Six complaints to start the day

Things that annoy me:

1. A religious test for president. There is no valid, logical reason an agnostic or atheist should not be able to be president. The founding fathers would have abhorred a religious test.

2. Calling Obama an empty suit. That is exactly what George Bush was when he was elected. He had no experience in foreign policy, no experience at the federal level. The governor of Texas has little power compared to other states, such as California, New York and Illinois, and running a baseball team does not qualify one to be president.

3. Accusing Obama, if elected, of putting the USA on the path to socialism. This accusation would be laughable if some people wouldn't take it seriously. A president could no more change our economic system than could an ordinary citizen. Conservatives see a windfall profits tax as socialism (which it is not) and conveniently ignore the government subsidies that the oil industry, airline industry, farmers, etc. receive (which is socialism).

4. Condemning the Democratic Congress for doing "nothing," ignoring the fact that with the Democrats holding a very slim majority in both Houses of Congress, the Republicans have succeeded in blocking meaningful legislation and ignoring the fact that the Democrats do not have a veto-roof majority.

5. Cars turning left at signalized intersections after the left turn arrow has gone off.

6. Drivers who whine about the price of gas while they drive 10 to 20 miles over the speed limit, wasting gas in the process.

Michael D. Lee

Wheeling