In response to the Jan. 23 letter, "Tea party detractor." I understand that these are opinion pages but there needs to be some modicum of truth to letters that are printed or at least some original thought.

The Tea Party platform is: eliminate excessive taxes, eliminate the nation's debt, eliminate deficit spending, protect free markets, abide by the constitution, promote civic responsibility, reduce overall size of government, believe in the people, avoid the pitfalls of politics and maintain local independence.

The letter writer used the tried-and-true liberal philosophy that if you say it loud enough and long enough (true or not) it becomes a fact, and of course the other liberal favorite to detract from what this inept administration is really doing to our country is to set up the straw man (which in this case is the Tea Party) and knock it down.

The things I find simply revolting are $16 trillion in debt, this administration's refusal to address entitlement reform and the constant highlighting of social issues instead of the economy so that me and the other 10 million people who want to work can't find decent jobs.

RANDY GEORGE, Richland