Fantasy world

To the editor:

The first presidential debate confirmed for me that Bush lives in a fantasy world, removed from the realities of this Iraq war and its chaotic consequences. Our president has surrounded himself with yes-men and yes-women who only tell him what he wants to hear, and only in short sentences. When confronted with the facts of the rising costs, chaos and causalities, Bush could only respond with petulance and tired messages.

Kerry may have indeed changed his mind about Iraq over time. Living in a university community such as Lawrence, Kan., I have been taught that the ability to change your mind when given new information is a sign of an open mind, an aspect of growth.

Marianne Berry,

Lawrence