The logic employed by several of your recent right-wing local pundits defies description. Take the recent letter chastising our Sen. Maria Cantwell for being responsible for the high price of gas because she opposes the exploitation of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for development.

He claims that she is responsible for the high price of gas because she is acting to protect one of the last great wilderness areas. He claims that the price of gas would be lower if only Sens. Cantwell and Murray would relent and allow drilling in the arctic, off the coast and maybe in your backyard. The fact is that Alaska refuge drilling would not keep Washington state supplied with energy for a year and would not make an appreciable increase in the U.S. supply for at least 10 years.

The Bush administration sees nothing wrong with paying $3 a gallon to get to a minimum wage job that pays no benefits, which many in our society now face as a reality. Social programs that help, that lift people out of poverty, that work to keep the wolf from peoples door – it has been the aim of the Bush administration to dismantle these at any cost.

Sen. Cantwell deserves re-election to the Senate for her strong stand on the Alaskan refuge. I do not always agree with her on the issues, but she is always thoughtful and a strong voice in Washington. Furthermore, we need to send a message and elect a Democratic House and Senate in 2006. The Democratic Party needs to return to the principles of Roosevelt and to govern with fairness and compassion. It should now be clear to almost everyone that the present government without compassion is not worth having and the conservative experiment is a failure.

BRUCE HOUSE

Snohomish