L.H.: why are you so confident that Belafonte is sincere, but are hesitant to recognize that Powell is too? Is it that you simply can't conceive that someone might have a legitimate point of view that differs from yours? If so, I find that very interesting. I thought liberals were liberal, and that included embracing the fact that everyone's point of view is legitmate, even if differs from one's own.

Genie: I just saw the Phil Donohue interview with Belafonte. Here is what I got from it. Tell me if you believe I am wrong. Colin Powell is guilty of one thing: his political philosophy differs from Harry Belafonte's.

If Colin Powell walked lock-step with Belafonte, he would be a hero, a great American, a real political leader for Black people. Am I right?

I was interested that Phil Donohue expressed the opinion that he thought it was a good thing that Colin Powell and Condi Rice were Republicans, and urged more African-Americans to join the Republican party, because they might be able to teach us "Right-Wing Christian Conservatives" the right way to go. Talk about patronizing.

DougR