To the editor:

As the presidential race draws to a close, many soccer moms, senior citizens and others are taking a hard look at President Bush with regard to which presidential candidate can best fight the war on terror.

According to reliable polls, the answer is Mr. Bush. This consensus perception is actually a misperception!

Both the Senate Intelligence Commission, the 9-11 Commission and, of course, Richard Clarke, are in agreement that many boo-boos were made on President Bush’s watch before and after the 9-11 attack on U.S. soil.

Since 9-11, the list of mistakes by the Bush administration has gotten longer; i.e., the formation of Homeland Security, a department laden with pork-barrel spending headed by Tom Ridge. Under Mr. Ridge’s watch, major airports remain unsafe and thousands of undocumented aliens from Middle East countries roam the United States.

The war on terror cannot be won by force alone. To successfully fight terror in the United States or abroad, a president must possess not only decisive leadership but be skilled in diplomacy and have a sense of fairness.

President Clinton possessed all of the above and it was not just a matter of luck that the United States was not attacked on his watch.

Robert Hinton,

Lawrence