Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
As a lifelong member of the Republican Party it saddens me to see where my party has gone. During my life time I have seen the tragedy of President Nixon, the missed guided efforts of Jimmy Carter, the bold leadership of President Regan, the blunders of Bush 1, the disgraces of Bill Clinton, the aimless direction of Bush 2, but none of those historic eras can compare to this current Republican Party.  

This current party has lapsed into vile disgraceful, divisive attacks on the office of the President of the United States.  Political partisanship is to be expected in any era, but this has gone way over board.  The complete and total disregard for the needs of the common man a corner stone to any Republican platform has been replaced by tactics that resemble pre civil war colonial government, not a wise thing to do.  Once that genie gets out of the bottle no one is going to get it back in. This upcoming election year for the first time in my life I am going to campaign for a Democrat, my Congressman Jerry McNerney. He has shown an ability to disregard self-centered interest groups for the common good of those who sent him to Washington. Voting for healthcare reform has put him on the correct side of history, and he has earned my respect.