CD-1 race

On one of my recent posts, there was a comment that basically boiled down to how I see the current CD-1 race between Rick Renzi (R-VA) and Ellen Simon for the right to represent us here.

In a nutshell, I believe that Simon's views are more reflective of how I feel than Renzi's are, so I am supporting her.

I also believe that Renzi will fight dirty (as he always has) so that we will be treated to primarily two things from him: He will point to Simon's past as an ACLU lawyer and her husband's child support issues.

On the first count, I consider that a plus. I don't know when it became a negative to be associated with an organization that champions individual rights. I've posted in favor of individual freedoms even for those I may not agree with here (where I posted the infamous Mohammed cartoons and generated a record 160 comments) as well as here (defending a Holocaust denier's right to publish his filth) and also here (in a post on the right of anti-Castro Cubans to protest at a baseball game involving the Cuban team), in addition to here (asking for asylum for Abdul Rahman so he could practice Christianity in a country where he is free to do so.) These are all positions in which I am in agreement with people from the ACLU. There are times when I have disagreed with them (for example, trying to get the words, 'under God' taken out of the pledge of allegiance) but I've nonetheless always admired the ACLU and let's face it-- in the face of ever more expansive state and institutional control, someone needs to be out there fighting for individual freedom and liberty, and if the ACLU wasn't, then who would take their place?

The other issue that Renzi will run on doesn't involve Simon at all, but her husband's past problems with child support. How exactly does that make her culpable? That is between him and his ex-wife (and keep in mind that an ex-spouse will say anything.) I do believe that if he is in fact a deadbeat then he should be made to pay, but she has nothing to do with that. I guess it proves that if you want to run against Rick Renzi, you better not be related to anybody (remember how he went after Paul Babbitt for things his relatives had done, which Paul Babbitt himself had nothing to do with.)

And Rick Renzi still has a ton of cash, and has locked up a lot of the reservation (normally the Democratic base of the district) before Simon had even won her primary. I think this is a race that Simon could win, but it will be an uphill climb.