Letter: McCain under smear campaign

"Nothing as nasty as what's being rumored about Sen. McCain has

occurred in a very long time."

" A smear campaign of the ugliest sort is now under way against

Sen.McCain."

The above excerpts are from a column in the Washington Post. It

continues, "Participating in this campaign are Senators Trent Lott, Don

Nichols, Robert Bennett and Paul Cloverdale, secretary of the Senate

Republican Conference."

Spreading the word that McCain is unstable, that he came back from 51/2 yrs in a Hanoi prison with a loose screw. That he shouldn't be trusted as president with nuclear control. Since I haven't heard any indignant cries of denial, I assume the article is correct as to who is behind these cowardly whispers.

Why has McCain suddenly become the target of members of his own party? Seems he calls things as he sees them regardless of party. He's for campaign reform, he names names and points to "pork" projects in

appropriations. He "gets in their face." Strangely enough these

whispers didn't surface until he began to seriously contest Gov. Bush in

New Hampshire. Can it be that McCain has dared to go up against the

party's attempt to steamroller Bush into the nomination?

Has American politics sunk so low that leaders of a party would smear and defame one of their own because he will not march in lock step

with them, will not blindly follow their instructions? If McCain is such a threat to our country how come he's served four years in the House, 13 years in The Senate? Seems to me the only threat he poses is to the stranglehold of the Republican leadership.

LEN GOSTIN

Carson City