I am encouraged by the conciliatory article in the aftermath of the midterm elections ("Change wins again," editorial, Nov. 4).

My question would be whether or not Rep. John Boehner can really be trusted to work together with congressional Democrats. Breaking congressional gridlock was President Obama's strongly stated intention when we elected him, but from day one he was met with a stony-faced "no" from the defeated Republicans.

As much as I want to trust this new promise of bipartisanship from Rep. Boehner, I'm afraid a significant percentage of the politically conservative American people he represents have for too long been influenced by those who regale them with undocumented information, e.g. that Obama is a closet Muslim, that all Muslims are plotting terrorism, that global warming is a hoax, that homosexual people are not allowed equal rights under the law, etc.

It would certainly help convince me of Rep. Boehner's trustworthiness and clarify his stance to the American people if the newly elected lawmakers could begin by addressing some of these nagging issues and finally laying such rumors to rest.

Elizabeth Goldsborough, Owings Mills