Posted on 02/10/2004 6:15:16 PM PST by ancient_geezer
Hensarling stumps in Cherokee County
By Jim Brown - Progress Region Editor
Republican Congressman Jeb Hensarling was in Jacksonville and Rusk Friday, stumping for the votes he'll need if he's to become Cherokee County's first Dallas-based representative since courts approved the state's controversial redistricting plan.
He was sworn into office in January 2003 after he ran for, and won, the District 5 seat vacated by Rep. Pete Sessions, who now serves District 32.
Hensarling, 46, said Friday he understands there is a "natural leeriness" on the part of some locals as to how someone from Dallas can represent East Texans.
"But in my case, I didn't grow up in a big city," he said after addressing about 35 supporters during an afternoon stop at the Norman Activity Center in Jacksonville.
The first thing Hensarling noted during his speech was his upbringing on a poultry farm, and spending much of his childhood living in rural settings, much like East Texas.
"I have strong roots in rural Texas," he said. "My first job, when I was 12 years old, was cleaning out a chicken house. You may not know it, but that was good training to be a U.S. Congressman."
"Right now, I have counties two-and-a-half hours from Dallas," he said. "I already have Henderson and Anderson counties. I think I have a good sense of the needs and hopes of East Texas."
Hensarling spoke from an alliterated outline that included Faith, Freedom, Family and Free Enterprise.
He said free enterprise is the embodiment of "succeeding or failing on your own merits," noting also that the stock market is up, home ownership is at its highest and unemployment is down.
"But there's still too many factories that are closed, and shops that are padlocked," he said. "We won't rest until everyone who wants a job has a job."
He said deterrents to the nations prosperity are "liberal Democrats in Washington who want to raise our taxes," frivolous law suits and federal regulations that have a "business-strangling" effect.
Hensarling also said he has co-sponsored a bill that would "abolish the IRS, and move us to a flat tax or national sales tax."
He said America's freedoms are being threatened on both foreign and domestic fronts.
"Let there be no doubt: We will win this war on terror," he said.
And on the domestic side, he cited "porous borders" as being a major problem.
Of the "tens of thousands" of people crossing U.S. borders, he conceded that many are "good people, simply looking for opportunity."
"But there are some looking for welfare, and others wanting to do our nation harm," he said. "We've got to control our borders."
He also extolled the virtues of family, saying it "takes a family to raise a child, not a village.
"And part of the traditional family must be defined as marriage ... between one man and one woman," he said.
And on faith, he said that "rights ... come from a Creator who endowed us with inalienable rights and ... freedom of, not from, religion."
Part of Hensarling's entourage Friday was Athens Mayor Jerry King. Before coming to Jacksonville, Hensarling swung through Wood County for stops in Mineola, Quitman and Winnsboro. After he left Jacksonville, an aide said he was driving to Rusk for a radio interview and a meeting at Citizen's First Bank.
Hensarling will run unopposed in March's Republican primary. He will face another Dallas man, Democrat Bill Bernstein, in the November general election.
Hensarling said his wife, Melissa, two-year-old daughter, Claire and four-month-old son, Travis, joined him Friday for the Wood County portion of his trip.
"On some days, I change diapers and on some days I change laws," he said. "And there's a number of similarities between the two, but we won't go there today."
He said deterrents to the nations prosperity are "liberal Democrats in Washington who want to raise our taxes," frivolous law suits and federal regulations that have a "business-strangling" effect.
Hensarling also said he has co-sponsored a bill that would "abolish the IRS, and move us to a flat tax or national sales tax."
Hensarling is a co-sponsor of:
H.R.25
SPONSOR: Rep Linder, John (introduced 01/7/2003)
A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national retail sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.Refer: http://www.fairtax.org
An income tax is like a cowpie.
Flatten it, and it's still a cowpie.
I think you got youself a tag line LOL.
You like that? LOL...
I started using that line ten years ago in speeches. Goes over pretty big, especially in farm country! ;-)
*wry laugh*
We need many more like him in Washington IMHO!
Once you get to some critical mass among the electorate, a push for a discharge petition to pry it out of committee panics the rest into line.
Getting to that critical mass of electorate disgust is the kicker.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.