Letters to the Editor | Feb. 16, 2025

Kash Patel serves as another example of the failure of confirmation hearings to elicit the truth about a nominee’s qualifications and views. This became evident long before his nomination, though, in confirming both liberal and conservative justices to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the case of Brett Kavanaugh, the promises made to Sen. Susan Collins regarding abortion access were not enforceable or made under oath. She should have known better. In the case of Patel, there is a whole record of videos and speeches of him attacking the so-called deep state and the FBI. He may even be linked to efforts to purge the bureau even though he claimed he would protect agents. His response to being exposed is to claim that what he said in the past was taken out of context and mischaracterized. His response to being involved with current attempts to purge agents is to call it a false narrative. There is no attempt to offer supporting evidence for his new stance. Democrats are wrong if they think they can sway Republicans with facts. As Sen. Mitch McConnell showed in recent Supreme Court confirmations, if you have the votes, that is all that matters. It would be a public service to stop these dog and pony shows.

George Magakis Jr., Norristown

Thank you for the inspiring editorial on the Eagles’ Super Bowl win. As a lifelong Philadelphian (at 70 years old) and someone who loves our city dearly, I couldn’t agree more that at times the notion of pursuing excellence in our city politics appears comical. My suggestion is that we quickly convince Bob Brady that it is (long past) time for him to retire as chair of the Democratic Party in Philadelphia and that we find new, young, bold leadership. It starts there. There is much to do after, but without a new vision of the Democratic Party from that position, seeing the type of turnaround Jeffry Lurie and Howie Roseman brought about will be impossible in city politics.

Kate Ward-Gaus, Philadelphia

Get ready to hate me, everybody. I grew up here, but even now, in my late 60s, I have never watched a football game, live or on television. Why and how this form of entertainment has become a quasi-religion that influences the moods of the locals has never made sense to me. From what I know of football, it’s a simple game in which brute force is a major factor. Few, if any of the players — whose 2025 salaries start at $750,000 and go up to $1.16 million — are from the area, and they’d leave immediately if offered more money by someone else. That’s smart: The long-term care they’ll need after years of damage to their bodies and brains will be expensive.

Bill Marshall, Devon

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