Several fine candidates sought the Republican nomination in the race to succeed outstanding 3rd District U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp. When the dust settled, primary voters had picked conservative Chattanooga attorney Chuck Fleischmann as the GOP candidate.
In the Democrat primary, voters chose John Wolfe, an extremely liberal local attorney whom Rep. Wamp defeated handily in previous races.
We recommend without reservation the election of Mr. Fleischmann on Nov. 2 to continue Rep. Wamp's excellent service.
Mr. Fleischmann, a husband and the father of three sons, is actively involved in the civic life of the community. But most importantly, he holds commonsense views on the important issues.
* He will fight to repeal the ObamaCare socialized medicine bill that Democrats in Congress passed this year with no Republican support.
Our country cannot afford ObamaCare. Even Democrat Gov. Phil Bredesen says it would saddle the state with hundreds of millions of dollars in costs. Real reform of health care should involve steps such as eliminating frivolous malpractice lawsuits that drive up costs and promote inefficiency, Mr. Fleischmann says. He also believes in boosting competition by allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines.
* Mr. Fleischmann solidly opposes tax increases. He understands that higher taxes discourage growth.
* He rejects the failed Obama administration policy of trying to borrow and spend the country out of the economic crisis.
* He rejects amnesty for illegal aliens, pointing out that a previous amnesty led to a massive new illegal invasion. He believes border security should be enhanced.
* A supporter of legal gun rights, Mr. Fleischmann pledges to "fight any legislation that threatens" the Second Amendment.
* He is strongly pro-life.
By contrast, Mr. Wolfe, while disagreeing with aspects of ObamaCare, believes the federal government should have gone even further in its takeover of the medical system by creating a so-called "public option."
"If elected to Congress, I would advocate Medicare for all," he wrote on his website. But the Medicare we already have is going broke!
He openly advocates higher taxes, even though the country is in the midst of an economic crisis. And he wants a new round of "stimulus" spending - despite the failure of the stimulus approved by Congress last year.
Mr. Fleischmann's conservatism and prudent approach to the issues recommend him for election to Congress.