Dumping on Erie

First, Senator Thad Cochran, a Mississippi Republican, apparently belittled Erie, Pa., in his remarks to Specter. Cochran should have plenty of his own state's issues to occupy him (seen any of those state rankings of educational achievement and quality of life lately?), so we don't need him to come back to Erie any time soon.

To add insult to injury, reporter Sasha Issenberg takes an editorial swipe at the "dismal lakeside city in the northwestern corner of Pennsylvania."

I have no idea in what idyllic community Issenberg came of age, but it must have been pretty glamorous to engender such criticism of Erie, whose beaches, natural harbor, unique ecosystems, and affordable lifestyle attract many visitors.

Erie boasts a noble history of military and economic importance as the home of Admiral Perry's fleet, victorious in the decisive Battle of Lake Erie in the War of 1812, and as a shipping gateway for vital iron ore to feed the furnaces of Pittsburgh and, in fact, the Industrial Revolution.

Maybe next election season Specter can find a Democratic colleague who would appreciate Erie's charms, assuming the senator can still remember where Erie is.

Kevin S. Dietly
Acton