U.S. House, District 13

["Robert L Bass" <robertbass1@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

We recommend Christine Jennings



Congressional elections used to be tame and predictable in these parts. Not this year.

In the 13th District -- which ranges from Palmetto to Englewood to Arcadia to Wauchula -- the Republican primary was the most
expensive and divisive on record in this region. Meanwhile, to the south and east in the 16th District, Republican incumbent Mark
Foley's general-election campaign crashed and burned when the nation learned that he had an affinity for male, teenage pages.

Voters in District 13 have a choice between Republican Vern Buchanan and Democrat Christine Jennings.

Auto-dealer magnate Buchanan spent the most money and got the most votes in the Republican primary -- but only 32 percent of them,
far from a majority, and finished second in his home county, Sarasota.

Buchanan lists an impressive number of local, state and national supporters. Intraparty bitterness lingered after the primary,
however, with open defections by some local Republican leaders and a refusal by one of Buchanan's primary opponents, former local
party chairman Tramm Hudson, to back his campaign (and a late, lukewarm expression of support from another of the candidates,
longtime legislator Nancy Detert, who won Sarasota County in the primary).

Part of the lingering division can be attributed to legitimate questions about Buchanan's business ethics, some to concerns about
his encampment on the far right of the political spectrum, and another part to the magnitude of money he has dumped into his own
campaign.

Jennings' mainstream appeal

Whatever the reasons, Buchanan's candidacy created an opening for Jennings, a former local banker whose positions on deficit
reduction, environmental protection, religious freedom and education place her in the mainstream of the political spectrum.

Buchanan's campaign ads have attacked Jennings' position on taxes. No surprise there: Buchanan, like other high-income Americans,
has benefited from tax cuts and shelters. Jennings, who as a banker reaped earnings and helped individuals and companies create
wealth, favors reviewing and reorienting tax policies, with a focus on strengthening the middle class.

On immigration, Buchanan backs draconian measures; Jennings disagrees with parts of President Bush's sensible policy, which is
supported in the Republican-led U.S. Senate, but she is closer to the president on immigration than Buchanan is.

Differences on Iraq, reproductive rights

When asked before the primaries to assess U.S. military policy, Buchanan said, "We must continue our strategy in Iraq and beyond."
Jennings, for her part, responded: "Unfortunately, this administration has compromised our ability to fight terror across the globe
by locking up our military resources in an extended conflict in Iraq with no clear strategy for victory."

Neither candidate has articulated a clear plan for effectively dealing with the chaos in Iraq -- few national political leaders
have -- but even many of the president's supporters have urged him to change the ineffective "stay the course" policy.

On reproductive rights, Jennings supports a woman's right to choose, but wants to publicly discuss: "Why are there so many unwanted
pregnancies and what are the mitigating circumstances?" Buchanan wants to deny women the constitutional right to an abortion "100
percent" of the time, even if it takes an amendment to the Constitution.

Jennings won a competitive Democratic primary in September, after having lost a primary two years ago. She persevered and has
withstood four years of public scrutiny with her positive reputation intact.

If elected, Jennings would be a moderate capable of reaching out to Republicans, Democrats and independents.

We recommend Christine Jennings for U.S. House of Representatives, District 13.

Copyright - Sarasota Herald-Tribune


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