Deciding what's best for the US

In the Opinion page article "The Business of the President Is Not Business," May 7, the author claims that we need to restore the influence of political parties in the United States. What we really need to do is reduce the influence of political parties. We cannot continue to make decisions based simply along party lines. We must make our decisions based on the question: What is best for our country? David Rodriguez, Tallahassee, Fla.

Letters are welcome. Only a selection can be published, subject to condensation, and none acknowledged. Please address them to "Readers Write," One Norway St., Boston, MA 02115.