The Instapundit, Glenn Reynolds has a column in today's Wall Street Journal recounting what he saw at last week's Tea Party Convention in Nashville. The whole thing is worth your time to read but one fact he noted is that there are people stepping up all over the country to mount primary challenges to sitting Republicans, typically because the imcumbent is perceived to be too comfortable or out-of-touch or not voting the way we expect Republicans to vote or all of the above.
I recently met one such candidate for the House seat now held by Jeff Flake (R- AZ 6) at a local Tea Party meeting. His name is Jeff Smith. In the interests of full disclosure, Jeff offered me the position of Political Director for his campaign. I'm very flattered by the offer but I declined as I have a rather demanding full-time job and one of them would have to suffer. It can't be the paying job.
I've talked to Jeff at some length and I think he would make an excellent representative. He has a background in business and shares the views of most Tea Partiers that government has gotten too big, spends too much is unresponsive and as Glenn points out "has a habit of rewarding failure with handouts and punishing success with taxes and regulation." That shouldn't strike anyone with any common sense as a good way to produce a prosperous society.
What about Jeff Flake? On balance I think Congressman Flake has been a good representative but the common complaint about him locally is the one noted above that he is falling out of touch with the district. He originally ran in 2000 promising to spend only three terms in Congress. He is now running for his sixth. He's been good on earmarks, he doesn't take them, but is not very strong on the border security/illegal immigration question. That one is a big deal in Arizona as illegal immigration costs the taxpayers of this state billions. He also comes from a public affairs/ think tank background, not a business one. People who have at least worked in the private sector, if not actually run a business, score extra points with me. It's just time for some fresh blood.
Go and visit Jeff Smith's campaign website. His positions on the issues that are important to me, stopping socialism/wealth redistribution, limited government and states rights and getting government stuffed back within its Constitutional limits, seem to align quite well with my small "L" libertarian outlook and I intend to support his candidacy.
4 comments:
Having met Jeff Smith personally and discussed his postion on numerous subjects - I agree that he would be the logical candidate to replace Jeff Smith who has definitely outstayed his welcome and is so far out of touch with the constituency that he didn't even show up to vote on Cap & Trade - a critical issue for his constiuents - but obviously not that important to him. When employees don't show up for work and they have a very lame excuse - they get fired! We need someone who takes the job seriously - not just the title and the perks seriously. Jeff Smith is the only candidate running against Flake that has the business experience, the speaking ability, and the multi-issue platform to WIN the upcoming battle to "take back our country" and follow the Constitution that has been largely ignored by the Federal Government on both sides of the isle.
Sorry - typo here - I meant to say that Jeff Smith would be the logical candidate to replace Jeff Flake.
Jeff Flake co-sponsored and voted in favor of HR 2499. Which will keep the democrats in power in Congress for the next 100 years, if the Republic can survive Obama and the Marxist takeover of almost everything. Flake has a family member that is an immigration attorney, how do you expect him to vote? He has to go. Lets send Mr. Smith to Washington.
Wow, are you all the ones out of touch! There's a lot of homework you haven't done. Jeff Flake's missing the Cap and Trade vote didn't matter in the least - it was a PRELIMINARY vote, and it was a well-known fact that the real vote that counted would be later, which it was. Plus, the outcome of that initial vote was already decided. (Flake missed it to support his 18-year-old daughter as she vied nationally at the Distinguished Young Women competition in Mobile, Alabama. Flake had missed most of his children's important events so as not to miss important votes in D.C., and this was a case of putting family first). Also, he introduced the Strive Act in 2007 which made HR2499 look like kid's play and was VERY harsh against illegal immigrants. Flake has a well-deserved reputation for being the most conservative congressman on Capitol Hill ... and regarding term limitations, he made the promise PRE- 9/11. He asked me himself, as a constituent,what I thought about his "going back on his word." He was very concerned. My answer was: "The world has changed since 9/11. It's a whole new ballgame. More important that term limits are having conservative constitutionalists in office. If your constituents don't want you, let them decide. But don't make term limit promises. Why? We want the best we can get - how long they serve is a moot point."
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