by Deb Cupples | If you're tired of the costly and seemingly never-ending failures of the Bush-Cheney folks, then Florida's District 6 congressional race matters to you -- even if you don't live in the district (which includes parts of Alachua, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Gilchrist, Lake and Marion counties).
Tim Cunha (pictured left with wife, Johanna) is challenging the incumbent, notorious Bush-style Republican Cliff Stearns: a politician who has devoted years to enabling the Bush Administration's crisis-creation efforts. If we hope to turn our nation around, we must vote-out Cliff Stearns.
To do so, we must vote for Tim (early voting starts October 20, check with your election supervisor if you want to vote absentee) and donate whatever we can. Yes, even $10 would help buy radio ads and mailers (donate here).
Why I like Tim
You can see details about where Tim stands on various issues at his website. Below are a few of the highlights:
1. Tim understands our nation's economy. He is for "bubble-up" economics instead of the Bush-preferred "trickle down" theory, which repeatedly failed us ordinary folks (e.g., tax cuts for super-wealthy folks who don't need them and for huge companies that ship jobs overseas). Tim supports reducing taxes for middle-class folks, partly by increasing our exemptions.
2. On the Iraq War, Tim says "Enough is enough." Amen. Tim supports an orderly and responsible withdrawal, which the Iraqi government seems to support, too.
3. Tim also gets that Bush's "No Child Left Behind" has left millions of American children behind (simultaneously weakening our nation's position in the global economy). Tim favors sensible spending for education that actually educates children, staring in early childhood and continuing through college.
4. On energy policy, Tim supports renewable sources and independence from foreign sources: this would benefit us on several fronts, including our economy and foreign policy.
Tim would bring brains and broad experience to Congress: two things that seem to be, at present, somewhat lacking in our federal legislature.
Tim has a legal, political-science, and science background. His legal experience spans academia and private practice -- including helping people who couldn't afford a lawyer. In addition, Tim has solid experience in the business world, having formed and/or managed a number of companies. (Read his bio here.)
Again, donate to Tim here.
Why I'm Aching to See Stearns Voted OUT
First, this is not a personal attack on Mr. Stearns. I understand that he 's a nice person -- but he has performed dismally as a public servant.
In short, Mr. Stearns has largely spent the last 8 years goose-stepping behind President Bush, which has caused our nation turmoil on many fronts.
Currently, for example, the nation's eyes are on the Bush Administration's desire to funnel 700+ billion tax dollars to corporations and executives who helped drive our nation's economy toward the cliff's edge (no pun intended). The Administration's anti-accountability policies helped make a gargantuan mess of our economy.
Mr. Stearns helped enable the Bush Administration, but lock-step voting against policies that would have improved oversight and accountability. In 2004, for example, Mr. Stearns voted to ease banking regulations.
Below are just a few disturbing highlights from Mr. Stearns' voting record:
- Voted for tax cuts for companies that shipped jobs overseas
- Voted for the Iraq war
- Voted for the anti-consumer bankruptcy "reform" bill
- Voted for retroactive legal immunity for law-breaking telecoms
- Voted for Medicare "reform" bill (the one that messed up seniors' drug coverage, while enriching drug companies)
- Opposed tax incentives to create alternative energy
- Opposed funding for children's health care
- Opposed "pay as you go" bill that required paying for tax cuts
- Opposed anti-price-gouging bill re: gasoline
No, that's not everything that has disturbed me about Mr. Stearns' performance in Congress. You can see the rest of his voting record at Project Vote Smart.
Bottom line: while Mr. Stearns may be a fun guy to have a beer with, he has spent years supporting public policy that fails to actually serve the public.
For that reason, we must "retire" Mr. Stearns from Congress and take him off our payroll.
Other Buck Naked Politics Posts:
* Largest U.S. Bank Failure: Govt. Seizes Washington Mutual
* Congress Fails to Craft Bailout Plan
* Executives Skate out of Economic Disaster with Millions
* Bailout: Ignore the Sales Pitch -- Bush Plan is Not the Only Option
* What Could we do with $700 Billion (Instead of bailing out Crooks)?
haha what a failure
Posted by: fasf | March 04, 2009 at 01:29 AM