To the editor:

The Journal-World recently wrote about unfair, partisan criticism being thrown at U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts. I can only conclude that you are unaware of the great disservice done to the American people by Roberts.

Since the start of the Iraq war, Roberts has worked hard to keep the American people from learning the full scope of Bush administration abuses of the law with respect to intelligence gathering, which were his responsibility as chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

After promising in February 2004 to quickly produce a finalized report, Roberts has done nothing but delay, obfuscate, cover up and prevent full airings of investigations into warrantless wiretaps, interrogation methods, torture and, most irresponsibly, he delayed reports about prewar intelligence. His delays conveniently allowed two congressional election cycles to pass without results from those reports.

Roberts has been a disgrace to Kansas and the Senate. I say good riddance.

Oswald P. Backus IV,

Lawrence