To the editor:

“Maverick” John McCain’s voting record in Congress is about 90 percent along party lines, including votes against billions of dollars worth of necessities for active-duty service members and benefits for veterans and retirees.

“Maverick” Alaska governor Sarah Palin cleaned up the state’s corrupt government.

For that, she said, “I have lost the support of the party establishment [in Alaska].”

After defeating incumbent governor Frank Murkowski in the state’s 2006 Republican primary, she was elected governor over the Democratic contender. She rewarded the voters by demanding increased royalties from North Shore oil production but supports oil companies that want to drill in the ANWR and build a new natural gas pipeline — polar bears and the overall environment be damned.

For those interested in “family values,” Palin is a pro-life “hockey mom” who believes creationism should be taught in schools. Being a hot former beauty pageant runner-up surely won’t cause any friction with the ex-beauty queen who married McCain after he had several affairs before divorcing his first wife.

Everything considered, Palin is probably more mainline Republican than not. So, the net result is a part-maverick, all-white, bi-gender Republican ticket with a trace of tomcat and something in it to worry just about everybody.

On the Democratic side is an all-liberal (i.e., anything left of Bush), bi-racial (3/4-white), all-male (but both married only once) ticket that promises hope for the struggling masses but no “tax relief” for the rich.

Landslide, anyone?

James Bruner

Oak Harbor