We Join The Courier Journal Editorial's Endorsement Of Jeff Reetz For GOP Race Against John Yarmuth, And Reject Todd Lally's "Repugnancy".
Reetz merits GOP support for Congress
Four Republicans are vying for the right to take on incumbent Democratic 3rd District Congressman John Yarmuth this fall.
All the candidates are decidedly conservative on fiscal and social issues, and all are attempting to curry favor with the tea party crowd — a courtship they may regret if the tea party, like most populist outbreaks, becomes more extreme with the passage of time.
Nonetheless, it is possible to differentiate among the candidates, and the best choice for Republicans would be Jeff Reetz , a franchisee of 30 Pizza Hut outlets in Kentucky, Indiana and two other states. Although he toes the hard-right line on abortion, gun control, gay marriage and other hot-button social issues, his emphasis is on offering constructive ideas at the federal level for increasing jobs and healing an ailing economy.
In this regard, Mr. Reetz supports tax credits for businesses that hire new employees and cuts in federal spending in areas outside national defense and Social Security. He also favors making the Bush administration's tax cuts permanent, in order to boost consumer spending. While we strongly disagree with Mr. Reetz on the last point — the Bush tax cuts put little money into the hands of middle- and low-income citizens who likely would have spent any windfall, but had a ruinous effect on the deficit — Mr. Reetz does put forth well-considered views within the political mainstream. He would be in a position to engage in a useful discussion this fall with Mr. Yarmuth, who is unopposed on the Democratic side, and to give voters a responsible choice.
Equally important, Mr. Reetz's tone is appropriate. He avoids demonizing Democrats or other opponents, and views Washington's seeming dysfunction as a product of entrenched incumbents of both parties. In a district that has tilted Democratic in recent elections, and was the only one in Kentucky carried by President Obama, Mr. Reetz's temperate demeanor could strengthen the GOP's hand.
Todd Lally, a UPS pilot and member of the Air National Guard, also offers thoughtful positions on the economy and budget. His embrace of Republican themes of less government regulation (tell that to people on the Gulf coast) and lower taxes as a panacea to what ails the nation financially are not our views, but they are well-articulated alternatives to Mr. Yarmuth's thinking.
Unfortunately, however, Mr. Lally also sometimes stoops to the sort of vitriolic argument that increasingly debases American political discourse. During an endorsement interview with The Courier-Journal's editorial board, he offered the preposterous view that Mr. Obama is so untrustworthy that he could not gain high-level security clearance if he weren't president. He has also said that health care reform benefits “freeloaders,” a description that he presumably thinks fits Americans who have lost their jobs or been denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Such characterizations are repugnant, and we hope that if Mr. Lally is the Republican candidate this fall, he will travel a higher road.
Two other candidates are also in the race. Brooks Wicker, an accountant and financial adviser, does not have as firm a grasp of issues as his principal rivals. Larry Hausman, who works in real-estate investment, seems overly focused on abortion and gays, neither of which is among the major issues in this race. A fifth candidate, Jerry Durbin, dropped out of the race in March and supports Mr. Lally, but his name remains on the ballot.
On balance, Mr. Reetz is the best candidate. Republican voters should support him.
Four Republicans are vying for the right to take on incumbent Democratic 3rd District Congressman John Yarmuth this fall.
All the candidates are decidedly conservative on fiscal and social issues, and all are attempting to curry favor with the tea party crowd — a courtship they may regret if the tea party, like most populist outbreaks, becomes more extreme with the passage of time.
Nonetheless, it is possible to differentiate among the candidates, and the best choice for Republicans would be Jeff Reetz , a franchisee of 30 Pizza Hut outlets in Kentucky, Indiana and two other states. Although he toes the hard-right line on abortion, gun control, gay marriage and other hot-button social issues, his emphasis is on offering constructive ideas at the federal level for increasing jobs and healing an ailing economy.
In this regard, Mr. Reetz supports tax credits for businesses that hire new employees and cuts in federal spending in areas outside national defense and Social Security. He also favors making the Bush administration's tax cuts permanent, in order to boost consumer spending. While we strongly disagree with Mr. Reetz on the last point — the Bush tax cuts put little money into the hands of middle- and low-income citizens who likely would have spent any windfall, but had a ruinous effect on the deficit — Mr. Reetz does put forth well-considered views within the political mainstream. He would be in a position to engage in a useful discussion this fall with Mr. Yarmuth, who is unopposed on the Democratic side, and to give voters a responsible choice.
Equally important, Mr. Reetz's tone is appropriate. He avoids demonizing Democrats or other opponents, and views Washington's seeming dysfunction as a product of entrenched incumbents of both parties. In a district that has tilted Democratic in recent elections, and was the only one in Kentucky carried by President Obama, Mr. Reetz's temperate demeanor could strengthen the GOP's hand.
Todd Lally, a UPS pilot and member of the Air National Guard, also offers thoughtful positions on the economy and budget. His embrace of Republican themes of less government regulation (tell that to people on the Gulf coast) and lower taxes as a panacea to what ails the nation financially are not our views, but they are well-articulated alternatives to Mr. Yarmuth's thinking.
Unfortunately, however, Mr. Lally also sometimes stoops to the sort of vitriolic argument that increasingly debases American political discourse. During an endorsement interview with The Courier-Journal's editorial board, he offered the preposterous view that Mr. Obama is so untrustworthy that he could not gain high-level security clearance if he weren't president. He has also said that health care reform benefits “freeloaders,” a description that he presumably thinks fits Americans who have lost their jobs or been denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions. Such characterizations are repugnant, and we hope that if Mr. Lally is the Republican candidate this fall, he will travel a higher road.
Two other candidates are also in the race. Brooks Wicker, an accountant and financial adviser, does not have as firm a grasp of issues as his principal rivals. Larry Hausman, who works in real-estate investment, seems overly focused on abortion and gays, neither of which is among the major issues in this race. A fifth candidate, Jerry Durbin, dropped out of the race in March and supports Mr. Lally, but his name remains on the ballot.
On balance, Mr. Reetz is the best candidate. Republican voters should support him.
Labels: Endorsement
posted by KYJurisDoctor at 8:08 AM
1 Comments:
The only repugnance came from the CJ. PLEASE read the comments on CJ's site and reconsider your agreement with their assessment. Lally is the guy who can beat Yarmuth, so it's no wonder that he's getting beaten up and thoroughly misrepresented by the ardent supporters of 'Congressman Awesome' that sit on the CJ editorial board.
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