From sea to shining sea

Boston Globe Nov. 21 and the San Francisco Chronicle Nov. 21

It’s always great when a letter of mine runs beyond Southern California. Today it’s a two-fer. I hope you’ll find both letters of interest. The first is running in the Globe. The second in the Chronicle. Happy Thanksgiving!

McCarthy snubs Pelosi

Having served as a congressional staff assistant on Capitol Hill, I know how the House works. That said, it was shocking to me Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy was MIA when Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday she would not seek a leadership role in the new Congress. Even coaches at rival schools, like Boston College and Notre Dame, Michigan and Michigan State, Army and Navy, Auburn and Alabama or USC and UCLA, shake hands after each game. I realize politics is a blood sport to some; still, whatever happened to sportsmanship?  Shame on McCarthy for not extending a hand to Pelosi.

Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach, Calif.

Thank you to Pelosi

Having first met private citizen Nancy Pelosi back in the late 1970s, it’s not surprising to me House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quoted Abraham Lincoln when she announced Thursday she would not seek a leadership role in the new Congress. 

Clearly, Lincoln's words about better angels never have been lost on her. For decades, she has been the go-to angel presidents, members of Congress and the people of San Francisco have relied on.

If you ask me, every American who loves democracy owes her a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Denny Freidenrich, Laguna Beach