To the editor:

In the July 22 editorial titled “Double standard,” the question “Where is the outrage?” is posed regarding Sandy Berger’s actions at the National Archives last fall, and the subsequent media coverage and investigation of these actions.

I agree that outrage is appropriate regarding many aspects of this story.

It’s outrageous that a story that is fundamentally built on anonymous tips and unverified innuendo can get major play in many major media outlets, many of which are willing to freely mix the unverified with the factual.

It’s outrageous that an investigation that has been ongoing for nine months can suddenly be leaked to media for what apparently are mean-spirited partisan purposes. It’s outrageous that partisans in the media seem to forget the concept of “innocent until proven guilty” when a story of this nature breaks.

Finally, I feel it’s outrageous that readers of this newspaper were subjected to the kind of belligerent posturing and bellicose, one-sided propagandizing that was contained in your editorial. How sad that this sort of writing is what passes for political discourse in America these days.

Darrell Lea,

Lawrence