Graves’ record earns 6th district support

Monday, October 27, 2008

Sam Graves’ record — his real record, not the one portrayed in negative campaign ads — makes a strong case he should be returned to Congress for a fifth two-year term.

Rep. Graves, 44, is a Tarkio Republican and sixth-generation family farmer. He is seeking to turn back a challenge from former Kansas City Mayor Kay Barnes, 70, the Democratic nominee for the 6th District seat.

There is no doubt Rep. Graves leans conservative; so does the majority of his district.
There is no doubt he votes regularly with his party; he supports its guiding principles but has broken ranks when his views differed.

There is no doubt he favors low taxes and limited government; he has advocated these ideas for years.

On issue after issue, Rep. Graves has taken stands that square with the views of the majority of his constituents:

On the war in Iraq: He has visited the troops and is strongly supportive of the military effort there. He opposes withdrawal timetables that would tie the hands of the military commanders. He has defined success as “a stable region and country that is not a safe haven for terrorists.”
On energy: He supports an “all of the above” strategy that includes extensive domestic drilling for oil far beyond that supported by his opponent. He favors drilling in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which he believes can be done without harming the environment. He also favors development of wind energy, clean coal, nuclear and alternative fuels. He is a strong backer of ethanol and has supported wind-energy legislation when presented with “clean” bills not heavily laden with pork projects.

On education: He won support from members of both parties when sponsoring an amendment requiring that 95 cents of every No Child Left Behind dollar be spent in the classroom. He defied his party leadership in opposing school vouchers, saying his vote was consistent with his district.

On illegal immigration: He supports securing the border with 700 miles of real fencing and penalties for employers who hire illegal immigrants. However, he also favors making it easier for employers to verify employees’ status.

On the bailout and taxes: He voted against the $700 billion Wall Street rescue package, contending it was laden with special-interest tax breaks that should have been brought to vote separately. He says he ran for office the first time to fight unnecessary tax increases and wasteful spending, and he continues to run on that platform.

If anyone is a tax-and-spend candidate in this race, it is Rep. Graves’ opponent. Kansas City’s improvements to its downtown are impressive, but the public’s investment is enormous and will continue for years to come.

And as for Rep. Graves’ “eight planes,” Ms. Barnes knows the truth of this. The congressman flies one plane, a 1967 Piper Cub, and has others that are in various states of disrepair. Two — literally junked planes used for parts — were not taxed because the Democratic assessor in Atchison County judged them to have no value.

Rep. Graves has deep roots in Northwest Missouri and has worked hard to assist individual constituents, local governments and businesses in their dealings with Congress. He is the clear choice on the Nov. 4 ballot.