Thanks, Mitch! No thanks, Ted!

I write to follow-up on Ted Igleheart's 624-word diatribe entitled "Thanks, Mitch" published August 13. While I loved the headline, I think he left a few things out.

Thanks, Mitch, for your unfailing support of the men and women in uniform who are protecting our nation every day and night. What's sad and unprecedented is the mainstream media's biased and mostly inaccurate portrayal of our military.

Thanks, Mitch, for understanding that stopping bad legislation is every bit as important as passing good laws. While folks like Ted rant about your filibusters, your actions have prevented higher taxes, higher gas prices, and higher utility bills.

Thanks, Mitch, for recognizing that the high price of gas is one of the biggest problems facing Kentucky families. While liberal Democrats and radical environmentalists howl, you've been leading the fight for more domestic oil production, creating incentives for coal-to-liquid fuels, and encouraging better use of technology to conserve gas. Thanks for understanding that higher gas taxes won't lead to lower gas prices.

Thanks, Mitch, for protecting the interests of Kentucky's farmers. Even when most folks thought it impossible, you managed to secure a tobacco buyout that is transforming Kentucky agriculture. In Shelby County alone, this means an extra $60 million into our local economy.

Thanks, Mitch, for standing up to the liberals, like Ted, and the newspapers in Louisville and Lexington. You understand that true leadership is about doing what's right, even if it doesn't win you the praise and admiration of the chattering class.

Tony Harover,

Shelbyville