 | Times-Mirror Staff Photo/Beverly Denny Democratic Congressional candidate for the 10th District Jeff Barnett and his wife, Katherine, wave to passing cars in downtown Leesburg Sept. 6 during his walk through Loudoun County. |
Congressional Democratic candidate Jeff Barnett used an 80-mile walk through the 10th District not only to connect with constituents but also to commit to a term-limit pledge.
Barnett, who is vying for 30-year Republican incumbent Frank Wolf’s seat, said he would only continue as a congressman if he’s able walk the district before every election.
“If I can’t walk I won’t run,” Barnett said. “I believe in term limits and I believe that that’s the best term-limit pledge you’ll ever find.”
The candidate has been a sharp critic of Wolf’s tenure in office.
Barnett started the six-day walking tour near the West Virginia border in Gore on Sept. 3. He stopped in Leesburg Sept. 6 and finished the walk Sept. 8 in McLean.
Along the way, Barnett, a retired Air Force colonel and corporate adviser, and his wife, Katherine, stayed with supporters. In total, the two visited 13 towns.
“It’s our method of reaching out to people. This is a necessary part of every campaign,” Barnett said.
The candidate spent the time stopping at diners and coffee shops, and knocking on doors to push his platform.
At the forefront of Barnett’s campaign is economics – saving and creating jobs and whittling down a national deficit.
The economy also is at the top of the list of grievances among constituents, Barnett said.
“People are scared about not having a job. They’re scared about their kids, but most of all they’re scared that if they lose their job … they’re [not] going to find a new one,” he said.
A wide ranging number of views, but the most significant one, to me, is the results Loudoun County sees with Frank Wolf. He needs to be kept on the job, because he is doing the job.
Or you can say Frank Wolf has been a member of Congress while Rome started to burn and has done nothing to stop the fire. Maybe some people would an independently thinking statesman in office rather than the party line, pork barrel minded Frank Wolf. I can’t say the other two guys are any better, but I know Frank Wolf pretty much epitomizes what is wrong with a typical member of Congress.
What is wrong with incumbancy? I’m tired of having to rationalize why hiring inexperience and its learning curve to replace experience and wisdom is such a good idea. The mind set against incumbancy carries on over to the hiring of older workers. A senior does not have ghost of a chance of obtaining even a menial job in today’s work environment. What is this great prejudice against older experienced workers? Frank Wolf is a known entity and should be re-elected because of his wisdom of fighting his long battles to address his constituencies’ needs.
Barnett does seem to have some inside connections with Rollcall.com They’ve been profiling his gimmicky little walk all week.
Too bad The Cook Report and Real Clear Politics don’t even consider this race worth watching. The NYTimes talked about Democrat leaders and their triage strategy so I’m guessing this race gets cut quickly. They need to concentrate on Boucher, Nye, Periello, Connolly to try to stem the bleeding.
Maybe he runs as a Democrat because running on the GOP ticket requires you to think this country should become a Christian theocracy and that only the top 1% should benefit from America’s prosperity. Just as I have to choose from the lesser of two evils every election, this candidate had to choose from two terrible party platforms. F the country over with John Boehner or F the country over with Nancy Pelosi. Pick your poison.
I am sure if you look at Mr. Wolf’s record between 1980-92 and 2000-08, he voted for plenty of spending bills that were not funded by anything but debt. He is hardly a champion of the balanced budget or reduced spending. Only now that it is politically convenient has he morphed to try and resemble a fiscal conservative.
Second thought for all you closer-in, big-bucks making types: You think this guy is going to vote to keep the Bush tax cuts? I don’t think so; Democrats are big into income redistribution and there’s a LOT of income closer in. Oh, and by the way, did you see the Wall Street Journal article: your health premiums are going up, curtesy of Obamacare. Thanks, Democrats.
McIntosh, well said. I’m just waiting for the Editorial Board to endorse him…...
All you need to know is this guy is a McLean Democrat supporting: Keynesian economics, cap & tax, Obamacare, card check to get more unions in Virginia, re-electing Nancy Pelosi, supporting Obama’s liberal tax, tax, spend, spend policies. If he didn’t support all of these, why would he choose to run as a Democrat?
He has no background in economics or running a business. He has a very short resume of involvement in District 10 yet thinks he should be made a congressman.
Bet he found out the District is a lot different once you get past Leesburg: cows, horses, orchards, mountains, small towns. Life’s different outside the Beltway.
Frank Wolf is a good, honest, decent man. This guy Barnett is an empty suit just like the guy he will give his rubber stamp to, Barack Obama
The most important thing that Democratic Party voters have to do between now and Election Day is to answer this question: “Shall I donate my money to my favorite Democratic candidate such as Mr. Barnett, or shall I spend my money to buy a lottery ticket?”
The correct answer is: Buy a lottery ticket. Your chances of winning will be much greater.
Blah blah blah, every one of these politicians claims they are for term limits until they get into office and then it’s their career they are limiting. This game has been going on for years; they get just enough people to say they are for limits but not enough to pass it then they all go home and tell their constituents that they tried to get it done. What a load of crap. The only way to enforce limits is at the ballot box.
A taxpayer voting for a democrat is like a chicken voting for Colonel Sanders
Is this an open seat? I haven’t seen or heard anything from the incumbent recently.
I’m just going to have to determine, then, that the Mr. Wolf is afraid to face the voters and his challenger and explain his lackluster record (which consists, for at least the past two years, of doing nothing and/or just saying no.)
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