Weaseling in on prestige he’ll not be bestowed
Bronxville, N.Y.: I’ve watched the Kennedy Center Honors every year since inception. It has always been a classy tribute to fellowships of the arts. Sadly, though, not this year, as classless President Frump had to insert himself into the event by hosting — the first time a president has done so (it’s the me, me, me factor with him). There was no way I could stomach listening to that man pontificate for however long his hosting gig allowed him airtime.
To add insult to injury, this buffoon goes and adds his name (above President John F. Kennedy’s!) to the prestige of the moniker on the building meant to honor and memorialize JFK, who had a true interest in the arts (not just gilded crap). And Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt proved she’s just as stupid as he is with the message she posted on X saying that Trump and JFK “will be a truly great team long into the future!” What does that even mean?
The JFK I remember and revered would do nothing of the sort, and if he were alive (key word here, Karoline), would do all he could to disassociate himself from someone of this president’s character. Sure, JFK wasn’t a saint, but as far as I’m concerned (as well as a good part of the country, I’m betting), Trump can’t shine his shoes on so many levels, from brains and intelligence to articulation of the English language, to the kindness and appreciation for the service members of our country (JFK having served himself) and their families. Patricia N. Ravel
Alternate egos
Woodstock, N.Y.: Can you imagine the wailing, howling and head-exploding hysteria by Sen. Mitch McTurtle and his Repugnicans that would have occurred had Barack Obama tried to slap his name on everything he saw? Got that picture? How about Joe Biden suggesting such a childish thing? The hypocrisy is mind-boggling. Suzanne Hayes-Kelly
That’s what did it?
Staten Island: To Voicer John M. Corbett: So the pedophilia, crass behavior, financial chicanery, war crimes, felonies, sexual abuse and complete disregard for the Constitution are fine, but putting his name on the Kennedy Center is what pushed your button? Seriously? Victor R. Stanwick
Have patience
Terre Haute, Ind.: Two elements of inflation involve pricing base and the rate of rise. The Trump administration inherited Biden’s 2020-23 inflation base of 9.1%. Currently, the inflation rate is 2.7%. In the last three months, the rate of rise has been 1.6%. It’s attributed to reduced governmental regulation, efficient supply chains and enhanced private investment from both foreign and domestic sources. GDP growth is 4.3%. Energy prices, including gasoline, are down below 2020 levels. Trump is focused on correcting Obama’s health care debacle by proposing individual health savings accounts and association health plans. Housing inventories are revitalizing. Prices are about to stabilize. Interest rates will continue to decline. Common-sense monetary policy will soon be restored to the Federal Reserve Board. In this context, America, have patience. It takes time to correct Biden’s mess. Trump’s economic measures will benefit the American people. Just let it happen! Earl Beal
Off on the issues
Brooklyn: Voicer Roberta Chaleff insists that a primary reason for our nation’s ills is that we’re fixating on blaming Trump for everything. She mentions that we should concentrate on what’s really important, including incurable diseases and gun violence. I must ask her which political party has consistently backed the National Rifle Association despite years of mass shootings. I must also ask which president has gutted medical research at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control by firing researchers who have dedicated years of their lives to solving and curing difficult diseases. I think that since Trump and his cohorts have led the charge to diminish these agencies, they do in fact deserve to be blamed. Ed Temple
Protection racket
Jacksonville, Fla.: So, the Orange Buffoon who sadly occupies an extra-wide seat in the Oval Office had his lackey, deputy attorney general and former personal criminal defense attorney Todd Blanche, tell the press that the reason they broke the law and didn’t release all the Epstein files — and the pages they did release had numerous pages of black Sharpie redactions — is because “they’re protecting the victims”! Hey, Mr. Blanche, we all know the only person you’re protecting is your Donald! This is worse than Watergate ever was! We are faced with three more years of the most corrupt administration that ever ruled this country! Carl J.C. Hafner
Family tragedy
New Hyde Park, L.I.: It’s very sad about the deaths of Rob Reiner and his wife Michele Singer Reiner at the hands of their son Nick. This horrible crime was “All in the Family.” Andrew Dooley
Unacceptable
Providence, R.I.: To Voicer Ken Derow, who wants to appreciate people “for who they are” and “accept them as they are”: Appreciate all bigots? / Accept them as they are? / That hardly helps their victims / In fact, it’s quite bizarre. Felicia Nimue Ackerman
A great watch
Flushing: My wife and I, along with friends, anxiously attended the first day’s release of “Song Sung Blue.” The film is based on the lives of Mike and Claire Sardina, a married couple from Milwaukee who found regional success in the 1980s and ’90s as a popular Neil Diamond tribute band called Lightning and Thunder. Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson are excellent in their respective roles and do their own singing. It’s a bittersweet feel-good movie that I highly recommend, especially if you’re a fan of Diamond and his music. I was surprised and disappointed, as were my friends, that the film was not nominated by the Golden Globes for Best Picture: Musical or Comedy, among the six it did recommend. However, Hudson did get nominated for her performance in the film. In either case, it’s definitely a good watch! Al Musaffi
Late catch
Brooklyn: There was an error on “Jeopardy!” The clue: The Gadsden Purchase was for right-of-way for which railroad completed in 1881? The contestant responded, “Transcontinental railroad.” It should have been the Southern Pacific. Every schoolboy knows, or should know, that the Golden Spike completing the Transcontinental was driven in 1869. She should have been corrected before Final Jeopardy. Martin Selbst
A fan can dream
Yonkers: I’m a long-time subscriber and fan. Even though we’re not always in agreement, I’ve enjoyed Mike Lupica’s take on things for years. He used to write an annual, nostalgic “The perfect day in New York sports” column. It was fantastic, i.e., “Mattingly would hit line drives, while the crowd chanted Donnie Baseball.” He’d mention Ewing, the Mick, the great Rivera, et al. You get the idea. I think we could use it today. Any chance of a comeback? Michael Martinelli
Never gets old
Clearwater, Fla.: I never tire of reading the editorial “Yes, Virginia: There is a Santa Claus” (Dec. 24). This favorite of mine is guaranteed to warm your heart and get you in the Christmas spirit. Each time I read the 1897 letter to the editor at the New York Sun from a precocious 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon asking if there really is a Santa Claus, along with editor Francis P. Church’s wise reply, I read it with relish. Even though the editorial is 128 years old, the words are fresh and crisp, as though they had just been written and I was reading it for the first time. May this delightful piece of literature be passed down from generation to generation and enjoyed each year on Christmas. Long live “Yes, Virginia.” And let us all keep on believing. JoAnn Lee Frank
Un-sunny dispensation
Peekskill, N.Y.: Is there any justifiable reason that when there is one daily item omitted from the Daily News, it’s often, if not always, the weather almanac map? This is deeply troubling to weather enthusiasts. Please remedy this oversight in future issues! As a longtime home delivery subscriber, I would appreciate your expeditious attention to this matter. Steven J. Bevacqua
