Thursday, February 4, 2010

Florida CD-19 The Next National Race

What do the gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, the congressional race in NY-23, and the come-from-behind victory of underdog senate candidate Scott Brown in Massachusetts all have in common? Each of these local elections had national implications, sending a clear message to the Democrats in Congress and the Obama Administration, that the majority of the American People flatly reject their radical left-wing agenda.

Some people, unfortunately, are harder to reach than others, notwithstanding the boldness and clarity of the message. Rather than acknowledge voters’ legitimate concerns and change course accordingly, Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Barack Obama have forcefully recommitted themselves to their leftist ideology, flooring the accelerator and driving America even faster down the dead-end highway of ever-expansive government, higher taxes, socialized healthcare, Cap and Trade legislation, and foreign policy weakness in dealing with our enemies.

As disturbing as it is, this unabashed power-grab and willful disregard for Americans must serve as a motivator and a reminder that we all have an obligation to keep our focus on Washington, D.C. No matter what state we may reside in, we must look upon every race as an opportunity to relentlessly advance the message of limited government, strong national defense and individual liberty. In 2010, we will take our government back one House and Senate seat at a time.

The next step in restoring the republic is upon us. In Florida’s 19th Congressional District, Republican nominee Edward Lynch Sr. is poised to win in a special election against Democrat Ted Deutch. Deutch is a Florida State Senator who was anointed by his predecessor, Robert Wexler, the self-described “fire-breathing liberal”. Mr. Wexler resigned in January – halfway through his seventh term – to work for a tiny Washington based think-tank. Deutch has made it clear that if he’s elected he will proudly back President Obama’s agenda one-hundred percent.

Edward Lynch, on the other hand, is a conservative Republican who opposes several of the current major pieces of legislation being considered in the Democrat-controlled Congress. Far from being simply obstructionists to a radical, left-wing agenda, Lynch will tell you with conviction that “Republicans aren’t the party of ‘no’, but the party of ‘know’” because we have common-sense solutions to the problems confronting our nation.

Unlike the majority of sitting members of Congress, Edward has actually read the healthcare bills; therefore, he understands that what they contain won’t solve our healthcare problems. On the contrary, the proposed healthcare legislation will have a devastating effect on the populace by raising rates, reducing quality and putting government bureaucrats – not patients and doctors – in control of medical decisions.

Lynch wants free-market health insurance reform that will fix the system for Americans who either can’t afford or qualify for healthcare insurance, without destroying the things that make the American healthcare system the envy of the world. His plan includes common-sense solutions like tort reform, interstate competition for insurance companies, and tax deductions for individuals and small businesses. Not only is this a viable solution to the problem, it costs the taxpayers nothing.

Lynch wants to get Americans back to work by reducing taxes on individuals and small businesses. He wants to reduce the burden of massive federal regulation on businesses and get government out of the business of picking winners and losers in the private sector.

Candidate Lynch is a strong supporter of Israel and believes in a single state solution for our best ally in the Middle East. Lynch believes that Israel has the right to self-defense and to act preemptively, just as the United States would when its citizens are threatened.

Already Bill Clinton has traveled to Florida to fundraise for Lynch’s opponent. The Democrats are scared, and they sure don’t want to lose this reliably liberal seat; therefore, they will do whatever it takes to hold onto it. Pulling out all the stops, they will pour as much money and influence into this campaign as possible. If it means dispatching the Clintons or even Obama himself, make no mistake – they will fight hard.

The stakes in this FL-19 special election are huge – not just for Florida, but for every American who is concerned about the leftward direction our elected officials are frantically steering our republic. Every time a Democrat in a “safe seat” loses, it makes every other Democrat facing reelection in November a bit more nervous about their own future, thus further impeding the crazy, runaway train that is the president’s agenda.