The Virginian Pilot posed this question to the candidates in the 2nd Congressional District – incumbent Republican Thelma Drake and Democratic challenger Glenn Nye – and their responses were printed in Sunday’s paper.
Drake, who is vying for her third term in Congress, says that the problem is political gridlock and that is what stands in the way of Congressional reform on a number of issues. However, she lays the blame for gridlock on Congressional Democrats. On the issue of energy:
Congressional Democrats are so unwilling to pass comprehensive reform that they scuttled the annual appropriations process so that their most vulnerable members would not be forced to cast recorded votes on the issue.
On health care:
Since Democrats assumed control of Congress 20 months ago, not one piece of legislation has been brought to the House floor to reform health insurance.
I think you get the picture. The problem here, though, is that it takes two to tango, and gridlock cannot be blamed on one party. When members of both parties hold fast to their “my way or the highway” positions, it is the American people who suffer.
Nye, who is making his first run for political office, believes that the greatest threat is poor leadership in Washington. He cites this as being the reason why we are facing so many issues, both at home and abroad.
America cannot effectively project its power abroad when our economy is weakened and our military is overstretched.
While not specifically saying that he is the one to lead, Nye lays out what he thinks is important to correcting the situation, calling for “pragmatic approaches” to governance:
We must turn this situation around, beginning with getting our economy back on track. We must end our dependence on foreign oil by expanding domestic energy production and investing in renewable resources. We must produce a realistic exit strategy from Iraq so that our troops are available to finish the job in Afghanistan, as well as respond to future emergencies.
This was the first of three questions posed to the candidates. Monday, they weigh in on the federal tax system. The last question comes Tuesday and the issue is Iraq.
VIVIAN J. PAIGE | All Politics is Local 
nice post and blog!
Here’s a post you might want to check out — [link removed- vjp]
You know what that is, right? When you link a post that has nothing to do with the topic being discussed, it’s called SPAM.
Nice post and blog!
🙂
Gotta love the irony of Republicans whining about being stymied by “gridlock.” Near complete control of all the levers of power, and all they could manage was to muck it up. Very dedicated to their victimhood, aren’t they?
Nice post and blog! Here’s a link that IS relevant to the topic being discussed:
http://vagreatblueheron.wordpress.com/2008/10/12/hey-thelma-we-have-met-the-problem-and-the-problem-is-you/
Ha!
Now that’s what I call on point 😉
She is WAY out of touch.
Her statistics are off- we currently have 47 Million uninsured and 12 million underinsured. (Source: AMA)
But then again, I don’t think you learn statistics when you only have a GED.
It’s time to retire to the beach house Thelma….Go Glenn Nye!!!!!
Perhaps, but how do we explain that Drake still polls at 51 and Nye at 37? Seems that the Nye campaign is a sinking ship, even if Obama does well in Hampton Roads
Sorry Kos, that is ONE undersampled poll. Look at the crosstabs on it. Small sample size and a small sampling of the 18-29 age group. Internals have shown Nye witin the MOE.
Nye is raising $$ and working very hard.
The campaign is FAR from a sinking ship.
However, Nye is a genuinely nice guy- this could hurt him. I don’t think that he has the Rovian mentality that Drake does. He’s a classy guy and I don’t see him making unfounded personal attacks likee Drake.
“When members of both parties hold fast to their ‘my way or the highway’ positions, it is the American people who suffer.”
Hmmm, which presidential candidate has a record of working with the other party, and which doesn’t?