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OrlandoSentinel.com
EDITORIAL
We think: Keller, Mica and Brown-Waite are best picks in Districts 8, 7 and 5
We think: Keller, Mica and Brown-Waite are best picks in Districts 8, 7 and 5
October 11, 2008
No member of Congress deserves a pass when he or she is facing re-election. But all the advantages incumbents typically enjoy -- gerrymandered districts, free media coverage, taxpayer-funded mailings and special interests eager to curry their favor with campaign contributions -- often scare away good challengers. Voters don't always get the choices they deserve.
That's the predicament facing voters in too many congressional districts, including some in Central Florida.
District 8
Republican Ric Keller is seeking his fifth term, breaking a pledge he made in his first campaign in 2000 to call it quits after four terms. Mr. Keller now says he underestimated the value of seniority and experience in Congress when he made that pledge. Yet, despite having eight years to accumulate both, Mr. Keller has not become a player on Capitol Hill. Congress.org ranked him lowest of Central Florida House members in a power ranking that takes into account position, influence, bills passed and projects funded.
Mr. Keller's short list of legislative greatest hits includes helping to boost grants for low-income college students and block a Bush administration plan to sell off part of the Ocala National Forest. Also to his credit, he has been a strong supporter of free-trade deals, which especially benefit Florida's economy, and a federal shield law for journalists. But overall, his achievements are underwhelming.
The most compelling reason for voters to support Mr. Keller is his opponent, Democrat Alan Grayson.
Mr. Grayson, a lawyer whose firm is headquartered in Virginia, has made a name and fortune for himself suing Iraq war profiteers and as a successful businessman. But there is little trace of that real-world sensibility in his campaign platform.
Mr. Grayson's list of promises includes increasing Social Security and Medicare benefits, government-mandated vacations and sick leave for all working Americans, and tax cuts for "middle-class and working-class families." The promises are excessive enough to embarrass even Santa Claus. Ending the Iraq war, as he advocates, could save $120 billion a year, but that wouldn't even cut the current federal deficit in half. He's no answer to Mr. Keller.
The Sentinel endorses Ric Keller in the 8th Congressional District.
District 7
Republican John Mica is an incumbent voters can feel good about sending back to Washington. First elected in 1992, Mr. Mica is his party's leader on transportation issues in Congress. He almost single-handedly created the opportunity for commuter rail in Central Florida by lining up federal funding for the system. He is a nationally recognized expert on airport security. He still finds time to be attentive to other needs in his district.
Mr. Mica's Democratic opponent, Faye Armitage, is a former economics professor and a political activist. She is well-meaning, but no match for Mr. Mica.
The Sentinel endorses John Mica in the 7th Congressional District.
District 5
Republican Ginny Brown-Waite is seeking her fourth term. She's a hardworking advocate for her district, which has a high concentration of veterans and senior citizens. She hasn't been afraid to defy her party leaders on some high-profile issues, such as raising the minimum wage. But she can be petty, as when she erroneously referred to Puerto Ricans as "foreign citizens" and refused to apologize.
Her Democratic opponent, John Russell, isn't a qualified replacement. Mr. Russell, a nurse who has lost two previous bids to unseat Ms. Brown-Waite, is a partisan who is prone to dust-ups with political opponents. He lacks the temperament to succeed in Congress.
The Sentinel endorses Ginny Brown-Waite in the 5th Congressional District.
Copyright © 2008, Orlando Sentinel
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