CULLMAN — I feel a compelling drive to express my sense of loss of faith in our political system after watching a political ad during the evening news last night. I know that I cannot possibly be alone in my disgust as an incumbent in the Senate resorts to confusing gossip and slander in his desperation to retain his position.

I want to have good men and women to be our elected leaders, people who are honest and hard working, who are dedicated to making life better for the people they represent and are willing to make the personal sacrifices necessary to make tough, hard decisions that may not be popular to some, but are the right thing to do for the good of the majority. I want someone strong enough to fight for what he believes in and not cave in to the pressures of "politics as usual" in Montgomery.

I want someone who has vision, who knows how to create jobs, solve economic problems with common sense solutions. I do not think raising taxes or spending our tax dollars unwisely is a solution. I was stunned at the arrogance shown in voting for a pay raise with so many Alabamians unemployed. I would like to have the peace of mind of knowing that my two grandsons are going to have the best education possible. Better education requires more money for schools. We have had two years of proration with no ideas as to a solution. I want someone to send to Montgomery with some expertise in balancing budgets and finding new and creative ways to fund our schools. Then our county school students just might have the same funds available and job opportunities that our city school students have. There are more computers in one classroom at Cullman High School than are in one entire school at some of our county schools.

I want a person who is focused on the issues that are before us. I want someone of good character with solid Christian values, sober, truthful and faithful. Faithful to God, his wife, his friends, his country and the district he represents, his constituents, and most of all to his word. I want a man that can run a campaign based on his own record of performance and let me know what he plans to accomplish if elected.

I am sick of all these sleazy, filthy campaign tactics. Twelve years should be ample time to accumulate an extensive list of accomplishments to run on. Try spending some time on a few of my concerns and do something constructive with your time. Surely you have more important business to be working on of as Senate Majority Leader than spending the taxpayer's money in Birmingham digging around in the sewer of divorce records in the Jefferson county courthouse.

I saw your current TV ad last night. It was sickening. This morning I heard someone that also saw it say, "Well, this stuff Zeb Little says about Paul Bussman must be true because Bussman hasn't called him a liar." I assume that was the response you were hoping to get. Well it did not work with me. I have found that there are some things that are so despicably over the top that they are beneath dignifying them with an answer and that it is wiser to ignore them rather than respond. Thankfully, there are people with enough self control and class to be able to do just that. Paul Bussman just happens to be one.

Zeb, you will never make yourself look better by trying to make someone else look bad. You have a past. I have a past. Who I am now is not who I once was. You don't have to be who you were. Just be thankful that Paul Bussman pledged to run a clean campaign . I know him well and he will keep that promise. That is another reason he will not respond to this garbage. You have put your family and the people of Cullman through a lot of unnecessary pain. Why not consider pulling this ad, stop any future negative ads and become a breath of fresh air to all of us.

Lewis Adams

Cullman