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Congress needs more candidates like McClelland; Editorial; Beaver County Times; November 2, 2014.
Below is a critique of an editorial excerpt.
“The campaign in the 12th Congressional District presents two candidates with significantly contrasting styles and ideologies.
“First-term incumbent Republican Keith Rothfus, 52, of Sewickley takes a somewhat low-key, everyman approach to his job, touting his ‘Coffee With Keith’ events and noting that he is committed to constituent services for his ‘705,000 bosses’ in the district.
“Newcomer Erin McClelland, 39, of Harrison Township, is constantly energized, ready to provide opinions, examples and statistics at a moment’s notice on the issues plaguing the district and the nation.”
[RWC] You can find most of my comments about Mrs. McClelland’s positions in my critique of an op-ed piece she wrote.
“What really sets them apart, however, are their approaches to the issues: Rothfus, a favorite of the Tea Party set, insists that government has overreached its authority to the point of damaging the economy; demands fiscal restraint in all areas of government spending; and continues to fight for repeal of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
“McClelland, who operates a behavioral health and addiction treatment center in Blawnox, thinks there are parts of Obamacare that need to be fixed, but believes it’s a waste of time and effort to continue to fight for repeal. More importantly, she points to the positions of Rothfus on key issues as obstructionist and committed to ideology, rather than the political compromise that is badly needed in Washington.”
[RWC] As someone who owns and “operates a behavioral health and addiction treatment center,” does Mrs. McClelland benefit from Obamacare? There’s nothing wrong with it if she does. I just think voters should know if Mrs. McClelland’s healthcare business benefits or suffers as a result of Obamacare.
From what I’ve read on her campaign website and in the above-referenced op-ed piece, the only parts of Obamacare Mrs. McClelland thinks need fixed appear not to be specific to Obamacare. For example, addressing hospital-acquired infections is not about Obamacare.
Why is Rep. Rothfus an “obstructionist and committed to ideology” but the Democrat-majority Senate and President Obama are not?
“We agree with McClelland and believe she is the right choice to best represent the 12th District.”
[RWC] “Political compromise that is badly needed in Washington?” Translation: Republicans need to buy into Democrat policies. I don’t know about Mrs. McClelland at the time, but the BCT didn’t appear to believe “political compromise [was] badly needed in Washington” when Democrats shoved Obamacare down our throats without a single Republican vote.
“McClelland has been on a whirlwind campaign through the sprawling 12th District, which now stretches from the Ohio border to Johnstown in Cambria County.
“Despite being badly under funded, she had doggedly continued to spread her message that the 12th District — and Congress as a whole — needs members willing to work for the common good, rather than the party platform.”
[RWC] Which policy does Mrs. McClelland support not supported by the Democrat “party platform?”
“And that may be the biggest problem we have with Rothfus as a congressman. Although he is extremely approachable and always willing to spend a minute to talk with constituents, his actions indicate that he is part of the gridlock problem in Washington — not part of the solution. For example, last year when the federal government shut down largely over a failed Republican attempt to repeal parts of Obamacare, more moderate GOP members came to their senses and proposed re-opening the government. Rothfus, holding to his ideology, voted against it, causing further pain to federal employees and constituents alike.”
[RWC] As I wrote in the aforementioned critique, “Mrs. McClelland blames the GOP for shutting down the government for two weeks in 2013, but ignores the roles of President Obama and the Democrat-majority Senate. If you want to assign guilt, all three are responsible.”
“McClelland presents more pragmatic approaches to the issues facing Congress. She is highly critical of the ‘no-tax increase pledge’ that Rothfus signed, calling it a ‘dereliction of duty and negligent at worst.’
“‘If you’re running a business or a household, there are times when you are going to have to invest,’ she said. ‘We put a bunch of attorneys in Congress who think you just cut spending and everything will work out.’”
[RWC] Apparently Mrs. McClelland doesn’t have a problem with “a bunch of attorneys in Congress who think you just cutincrease spending and everything will work out.” Note, though Democrats tend to treat “invest” (as most of us use the term) and “spend” as synonyms, they are not.
“On immigration problems, where Rothfus favors constructing fences in high-traffic areas on the southern border, McClelland would push for addressing the problem systematically, starting with employer-based reforms that could have undocumented workers registered and paying taxes.”
[RWC] This misrepresents Mr. Rothfus’ position and lets Mrs. McClelland skate with “employer-based reforms.” Simply registering illegal aliens and getting them to pay taxes – aka “amnesty” – would only exacerbate the illegal immigration problem.
“She has similar common-sense approaches to foreign policy, education funding and health-care issues such as reforming the Veterans Administration and dealing with containing Ebola domestically.”
[RWC] What “common-sense approaches?” Look at the campaign website and all you find are platitudes.
“In short, we believe McClelland demonstrates a willingness to work with other members of Congress to do what is best for the country and the 12th District.”
[RWC] By “other members of Congress,” the BCT means Democrat members, but that is not “what is best for the country and the 12th District.”
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