Fighting Dem
Phil Avillo this Sunday put it all together in his
last op-ed for the York Daily Record prior to the election. In this heavily republican district, Avillo used Newt Gingrich's Contract With America to reach out to republicans and independents:
In 1994, Newt Gingrich and his Republican colleagues issued a manifesto for change called the "Contract with America." In that document, the authors said it was a time for "national renewal."
Twelve years later, it is once again that time to "restore the bonds of trust between the people and their elected representatives."
The first step is to end one-party rule in Washington. A monopoly, whether in business or politics, too often benefits the few at the expense of the many. During the 1990s, there was a balance of power in Washington between the executive branch and Congress. Much was accomplished during that time, including budget surpluses, a rising economy and effective government oversight. That balance of power ended six years ago, when my opponent was elected, and we've been worse as a nation for it.
Avillo went on, connecting the dots to incumbent Todd Platts:
This Congress, including Rep. Todd Platts, has failed to get the job done. The past 5½ years of one-party rule have been catastrophic - record deficits, record incompetence and record corruption, as evidenced by the resignations, indictments and/or convictions of Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, Rep. Duke Cunningham, R-Calif., Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, and Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla.
It's time for change. That's the one constant I hear as I travel around the district. I hear that call everywhere I go - at fairs and parades, at cookouts and church picnics, at VA halls and chambers of commerce, and at sportsmen's clubs and union halls. I hear it from Republicans, Democrats, independents.
My opponent is part of the problem. He too often has supported the status quo in Washington. When the leaders of his party - Messrs. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and others - have engaged in vicious partisan attacks against critics of administration policies, Mr. Platts has kept conspicuously silent.
That last point is telling. In his campaign literature, Platts always talks about bipartisanship and civility, but, for all his niceness, Platts has consistently refused to speak out against those in his party who engage in "vicious partisan attacks." While Platts hasn't been active participant in those attacks, he too often has been an enabler of Rovian style politics.
Phil appeals directly to voters for better government and a better America:
Twelve years have passed since the Contract With America was issued, but once again we have the opportunity "to restore accountability to congress," and "to end its cycle of scandal and disgrace."
This election isn't about me. This election isn't about Mr. Platts. This election is about you, your family, your children, your spouse, your parents, your way of life.
Do you like where we are headed? Do you want a repeat of the last several years? Do you want to stay the course with the same failed policies? Do you want a Congress that fails to ask the tough questions? Do you want a Congress that rubberstamps any bill Messrs. Bush and Cheney want?
Or do you believe that it's time to move forward in a better direction? Do you believe, like Newt Gingrich did in 1994, that it's time for "national renewal"? Do you believe it's time to reinvest in the American dream for all Americans - not just the wealthy?
It's all about people-powered politics:
On Nov. 7, you have the power to change your country for the better. Use that power. Send a Marine to Congress.
A week until victory!