Here is a story I just found in the Nixa News-Enterprise which is a weekly publication in a town that is in Christian County.
Jim Newberry is definitely getting his voice heard here in SW Missouri.
This is perfect timing, as Jim has a town hall meeting, one of many in his "straight talk with Jim" series planned for Tuesday September 21st at the Nixa senior citizen center.
Here is the link:
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1815&dept_id=516646&newsid=12922591&PAG=461&r
fi=9
Arguments highlight first debate
By: Donna Osborn, Headliner News 09/15/2004
SPRINGFIELD-After weeks of bantering, incumbent Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Jim Newberry, candidates for Missouri's 7th Congressional seat exchanged barbs Sept. 11 during a short forum in Springfield.
After several invitations by Drury University to debate publicly issues facing voters in November went unanswered by Blunt, the Ozark Press Association made quick accommodations to the congressman's schedule and hosted the impromptu event directly following Missouri Press Associations convention at the University Plaza Hotel.
Newberry's camp accepted the opportunity, along with Libertarian Kevin Craig, to respond to questions from news reporters from the Springfield News-Leader, Joplin Globe and Nixa News-Enterprise. Although invited, Constitution Party candidate Steve Alger, Carthage, did not attend.
Newberry supporters gathered outside the hotel's doors armed with signs of enthusiasm; from page 1A
supporters did the same. And, just minutes before the debate began, they all were invited inside the large conference hall lined with ample seating. Local broadcast stations also covered the exchange.
Newberry, an attorney, said his approach to politics in Washington would be different. "I am not a professional politician," he said. "I resolve differences through mediation." He also seized the first opportunity to draw blood in opening remarks by accusing the four-term Blunt of conflicts of interest, noting his marriage to a tobacco lobbyist for Philip Morris, and of bad faith in not living up to his promise of Washington term limits.
Blunt defended his eight years in congress and said his voting record is readily available to the public. He focused on "responding to terrorism" and "growing the economy" by creating job opportunities. Libertarian Craig seated between the two major party candidates campaigned for almost no government. Libertarians believe in liberty under God, he said. And added, "I am a fanatic and an extremist."
Craig said both major parties stray from the nation's founding principles of less government and personal responsibility. He used his time to express gratitude at being included in the debate, acknowledged that he didn't expect to win the election but hoped he had "planted seeds" for discussion of the Libertarian ideals. Those ideals include abolishing public schools, the income tax and the war on drugs.
All candidates made apparent their distinct differences on the hot topics of the day. The third most powerful man in Washington said he supports the war in Iraq and defended the administration's policy.
"I do support what we are doing in Iraq," Blunt said. "Our policy is predicated on the idea that weapons of mass destruction were there. Backing away is not the answer."
Newberry said the war was a mistake.
"I was a soldier and I will always support our troops," he said. "The war was a mistake."
He said instead of nation building, the United States should train a security force, let the Iraqis govern themselves and re-focus on Afghanistan.
Craig also opposes the Iraq war and called it "imperialism."
"I am against the war in Iraq," he said. "Now the United States is a lighting rod for terrorism. We created the monster that attacks us."
On the economy, Blunt acknowledged that the government must do a better job on "holding the line on spending," and pledged to make the recent tax cuts permanent. He said the tax cuts "give people the opportunity to grow the economy."
Newberry said the tax cuts "shouldn't have been passed in the first place" and he would vote to repeal them citing the deficit and strains on social security.
Craig said income taxes are illegal.
"The constitution gives the government no power to spend the way (it does)," he said.
On education, Blunt said he has worked to improve funding of government mandates and defended the administration's accountability standards.
"We've doubled funding for education and worked hard over the last eight years," he said. "We've made a huge commitment."
Newberry said more respect must be given to teachers and opposed arbitrary standards for performance.
"There's too much money spent on testing and not enough on teaching," he said.
Craig said education should be privatized; that it is the responsibility of parents, not of government.
On national security, Blunt defended the Patriot Act and said he would vote to reinstate it. He said it just expands provisions that already apply to child pornographers and counterfeiters and it is needed to curtail terrorism at home.
"We can go back and look at it," he said. "But it needs to be reinstated."
Craig and Newberry opposed the legislation.
"It is a trampling of Fourth and Sixth amendment rights and it is dangerous," Craig said.
Newberry agreed.
"I would not reinstate the Patriot Act," Newberry said. We should "rely on the courage that made us free and reinstate the Constitution."
Southwest Missouri State University News Services confirmed the candidates will face off again, from 7-8 p.m., Oct. 1, in a debate sponsored by local public broadcasting stations-KOZK and KSMU to air live.