In response to Gerrard Rudmin’s letter, “Bush shares JFK’s vision” (BDN, Jan. 29).

Rudmin uses portions of John F. Kennedy’s inaugural and Berlin speeches to illustrate his belief that George Bush and Kennedy share the same vision of world freedom. He also uses them to illustrate how far current Democratic leaders have drifted from Kennedy’s ideology of democracy, explaining this drifting for the reason Democrats have leveled criticism toward Bush.

Mr. Rudmin, Bush is no Kennedy.

No Democrat is against democracy in Iraq. Unlike the Bay of Pigs, Iraq did not brazenly display weapons of mass destruction. Democrats have not drifted from the ideology of Kennedy, we simply know that Kennedy would not have invaded Iraq given the same information Bush was given.

Bush’s failure or success in Iraq is not the issue drawing criticism, it is the cavalier and total disregard for the welfare of our troops that stirs the ire of Americans – regardless of political leanings.

Joy Wilcox

Rockland