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Dec 5, 2003 So which do we pick? Do we stick by our guns or do we take the path of least resistance? My congressman Alan Mollohan(D- WV)has been in congress for 22 years, and admitedly I am not very fond of him. Now, for the first time since I don't know when, a republican has gathered up the courage to run against him.Now this should be an easy choice. A liberal democrat who I don't like at all or his republican challenger. But there is a problem.His challenger, Alan Parks, might be more liberal than he is. Mr. Parks who calls himself a republican supports things like universal health care. Something that I, as a conservative, am opposed to. So do I do the unthinkable and send my democratic congressmen back for a 12th term, or do I grit my teeth and vote to send a republican that I don't like to washington. It would be pragmatic of me to support any republican, but would it be prinicpled? Other people face the same decision. President Bush ran as a free trader in 2000 then enacted high steel tariffs as rewards to the steel producing states that supported him. States like Ohio, West Virginia, and Indiana. Now I come from steel country, and I was opposed to the tariff. So I think Bush did the right thing in recalling it. After all, How many jobs were being lost in other industries to protect the few steel jobs left in this country? Of course, he repealed the tariffs for political reasons? He didn't want a trade war that would hurt him in key battle states like Florida, which are essential to his reelection.Bush did the pragmatic thing, and I can't blame him, he is a politician after all.I don't think he should have had those tariffs in the first place. Perhaps it is not one over the other, maybe one can be pargmatic but still hold onto principles. I don't know. But I think it would be better if more people stuck to their guns, rather than take the easy way out. ------------ Email Craig Chamberlain: craig_chamberlain@hotmail.com Comment on this column in the forum. Tell a friend about this site! ------------ |
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