Madam, - As a liberal Democrat from Ohio, I am still trying to come to terms with the re-election of George W. Bush. Like many Democrats living in Ireland, I truly thought a majority of voting Americans would have enough sense to elect John Kerry as the 44th US president. I was wrong.
Now the democratic process has played itself out in the US, I will have to spend at least another four years explaining what is still good about America to a befuddled Irish society. Although you have 59,459,765 reasons to ignore my hopes for the United States, please go easy on the 50,000 of us over here. - Yours, etc.,
TOM KELLEY,
Seapoint Avenue,
Blackrock,
Co Dublin.
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Madam, - I had a bottle of champagne that I thought I was going to drink to celebrate John Kerry's election.
Now, I will have to wait until 2008 and drink it for Hillary Clinton. - Yours, etc.,
MARCEL LEHMANN,
Rathealy Road,
Fermoy,
Co Cork.