From the Jeff Barnett for Congress campaign:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
13 October 2010
Candidates Clash in First Campaign Forum
Hundreds Gather to Question Barnett and Wolf on Issues
GREAT FALLS, VA – Jeff Barnett and his Republican opponent Rep. Frank Wolf, candidates for Congress in Virginia’s 10th District, met last night at a candidate forum in Northern Virginia. The forum, sponsored by the Great Falls Civic Association, was the first such meeting of the campaign.
Hundreds of residents from Great Falls and the surrounding area packed into The Grange to see the candidates discuss their vision for the future of Northern Virginia. Spirits were high, and supporters of both candidates interjected loudly, asked pointed questions, and broke into applause at regular intervals. Bill Redpath, libertarian candidate for Congress, also participated in the forum.
“We’ve been working hard on this campaign for nine months, and I know voters were grateful for the chance to finally see both candidates on stage, and to ask them questions,” Barnett said on Wednesday, referring to Wolf’s previous refusal to attend candidate forums. “That kind of apples-to-apples comparison is so helpful to voters. After last night, the contrast between Mr. Wolf and myself is abundantly clear. As he said repeatedly, Frank is running on what he’s done in the past. I think that’s the wrong approach. With so much at stake, we must look to the future. That’s the only way to meet the challenges we face. We need anticipatory leadership, and our 30-year incumbent has made it very clear that he won’t provide it.”
Sarah O’Neil, a resident of Great Falls, agreed. “It seemed like Frank Wolf highlighted a laundry list of small accomplishments, things like post offices and road preservation. I thank the Congressman for his help on those matters, but we’re facing billions of dollars in deficits and high unemployment, thanks in part to his failed economic leadership. We need big solutions and transformative ideas, but Frank Wolf would only talk about the little things. His solution to everything, including fighting the deficit, seemed to be to convene an outside commission. Don’t we elect Congressmen to make the tough decisions? Jeff Barnett stood out for the clarity of his ideas and the courage of his convictions.”
Herndon resident Cesar del Aguila was worried by the Congressman’s attitude. “Some of Mr. Wolf’s remarks bordered on being outright discriminatory. When explaining his support for closing a local Islamic school, Frank Wolf seemed to conflate peaceful Muslims with hateful extremists. Northern Virginia is an increasingly global and diverse community, and the Congressman’s aggressive attitude towards religious minorities is way outside the mainstream.”
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It’s not surprising that Wolf is only taking credit for token legislation, and not taking ownership of the fact that for the past 2 years, all he has done is say “no” to his constituents’ needs. No to health care reform; No to reform of the financial services industry; No to equal pay for equal work; and No to just about everything else proposed by President Obama or Congress that would move the 10th District of Virginia, and this country as a whole, forward.
We deserve better. We deserve a man like Jeff Barnett, who served his country admirably in the United States Air Force for 26 years while Frank Wolf was roaming the halls of Congress keeping himself hidden from view (and pretty much his M.O. since Jeff launched his congressional campaign).
Vote Jeff Barnett for Congress on November 2nd.