Yesterday’s Fort Wayne Journal Gazette had a column by the Fort Wayne News Sentinel’s former editor, Joseph Weiler endorsing Dr. Tom Hayhurst to represent Indiana’s Third Congressional District. (h/t Left in Aboite.)
First, says Weiler, Mark Souder, the incumbent, should honor his pledges. Twelve years ago, he pledged only to serve twelve years. Time’s up. Weiler doesn’t buy Souder’s feeble excuses on the subject. Rather he believes that Souder simply doesn’t value his own credibility, such as it is.
Second, Souder is a neocon, and the country and the District have not been well served by the neocons.
Playing on religious themes, [the neocons] have appealed primarily to a group of conservative Christians who felt disenfranchised, particularly in the post-Reagan era.
Unfortunately, in appealing to this special-interest group, congresspersons such as Souder have felt free to shun all others, not listening to their concerns, not respecting their ideas and personal values, not including them among the constituents they serve.
And by this intentional isolation from all that they disagree with, the neocons have been among the primary instigators of the bitter politics that now, after almost six years of total Republican control, has left Washington in shambles. How sad that is.
In 2006, one cannot oppose the war in Iraq without being labeled a traitor; one cannot discuss equal rights of inheritance without being labeled a sodomite; one cannot question the curbing of our basic liberties without being called pro-terrorist.
In this atmosphere, little progress can or will be made in Washington. And Mark Souder is a key player in ensuring that no progress is made. This isn’t good for Republicans. This isn’t good for Democrats. This isn’t good for independents. And it certainly isn’t good for you and me.
In addition to Souder being an undesirable candidate, Weiler’s experience with Tom Hayhurst suggests that Hayhurst would represent the Third District well. Weiler describes himself as a longtime backer of conservative policies and, while Hayhurst has not always shared Weiler’s views, Dr. Hayhurst has taken the time to at least try to understand Weiler’s positions and find key areas on which they agreed.
Weiler concludes:
Whether you are a radical conservative or a liberal atheist or, like most of us, trying to survive somewhere between the extremes, it is time to vote for someone who will respect and listen to us all so that we can once again begin to listen to and respect each other.
I saw this one! Unfortunately, it was below a Pro Souder editorial, gushing about how cool it was to be sheparded around the Capital by Souder. And how gosh darn HARD he works… dangit! (Well, actually I believe it talked about how hard his STAFF works, but you get the point…)
Very lame editorial that I think they threw in there to be “fair and balanced.”