood for ideas that the Republican Party today has abandoned, except for pandering to the big-money interests, which it still does.

For me, the GOP doesn't stand for Grand Old Party but Great Oppressive Party. I would welcome a change in party ideals, but with its new-found (and ill-begat) power, I doubt if it will happen anytime soon.

Let's just hope that Virginia stays the course and remembers those great Democratic presidents it produced.

C. P. PUCKETT

Chesapeake, Dec. 29, 1994 by CNB