Tyrrell on Jesse Jackson

Tyrrell’s tirade attempts to further repress the diversity of political thought. By saying no “mainstream” Republican is as far to the right as Jackson is to the left, he distorts political reality here and abroad. Jackson has said nothing about Panama that the social democracies of Western Europe have not said. He has said far less than our client-state governments in Latin America have said.

Tyrrell tries to paint Jackson in a corner by himself. Instead he demonstrates how far the mainstream of American political debate remains out of step with the realities of the rest of the world. Ultimately, that’s tragic--for America.

JAMES P. CONN

Santa Monica