Last night I attended a forum with the congressional candidates for Georgia's 1^st and 12^th districts. My emotions ran the gambit from start to finish. I was amused, surprised, revolted, disappointed, optimistic, and at some points utterly hopeless. The first draft of this blog included an issue-by-issue report of where each candidate stood. It ended up being six pages long, though, so I decided to spare you. Instead, I'll list of the questions posed by the moderator, and if you'd like to know the candidates responses, you can ask me. I'll post them as comments.

The League of Women Voters, event sponsors, stressed the point that this was not a debate. It was a forum. Candidates were to address the audience, not each other.

The first was between (R) Incumbent, Jack Kingston and his (D) challenger "Reverend" Jim Nelson. I'll be completely honest and admit that I went into the room with preconceived notions. I have always liked Kingston. We met for the first time when I was 16 and he took the time to speak with me on the street while running for office the first time. Right off the bat, I don't care for Nelson.

Here's why I went into the room disliking Nelson:

1)      He turned down the chance to address a group of FairTaxers along with Kingston back in August and instead sent a staffer to speak to us. His staffer promised to follow up with me once his panel on tax reform made a decision on his stance on the FairTax. I never heard anything. I then wrote a letter of inquiry with no response.

2)      His campaign website is childish, rude, and negative. If I had on my mud slinging goggles, there would be brown all over his page. Kingston's outclasses his by leaps and bounds.

3)      I think he uses Veterans and their issues carelessly.

4)      I think he uses his position as a supposed man of God carelessly. I think that the Big Guy looks down at this person who is supposed to be a leader among men and weeps at his behavior. He should be taking the high ground, not crawling in the mud the way he does. Yes, I do judge men of the cloth by a higher standard.

That being said, my preconceived notions were confirmed the moment Nelson stood to scream his opening statements and then reinforced repeatedly throughout the discussion. He was practically foaming at the mouth during his opening. Not one platform issue escaped in the fray, just poo. Kingston, impressively, kept his cool and managed not to scowl or anything, an achievement I was not able to pull off. His opening remarks included his platform issues of adapting the war in Iraq with the ground generals, immigration reform, and finding alternate energy sources. No poo.

[insert 45-minutes of question/answer here … questions shown below (although not word-for-word]

1. What would constitute a victory in Iraq, and is it possible to achieve?
2. Has the situation in Iraq evolved into a civil war, and if so, what is our role?
3. How, best, can we protect our ports from terrorism?
4. Do you support a women's right to choose to murder her child based on the case precedent set by Roe vs. Wade? (I told you it wasn't word for word)
5. Do you think we should take steps to protect GA's undeveloped barrier islands or do you feel that some sort of limited development is desirable/inevitable?
6. Are you in favor of drilling off the GA coast?
7. What is your stance on HR4844 (voter ID law, for those of you who don't listen to talk radio)?
8. Are you in favor of the federal government forcing business owners to pay an increased minimum wage?
9. Are you in favor of a repeal of the Federal Estate Tax?
10. Do you support the prosecution of illegal immigrants and/or the employers who knowingly hire them?

Moving on, next came the forum between (D) incumbent John Barrow and his (R) challenger Max Burns. This is where I really expected the sparks to fly. Again, I went in to this really hating Barrow. His ads on the FairTax (MaxTax) are blatantly false and misleading. That, however, is another blog for another time. We'll leave it at that I don't like the guy.

Truthfully, I was very surprised at how well Barrow behaved. He was calm and well-spoken, which probably comes from being a lawyer. Smooth would be another word to describe him. Barrow's opening statement recapped that he had promised to listen to his constituency and not vote on party lines. He said that he had repeatedly voted his conscience and had no problem bucking his party when he felt it was in the best interests of GA. Burns reminded the audience that this was an important election that would determine the direction our country would turn. He said he had been a superb freshman congressman in the 108^th and that he would take a stand for GA w/ education, Iraq, energy, and an ag bill in the 110^th, given a chance. Again, I won't smother you with a blow-by-blow. There were a few surprises. However, there were many more answers that were no surprise at all.

[insert 45-minutes of question/answer here … questions shown below]

1. Do you believe we should achieve victory in Iraq prior to pulling out? If no, when should we leave?
2. Are you in favor of a reinstitution the draft?
3. Can we better protect our ports? If yes, how?
4. Abortion?
5. What are your feelings toward Anwar and coastal GA drilling?
6. Do you believe that global warming is a real issue and should we take action to reverse it?
7. Do you feel the No Child Left Behind Act has been successful?
8. Are you in favor of a repeal of the Federal Estate Tax?
9. Do you support the prosecution of illegal immigrants and/or the employers who knowingly hire them?
10. What is your stance on HR4844?

I got to speak to all the candidates at least briefly following the forums, which I always enjoy. I'm forever surprised that more citizens do not take advantage of having access to their representation. There were a few other FairTaxers there, way fewer than I would have preferred. Still, I did get to speak to Barrow, the FairTax's second biggest opponent  (bested only by Pelosi). All I can say, aside from still being appalled that he would LIE in his ads, is that Barrow is laboring under false information. Whether it's out of preference or ignorance, I know not. He was politely argumentative regarding the vice & virtue of the FairTax and continually brought up the President's commission on it, which we all know to be flawed. The president's panel on the FairTax did not look at it as proposed in HR25 or in the Boortz/Linder book. We could not debate apples with oranges.

Regarding the forum as a whole. There were bits and pieces of what all the candidates said that I agree or disagree with. Three of the four seem like decent fellows. I despise Nelson more now than I did before. I dislike Barrow less than I did before. I'll vote for the Republicans because they're both in favor of the FairTax and I agree with more of their espoused plans. I have a one chief concern, however, and it applies to both sets of candidates. Much, actually most, of what they discussed is beyond the scope of congress's enumerated powers as defined in the document we call our Constitution. This seems to be not only acceptable, but desirable. My sense of unease is compounded by statements from both sides regarding the number of bills or amount of legislation they have or have not brought to the table. Why is a good thing to have come up with more bills? Why is it a bad thing not to have authored lots of legislation? I don't get it. How much can there be? Isn't there a sort of critical mass of legislation? When is there going to be nothing left to legislate? And what the hell are we going to be left with when then? Neither party seems to be for less government any more. They seem to want to take away different freedoms, but they want them none-the-less.  I find myself, more often than not, voting for the lesser of the evils. The republicans are piddling along at 35 MPH on the road to socialism where the democrats are whipping along at 120 in the HOV lane. What ever happened to State and local rights? Why should Pelosi have anything to say about what happens in Georgia? Georgians should be in control of Georgia. Let the Feds worry about protecting the borders. Let the Feds worry about delivering the mail. Let them sit down and decide what interstate commerce really means, not what they want it to mean. Let Georgia govern Georgia. It worries me. A lot. I worry what the state of the union is going to be when my daughter is grown. I'd like to have a party somewhere between Libertarians and Republicans, maybe Republitarians? I wish the Libertarians weren't so completely loony on some of their stances. I wish that the two-party system weren't so entrenched that voting for a third party that actually makes sense wasn't considered throwing away my vote. I wish that I was well-spoken enough to say things better than I say them. Perhaps I should spend more time reading and less time blogging.

I worshiped my Dad when I was younger.

Actually, he was probably my favorite person in the world well in to my teenage years. I remember my favorite shirt in first grade said "My [heart] belongs to Daddy." Gawd, I loved that shirt. I can remember my little heart racing when he came home in the evenings and it breaking when he went away to the "field". Even now I'm tearing up a little remembering how much I loved and missed him as a child. As I grew older I became more and more proud of him. There were two children in my family, so on open house nights I always wanted Dad to come with me and Mom to go with my brother (not that I didn't love my mother, folks). I felt taller when I walked next to him. I would take him to my classes so everyone would see him and think to themselves, what a cool dad she has. I still have some of the letters he wrote to me when the family was separated by an ocean.

He was never a talker, and I can't remember a whole lot of conversations with him growing up, but he always took the time to write letters. I treasured the time I had with him, and I wanted that time so badly. I remember in Germany he would take me running with him. I hate running. It sucks. And running in the cold and sleet sucks even more. But I did it for time with him. [laughing to myself] I remember one incident in particular, when it was so yucky out. I was crying as I ran because I was SO miserable. I'm sure I was chanting some obscene cadance in my head with every drop of my sneaker. Dad saw that I was on the verge of a breakdown and said that we would just run to that next telephone pole. Ok, I can do that, it's a goal, run to the telephone pole, crap we're passing the pole, why are we passing the pole, hey stop – the pole was back there, we should be walking now… We ran probably twice the distance to the pole by the time he slowed to a walk. The lesson, that we can always do more than we think we can. That we should always give it just a little bit more. That we're stronger than we think. That this builds character. And my all time favorite, if it kill me it made me stronger. (yes, Dad read Nietzsche)  As stupid as I found that little object lesson then, I can totally see the value of it now, and it's one of the experiences I've carried with me into adulthood.

Another "fond" memory I had, and demonstration of the lengths to which I would go to be with Dad, was volksmarching with him. My apologies to those of you who aren't familiar with the concept of volksmarching – that's another blog for another time. Suffice to say it is organized recreational walking and is very popular in Europe. My mother took my brother and I volksmarching every weekend, sometimes two or three times. After an injury from which idiot-doctors said he would never recover, my dad stopped mocking our "paying to walk from point A to point A" and tried it himself, as therapy. Like a fish to water is the expression than jumps to mind. He soon left the wimpy 10 km marches to us weaklings and moved from 20 to 42 to 100 km marches. I believe he did three of the 100 km walks – referred to as death marches because you only had 24 hours in which to complete the walk. He did many 20 and 42 km walks. When he had to limit himself to a measly 20 march, he did it very very quickly. And so began one of the least enjoyable volksmarching experiences of my life. I can't remember if Dad and his friend asked me to come or if begged my way into it, but I went on a 20 km march with them one fine Saturday. Lesson: Dad's method of marching and Mom's not even in the same bound volume. When we marched with Mom, we stopped. At the beer tent. At the designated rest stops (for food and speitzi). To look at cows. To look at churches. To pick blackberries. Well, Dad did not stop. For anything. Excpet to smoke in the middle of the woods where there was no food and no speitzi for a very tired 15-year-old. And it was like he was almost running the whole way. I have never been so exhausted at the end of a march as I was at the end of that one. Still, it was time with Dad that I will always remember. Don't think I ever marched with him and Carl again though…

So, when we moved to Georgia, things changed a little for me. I think it was a combination of me being an extremely pissy teenager (16) and really missing Germany coupled with the earth shattering realization that MY DAD was human. My whole perception of him changed when he got out of the Army. He didn't look the same (let his hair and beard grow). He didn't exude the same confidence he did my whole youth. He just seemed different somehow. Over the years, I think I hurt him a lot. I went through a phase (about six years, all told) where I basically turned my back on everything my family believed and valued. I married into a religion they didn't understand or approve of (probably for good reason, in hindsight).

When I finally removed my noggin from my nether-regions, he and my mom were there for me. No questions asked. He drove to Valdosta and rescued me when my life crumbled. He took me into his house even though I had only spent a few nights a year there for the last half decade. Months later, he took my fiancé into his home as well – separate bedrooms, of course. I respect that Dad would have no hanky-panky under his roof. Good for him. More Dads should be like that. He shaved and cut his hair for my wedding, something that was very hard for him and for which I am eternally grateful. It was almost like a glimpse of my old image of him.

He was so sweet with our daughter when she was born. You could kind-of tell he wasn't comfortable with a baby. He'd want to be near her, but not hold her. At 18-months, he started caring for her all day while we were at work, so he definitely got over that. Now, seeing him again through my daughter's eyes, it's like going back in time. I can see in her complete and utter adoration of her "Poppy" my own. He still takes care of me, too. Just recently, he spent days cleaning the brush and debris out of my back yard, which more closely resembled a jungle.

I realized this week how very strongly I value his opinion and how devastating it can be if it does not coincide with my own. On two occasions this week he's said something to me. One time, it was a criticism of the FairTax, which caught me so off guard that I didn't know how to respond. The other was a criticism of Libertarianism, which probably swayed my opinion of it myself. It's not that I'm that impressionable, it's just that a part of me still thinks that my Daddy is always right and that it's not even in the realm of possibility for him to be wrong. I realize this has gotten long. I'll end by saying I love my Daddy and hope that Barbara will look back with as much respect and love on her Daddy as I do on mine.

I am not proof reading this – so please don't judge my typos too harshly….

Just kidding. I love Walmart. I think that we should all admire Walmart. Every so often, it seems like a tide of hatred for Walmart and other "super" stores & big business flows over our area. The cries about them putting the little guy under resound in our ears. But you know what? Sam Walton didn't start off as a big business. He was a small business owner who found a niche, and became very very good at filling it. So, it's really sucess that we seem to hate. We love the "little guy" until he overcomes adversity and becomes a "big guy" thereby making it harder for other "little guys" to grow and become successful "big guys" so we could hate them too. At what point does it become appropriate to stop routing for a business to grow and succeed and start complaining that it is too big and successful. Silly silly people.

I'm baffled.

Anybody who knows me knows me even a little bit knows I'm rabid over this fair tax movement. (http://www.fairtax.org) I love to talk about it. I would love even more to get it passed. One comment I seem to be hearing pretty consistently when approaching the issue with people is "I love it. It sounds great, but Washington will never pass it."

What????

That is not an okay statement or mentality. It is not okay to feel this way.

How did we get to the point where we knowingly and willingly elect and RE-elect representatives who we don't believe will represent us? Why are we so comfortable with putting people in office and letting them stay there when they don't do what we elected them to do? Why is this normal?

I say, if the majority of Americans believe that the Fair Tax is the only sensible system by which to collect taxes, then it is the JOB of Washington to pass it. Who cares if they want to or not. That shouldn't be an issue. What the hell do you mean, Washington will never pass it. The hell they wont!?! If they won't do it, run them out of office and elect people who will. Its that easy.

One of my state representatives spoke at a training I attended last Saturday. He said that politicians promise anything and everything while they're campaigning, most likely with every intention with following through. What happens when they get elected, however, is their priorities shift. Their primary focus becomes remaining in office. It's at this point that OUR voices become whispers in the dark recesses of the politician's consciousness. I say our voices need to become screams. It is not okay to just accept this attitude from our officials as inevitable. Its not. Stop letting them get away with it. If they want to stay in office, represent the people, don't ignore them. Its that simple.

Right now, we're LETTING them do nothing.

We're LETTING them ignore our will.

We're LETTING them become complacent.

We're LETTING them stay in office year after year without doing what we elect them to do. 

We have LET them fool us into believing that what we want doesn't matter.

We have LET them make us feel powerless.

Stop letting them get away with it. Take back the power.

What the hell do people mean, WASHINGTON WILL NEVER PASS IT??? We are Washington. Without our votes, our money, our support, there is no Washington. Who's in control, anyway? It is NOT okay to have the attitude that we can't control what goes on in our own country. It is NOT okay to believe that politicians don't have to carry out the will of their constituents. It is not okay. Do you understand? How did we get here? I say it stops now.

I say, we find out who supports the Fair Tax and we support them. This is a non-partisan effort. If a Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, or freakin' Green candidate supports the Fair Tax, perfect. Ill kiss em all.

I say, we refuse to re-elect any official who is on the record as being against the Fair Tax. Party is irrelevant. Boot 'em. I dont care if youve voted this way for your entire life. I dont care if its your daddys second cousin who bought you candy when you were a kid. Boot em.

I say we remind those who are too chicken to pick a side that were for the Fair Tax and that were only for those candidates who are for the Fair Tax. If they choose wrong or not at all, Boot em.

I say, we refuse to vote in any candidate who does not openly support the Fair Tax.

And I say, that once we elect someone, we stick them to fighting to pass this thing.

I absolutely can not believe that we have reached a point in our history where the majority of Americans feel like it's okay and normal for Washington to do what ever the f*@$ it wants to do or not do without any consideration to what their constituents want.

There have to be consequences for any politician to put staying in office ahead of doing their job, which, one last time, is representing the will and welfare of the people of the United States of America.

Thank you, and good day. I feel better now...