One's only 'trick' is bad-mouthing GOP

Is “one-trick pony” letter writer Walt Zlotow himself a one-trick pony? His letter of Jan. 22, denigrates three Republicans: U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota; Sharron Angle, unsuccessful Senate candidate from Nevada; and Sarah Palin for being “one-trick ponies.”

Zlotow defines “one-trick pony” as “a person who has one attribute or talent of value, but otherwise has nothing to offer.”

Zlotow's past letters to the editor, if memory serves me right, do themselves contain only one trick: bad mouthing Republicans, while at the same time using ragtag logic. He points accusingly at Palin's rhetoric that incorporates the term, “Don't retreat, reload,” and mocks her map of U.S. congressional districts with a gun sight identifying progressive Democrats that need to be “taken out.”

Zlotow obtusely links this rhetoric with the suspect in the Tucson shootings. It's likely even Zlotow will admit this country has a long history of loony bins firing guns at innocent people. A loony bin has his own irrational motive. Furthermore, gun sights and other battle terminology have long been used by politicians in their political campaigns. The word “campaign” is itself a word borrowed from the lexicon of battle/war terms.

In addition, Sarah Palin has, not one trick, but at least three tucked in her ammo belt: governor of Alaska, vice-presidential candidate, and potential U.S. presidential candidate. Speaking of a “one-trick pony,” hey, what's wrong with that? Isn't that at least a thousand times better than a “no-trick pony”?

Joe Schrantz

Villa Park