Kudos to the Sun Journal for informing a recent letter writer and readers that President-elect Barack Obama was born in Hawaii and is a natural-born United States citizen.

During the campaign I was also impressed when John McCain informed a questioner that Obama was not an Arab. Both are examples of what media and politicians can do to inform the public and rectify misconceptions.

That said, the Sun Journal could clear up a misconception about the elimination of the secret ballot in union formation. During a televised debate with his opponent, Mike Michaud stated the Employee Free Choice Act would not eliminate the secret ballot. If 30 percent of employees request a secret ballot, the vote would be by secret ballot. An alternative process whereby employees vote via card signing-certification also is allowed.

Regardless of method, if a majority of employees vote in the affirmative, the process goes forward to unionize. That is not elimination of the secret ballot.

Third-party ads against the Employee Free Choice Act went beyond misrepresentation when they communicated the legislation would eliminate the secret ballot. The public and the political process would have benefited if candidates for the United States Congress had come forward and jointly clarified the facts. Such a statement would have trumped misrepresentations and set an excellent example for future elections.

Who knows – maybe some obnoxious third-party ads would be discouraged.

One can dream.

Margo L. Fraser, Lewiston