CHESAPEAKE
U.S. Rep. Randy Forbes founded a congressional caucus devoted to prayer, wants to award cash prizes to groups that achieve key energy goals, and doesn't want to leave Iraq without victory.
The Republican congressman's rival, first-time candidate Andrea Miller, believes Forbes mixes too much religion with government. Her ideas for energy include planting thousands of acres of switchgrass that could be used for biofuels. She favors immediate troop withdrawal from Iraq.
The two are vying for the 4th District congressional seat, which includes Suffolk and Chesapeake but also stretches west to Emporia and north to Petersburg.
Forbes, a lifelong Chesapeake resident who has easily won his past two congressional races, is hoping that his record of serving constituents will deliver another victory.
Miller, a Chesterfield resident who struggled to raise campaign cash and has an entirely volunteer staff, is counting on gaining votes from Democrats energized by presidential candidate Barack Obama and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner.
"She's a hard worker, and she's very energetic," said Chesapeake City Councilwoman Ella Ward, who is also chairwoman of the Chesapeake Democratic Committee. "She hasn't had the funds. With what she has, she's doing relatively well."
Forbes was a member of the House of Delegates and state Senate before he won his congressional seat in a 2001 special election. He drives home each weekend to teach adult Sunday-school class at Great Bridge Baptist Church. His wife, Shirley, offered campaign advice to candidates running for Chesapeake City Council this year.
"He is not an ivory-tower congressman," said Chesapeake Councilwoman Debbie Ritter, a longtime friend. "He is a neighborhood congressman."
Miller, who teaches Web and computer courses for emergency management agencies, said she learned about Forbes' positions while she was a regional coordinator for the political group MoveOn.org.
"No matter what the issue, Randy Forbes was on the wrong side," said Miller, whose platform includes ending the war in Iraq, bringing health care to everyone and encouraging clean energy.
The differences begin with Iraq and national defense. Forbes is a ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee's Readiness Subcommittee, so every military project in the country comes across his desk, he said. Forbes said his views on Iraq have been shaped by spending time with troops there, as he did last Christmas.
"They believe a victory is in sight," he said. "I'm committed to giving them that victory. It would be foolish to throw away all the gains we've made and just walk away."
Miller has fought against the war for the past few years. Before running for office, she was the state coordinator for the 2008 presidential campaign of U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, who advocated impeaching President Bush earlier this year.
"It's a dumb war," Miller said. "You can't win it."
Their ideas on the economy also differ. Forbes was one of only 34 House members who voted in February against a stimulus plan to send government payments to most American households. He said the stimulus would act like an energy drink, giving the economy a quick boost but ultimately leaving it flatter. "I feel bad that we were right," he said.
He also voted against the $700 billion rescue plan for similar reasons, although he thinks the government is moving in the right direction by shoring up the banks. He doesn't like the government's attempt to own stock in banks.
Miller said her biggest priority is a plan that would rescue struggling homeowners and people facing foreclosure. She paints herself on the opposite side of Forbes' philosophy.
"He is Mr. Deregulation, and I am Ms. Regulation," she said. "He believes, 'Let's go free market and it will figure everything out itself.' And it won't."
Forbes said Miller was wrong about that, adding he has favored tighter controls on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac as far back as 2002.
Forbes' New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence would award monetary prizes to groups that are the first to achieve seven energy goals in areas such as alternative-energy vehicles, solar power and controlling carbon emissions from coal-powered plants. Forbes said his No. 1 priority next term would be to pass this initiative, which has been praised by The Wall Street Journal and other media.
Miller says Forbes' plan is just another study that won't produce any new information. Forbes questioned whether she has read it.
"It's not a study at all," Forbes said. "Maybe Ms. Miller knows more than The Wall Street Journal and CNN. I rest my case with their accolades."
In previous elections, Forbes has handily dispatched his opponents. He picked up 76 percent of the vote in a 2006 race against Green Party candidate Albert P. Burckard Jr. In 2004, Forbes defeated 26-year-old newcomer Jonathan R. Menefee.
Longtime political insiders are not sure Miller can pull off an upset.
"She will get some votes and ride the coattails of both Mark Warner and Barack Obama," said former Chesapeake Mayor William E. Ward, a Democrat. "Whether or not that will make her a significant challenger is a different story. Congressman Forbes is a known quantity across the district."
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Accomplishments (cont'd)
Congressman Forbes also cares for the rest of the United States, as his trips around this great nation in support of good, decent legislation for all will attest to. I wish the "Main Stream Media" would stop trying to influence us to think their way with polls, blogs, liberal biased columns, etc...and allow us all to use our minds to decide for ourselves who the best candidate(s) are.
True Randy Forbes Accomplishments...
Can be found as a matter of public record. If you are actually interested to see what his accomplishments are, then take the time to READ the Congressional Quarterly online. Do a search for Forbes and see how many hits you get where he has either written, co-sponsored, or spoken for or against issues which affect our everyday lives. Instead of just spouting garbage about a subject you are unfamiliar with, try to do some research and see what many of us already know, that Congressman Randy Forbes is an honest, caring, hard-working advocate for the people of the 4th District.
Congressman Forbes also
Cosponsored the Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 2007, which would ensure adequate treatment for breast cancer patients by allowing a patient and her to doctor decide whether she should recuperate in the hospital for 48 hours before returning home. Currently, many insurance companies refuse to cover a hospital stay for mastectomies; despite the known physical and emotional toll the surgery has on women.
Supported the Health Centers Renewal Act of 2008. This bill authorizes appropriations through fiscal year 2012 for health centers to meet the health care needs of medically underserved populations. It also instructs the Secretary of Health and Human Services to recognize the unique needs of high poverty areas in making grants for projects to plan and develop health centers to serve medically underserved populations. (A McCain campaign promise already in the works.)
Congressman Forbes
Voted in support of legislation that would require health insurance companies to cover mental illness. (An Obama campaign promise already in the works.)
Signed on as an original cosponsor to designate the Honor and Remember Flag as an official symbol to recognize and honor members of the Armed Forces who died in the line of duty.
Voted in favor of the Unemployment Compensation Extension Act of 2008, which would provide an additional seven weeks of unemployment insurance benefits for workers and an additional 13 weeks for workers in states with unemployment rates of 6% or higher. (Another Obama campaign promise already in the works.)
Supports VDOT’s request and is urging Secretary of Transportation for the Commonwealth of Virginia to obligate $13 million federal “bonus” dollars for replacement of the Gilmerton Bridge.
Price are you kidding me
Do you really believe the garbage you have been fed, that this housing mess was created in the two years that the Dems have controlled congress? Rick Davis, McCain's campaign manager lobbied for Fannie May and his firm was still receiving money from them while he was working for McCain. How about doing a little research (try Google), instead of just regurgitating what you hear on FOX "News", you might be more prepared have a logical discussions with reasonable people. But then, if you did do research you might find information that refutes the BS that supports the ideology. So you all keep on searching for false equivalences instead of blaming those who should be. That’s how we ended up with the last eight years.
Are you smarter than a fifth grader?
From the AP:
WASHINGTON -- Freddie Mac secretly paid a Republican consulting firm $2 million to kill legislation that would have regulated and trimmed the mortgage finance giant and its sister company, Fannie Mae, three years before the government took control to prevent their collapse.
In the cross hairs of the campaign carried out by DCI of Washington were Republican senators and a regulatory overhaul bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb. DCI's chief executive is Doug Goodyear, whom John McCain's campaign later hired to manage the GOP convention in September.
In the midst of DCI's yearlong effort, Hagel and 25 other Republican senators pleaded unsuccessfully with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., to allow a vote.
Forbes has been a man of integrity
Read his weekly emails. He doesn't tickle ears like dems who just want to hear what they want to hear. He cares about people. He cares about us and his bills or support of other's bills are proof of that. He has "fruit" not just words.... and his fruit is good fruit. You know a tree by its fruit. If his fruit is good, he is good.
You can never mix too much prayer with good government. That's the only way government is good; God in charge.... not a person who "thinks" they have an answer, like his opponent.
In case you didn't notice
I love it when I hear that same ole garbage about how long the new congress has been in office. Forget the fact that Bush has been in office for 8 years and ran this country into a ditch. Forget the fact that Bush vetoes anything from congress or the fact that we still have a republican senate.These same people that voted for Bush/Cheney and went along with every single policy this guy made want to blame anybody and everybody but "THEMSELVES OR BUSH"! Time to get rid of the Bush crowd now, to include Thelma "Caught Red Handed" Drake and this other bush sycophant Randy Forbes.
JWB
Too Liberal
This story is too much one sided liberal
Forbes v Miller
Miller says if you don;t agree with MoveOn.Org, that you are on the wrong side of the issues??? PLEASE. I look forward to reading about her defeat early on when the numbers come in on election day.
Hey Donkie
In case you have not noticed, the DEMS have been in control of congress the last two years and look what they have accomplished. The leaders of Fannie mae and Freddie mac made millions in profit. Now they are advising Obama and his campaign. It is funny how the DEMS where quick to point out of Dick Cheny was connected to Haliburton, who had the on gov't contracts in Iraqi, but when the shoe is on the other foot the DEMS cry out, not us. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. Both parties got rich at the expense of the American public.
Time for Change
We need new blood in Washington and we need change. The old ways are clearly not working. Randy Forbes and the Republicans have had their chance. Vote for Miller.
randy forbes - the gop's finest
Vote randy forbes out of office!
His two contributions while in congress?
He started a congressional prayer group, and he desperately tried to get a bridge named after his daddy.