So Barack Obama's campaign is trying to portray John McCain as the less experienced of the two when it comes to setting national-security policies and understanding the risk involved in such matters? Now that is audacity and absurdity. -- Rick Provost, Midlothian

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The whole mess concerning Rodney Monroe and his degree from VCU leaves a smell that envelops the downtown area, including the VCU campus. If it is true that one can pick up a degree that quickly and easily, we can speed up the entire college-attendance experience and save lots of money. -- Charles Dawson, Midlothian

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Why is an American with an African father called an African-American, but an American with a Caucasian mother is not called a Caucasian-American? -- Horace McCowan, Richmond

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It is amazing how voters missed the obvious presidential qualifications of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Given her ability to spend $10 million dollars more than her campaign had in the bank, she meets today's primary qualification to be an elected official. -- Douglas Williams, Midlothian

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Gov. Timothy M. Kaine should hang his head in shame for proposing a grantor's-tax increase of only 250 percent. There is so much untapped money out there in the hands of people who don't know how to best manage it, begging for the state to come forward and put it to good use. -- Max Maizels, Richmond

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In October 2007, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that our Iraq war would cost us $1.9 trillion dollars. That is $68,000 for every Iraqi for whom we might bring freedom in our nation-building program known as Operation Iraqi Freedom. We wonder if instead during the past six years that money, borrowed from China and others, had been marked for Operation American Energy Freedom from Oil? Still, some would rather we stay addicted to oil with even the president voicing more oil. We did not learn in the 1970s oil-and-gas crisis. We do not learn now. When? --Tom Little, Glen Allen

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How does one say "fill'er up!" in Gulf Arabic? Because that is what we might have to do here in the U.S. if we do not get serious about reducing our dependence on foreign oil. If it comes to that, we will have no one to blame but ourselves. -- David Dunaway, Richmond

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With friends like the Gores and the Clintons, Obama needs no enemies. -- R. Adrian Davies, Richmond

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The president said that even without weapons of mass destruction, Saddam Hussein would have to go because he was such an evil dictator. I wonder why he doesn't feel the same about Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe, who is just as evil? -- Mike Giletto, Henrico

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For several months, we have been watching and listening to politicians talk about what they would do when elected president. One subject that does come up is about gun rights. I have read newspaper and magazine articles on this subject, and no candidate wants to touch it. I can't believe that any hunter or gun owner would vote for Barack Obama. He would be considered anti-gun . . . .All hunters and gun owners should check his record on voting as a senator. His voting record would allow hunters and gun owners to find out where he stands. -- Robert Willie, Kilmarnock