My reaction to your April 5 editorials (“Maine’s Torture Connection” and “The Hammer Departs”) left me in a dilemma – I didn’t know whether to be angry or to laugh.

The terrorists must get a laugh at what the left labels “torture.” Gen. Georges Sada’s book “Saddam’s Secrets” has spoken of real torture under Saddam and says the prisoners at Guantanamo Bay never had it so good. They are treated better than they were at home with air conditioning, special meals and television. Even at Abu Ghraib they weren’t whacked around as would have happened if they got out of line under brutal regimes.

About the departure from Congress of “The “Hammer,” Rep. Tom Delay; he was so hated by the liberals because he was effective at stealing their power base. The K Street caper was simply taking over the lobby crowd that the Democrats had all to themselves for decades and infiltrating Republicans instead.

I’m somewhat familiar with K Street since my wife worked there for years while we were in the Washington, D.C., area. Ironically, DeLay had about run out his most useful string in the House. He is now more of a threat to the Democrats as a free agent with his contacts and knowledge of the inside. For those wishing him ill I predict bad news, he will not be nailed for any of his alleged misdeeds.

Orin Lowe

Holden