Sad testament to state of journalism

It is a sad testament to the state of journalism in America that the Daily Herald routinely fails to check even the most basic and easily verifiable facts in the letters it prints.

In "Obama to blame for Bush deficits" (Sept. 18), Robert Graham alleges that Bush's deficits are really President Obama's fault, because "all spending bills originate in the House of Representatives and are voted on by Congress. Obama was in the House when all the big spending bills were passed and he voted for all to them."

President Obama, of course, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2004 and never served in the House, after having lost a primary election to Rep. Bobby Rush in 2000. By Mr. Graham's own logic, those deficits were the fault of Republicans, at least for the first six years of Bush's presidency when they also controlled the House.

The Daily Herald should be ashamed that it can't even verify basic facts about the president before going to print.

Jeff Sand

Wheaton