To the Editor:

I was amused by not only the title of the Klein-Amport party, "Progressives," but also his letter to you.

First, a bit of history about the "Progressives":  After Teddy Roosevelt lost the Republican party's nomination for U.S. President in 1912, he used the title "Progressive" for his third-party bid for the White House. Roosevelt felt he was bigger and more important than his party, like the present-day Mr. Klein and Mr. Amport, who lost their respective party's nominations for Killingworth Selectman.

The Progressives of 1912 lost the Presidential election, and Roosevelt's former party, the Republicans, also lost. Historians point to the Progressives as responsible for the election of the ineffective Woodrow Wilson.  During Wilson's tenure, he waited to enter World War I until almost 20  million people were dead in Europe, Africa and Asia. After the war, America suffered double-digit inflation that led to violent labor strikes and riots. And, as every school child learns, Wilson spent all his time on the ill-fated League of Nations. Will the Killingworth Progressives cause us different pain on a smaller scale?  Now, the name "Progressive" is used by tax-and-spend, ultra left wing politicians. Is that the unspoken agenda of Mr. Klein and Mr. Amport?  

Mr. Amport asks (the bold is his): " ...is it any wonder the majority of Americans are ever more silent until it is too late?"   Sociologists and editorial boards of leading newspapers have been commenting for years that Americans are speaking out more than ever – in blogs.  Perhaps Mr. Amport has not viewed one of the thousands upon thousands of political blogs on the Internet.  Yet, he posted his letter on the Killingworth Today blog that is administered like innumerable others. I, for one, find that an uninformed contradiction  Speaking out on political blogs has become a national passtime, almost a frenzy that is coined "the blogosphere."

Mr. Amport continues: "Marty [Klein] is pleased to run on his record of action, achievement and plans for the future."   Mr. Klein's mantra of "affordable housing" has not yielded one plan or even a recommendation thus far, and his term is nearly over. Mr. Amport defends his running mate: "Marty took office in 2005 with a very significant learning curve ahead of him." In fact, Mr. Klein had no higher a learning curve than any other first-time elected official in a small town like ours. If he was not up to it, he should not have run for office. 

Mr. Amport then states: "As KRTC Chairman, I asked key Republicans to provide whatever support we could.  To his credit Marty sought our advice and I am proud to say that we gave it."   On the contrary. Mr. Amport was replaced as KRTC Chairman shortly after Mr. Klein was elected, and Mr. Amport had no experience as a Selectman to give his "advice."  What he actually gave was the KRTC's confidential political plans to the opposition. When caught, Mr. Amport bolted into the waiting arms of Mr. Klein.   

Let the best men win – whether Republicans, Democrats  -- or "Progressives." Fingers crossed, that the history of "Progressives" will not repeat itself here in our beautiful Killingworth.

Respectfully,
Lynne Baron