The Greens vs. Wellstone.

• Position: Letters to the Editor

I found it horribly ironic that your July issue featured both a Kate Clinton column on gay marriage and an article about "radical" Minnesota Senator Paul Wellstone's reelection bid (Ruth Conniff, "Minnesota Wild Card," July issue).

If Wellstone really is "the most liberal member of the Senate," why did he vote for the so-called Defense of Marriage Act? I don't find it "liberal" of elected officials to play the tough-on-gays card in an attempt to placate a voting bloc that will never vote for them anyway.

Dan Ross Madison, Wisconsin

Ruth Conniff quite rightly points out some of the alarming ramifications of third party spoiling and the Green Party's decision to run a candidate against Paul Wellstone. One point I would add to the debate is that electoral reform goes furthest fastest when a third party spoils a major party. It's unfortunate, but true.

For example, in New Mexico a wing of the Democratic Party pushed instant runoff voting through the state senate only after Democratic candidates got spoiled by the Greens for governor and in two Congressional races.

In Alaska, a core of...