If ever there was
an election in which Democratic and Republican candidates represent
dramatically different values, this is it.
The electorate is keenly aware of the differences. Recent
polls show that a majority of voters believes that
President Obama’s policies will help the middle class. Unlike Governor Romney’s policies, which a
majority believes favor just the wealthy. Romney has been forthright with where
he stands, not
backing down from his statement that nearly half
the nation doesn’t take responsibility for its own well-being.
But here in
Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District, Republican challenger
Steve Obsitnik refuses to state where he stands on important issues. He is trying to appeal to moderate voters
without repudiating radical Republican policies. On his website
he says he will “fight to ensure that seniors
receive the healthcare they need.” But
he refuses to go on the record about whether or not he supports the Ryan budget
plan. Ryan’s plan turns Medicare into a
voucher system that would likely not allow seniors to buy the coverage they
receive today.
Obsitnik says he
supports “women’s reproductive choice”, but has repeatedly
refused to answer whether he supports the constitutional
protection of Roe v. Wade, which Romney and Ryan vow
to overturn. Obsitnik
wants lower taxes and a reduced federal debt, but offers no plan for how these
incompatible goals can be achieved without decimating investments in education,
infrastructure, jobs and energy independence.
In contrast, Jim
Himes has a voting record that makes his positions clear. He stands behind his vote for the Affordable
Care Act, which will extend healthcare coverage to millions of Americans. He is working to find fair, balanced
solutions to our fiscal problems, being called a “hero” by USA
Today for voting for a compromise budget modeled
on Obama’s bipartisan Simpson-Bowles Commission. Congressman Himes is the thoughtful,
bipartisan legislator we need to move the country forward. He deserves to be re-elected.
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