TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hernando Today

Congressional District 5: The Rematch

ADVERTISEMENT

By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: October 19, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - Perspective plays a big role in political races and this year's contest for the District 5 Congressional seat is no different.

To hear the Republican incumbent Ginny Brown-Waite tell it, she's a staunch advocate for her constituents, an independent thinker who'll buck the party when she thinks it's right to do so.

But the Democratic challenger John Russell calls Brown-Waite a "go-along-to-get-along" legislator who hasn't crafted any meaningful legislation and who shares the blame for what he calls the country's disastrous state of affairs.

If these names and arguments sound familiar, they probably are. Russell, a 52-year-old acute care nurse practitioner, sought to make a similar case in 2006, winning a Democratic primary and taking 40 percent of the vote against Brown-Waite in the general election.

All the same pressing issues apply today, they're just worse than they were two years ago and Brown-Waite has done little to nothing, Russell contends.

"What I'm about is representation for ordinary people, and we're not getting that representation from the congresswoman," said Russell. "It's a clear distinction."

"I have a record of coming up with solutions and working in a bipartisan manner. My opponent does not," Brown-Waite said, and then added a dig clearly based on Russell's public spats with state Democratic Party leaders: "He can't even get along with his party."

Here's a rundown of some major issues and where the two candidates stand on each:

• The economy: The candidates agree that the financial rescue plan approved by Congress this month was misguided. Brown-Waite, 65, voted against both versions, and Russell said he would have, too.

Brown-Waite advocates lifting of the capital gains tax. Russell says he will try to restore federal income tax deductibility for credit card interest and push for targeted regulatory reform of the banking industry.

• Iraq: Brown-Waite has pushed for the U.S. government to up the pressure on Iraqis to shift the responsibility to govern and police their own country, but has not supported timelines for troop withdrawal. Russell supports the 16-month timeline espoused by presidential-hopeful Sen. Barack Obama. The candidates agree that more resources need to be shifted to quell the increasing hostilities in Afghanistan.

• Immigration: Russell says Brown-Waite has done nothing on this issue despite a spot on the Homeland Security Committee. Russell criticizes what he described as the Republican fixation on building a border wall. Instead, the government should give employers the opportunity to purge their ranks of illegal workers and crack down on those that do not, he said.

Brown-Waite counters that her committee has considered as many as 40 bills on the issue, including one that would have withheld nonemergency homeland security funds for so-called sanctuary cities that some consider to be too lenient on illegal immigrants, but the bills haven't made it for debate because "it's not important on the Democratic agenda."

She said she is currently working on another bill that would have illegal immigrants deported immediately if arrested for a crime that has a potential jail sentence. She considers the border wall to be a viable way to lessen the illegal migration and said she would oppose Sen. John McCain's amnesty program if he tries to resurrect it.

• Health care: Congress has taken a step in the right direction to provide better access to health care by increasing funding for federally qualified health centers, Brown-Waite said. She rejects a single-payer plan.

Russell maintains a drastic change to just such a plan is what the uninsured and underinsured Americans need. He supports a system that would allow patients happy with their coverage to stick with their current providers.

• Veterans issues: Brown-Waite boasts of her efforts to expand the Pinebrook veteran health clinic in Brooksville, secure funds for a new clinic in Pasco County and expand the GI bill to veterans of the war on terror. She says she prides herself on her staff's success to help constituents wade through problems securing benefits.

Russell says far more needs to be done and would push for an overhaul of the Veterans Administration and the appointment of a veterans affairs liaison.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT