The Newton County Republican Party invited Republican Congressman Paul Broun to speak to local party members last week as he and they prepare for the upcoming primary election.
An overflow crowd turned out to hear Broun, a medical doctor from Athens who is an incumbent candidate but is running for the first time in the newly drawn 10th district and faces opposition from Stephen Simpson, a businessman and retired Army officer.
Based on his actions, Broun is considered by many to be a true conservative and is associated with the Tea Party. He spoke to the local residents about the downsizing of the U.S. military and his complete disagreement with the decision of the U.S. Supreme Court and Chief Justice John Roberts to uphold key parts of Obamacare.
Broun has previously submitted his own healthcare bill, but it's remained stalled in committee. The "Offering Patients True Individualized Options Now Act," or OPTION Act, would overhaul healthcare with no federal mandate or universal coverage provisions.
Broun said President Obama's policies are leading the country down the path of Socialism.
The congressman also strongly feels that the leadership of the House of Representatives is weak and ineffective. We agree.
The House's Republican majority is led by, in our opinion, an old RINO (Republican in name only), John Boehner, a representative from Ohio.
When Broun was asked about changing that leadership, he said that it would take at least two election cycles to accomplish.
We were deeply troubled by that answer. The American people rose up in the 2010 election for the purpose of changing the direction of the house. At least they thought they did.
Instead, those who wanted a conservative approach to running government found themselves still stuck with Boehner, a fox who is still running the chicken coup as the speaker of the house.
It's disturbing that weak characters like Boehner cannot be replaced as leaders because the people that were sent to Congress to bring about change don't have the courage to make it happen.
No matter which party you belong to, we don't see your leadership in Washington D.C. looking out for your best interests.
This change can only come about at the polls, and we have two major elections coming up this year. If you are not registered to vote, please do so immediately, and if you're already registered, please vote. (If you can't make it to the polls on Election Day, early voting begins at the Newton County Board of Elections Monday.)
An additional responsibility of voters in a Republic like ours is to be informed. Please take some time to read up on the candidates to ensure you're voting for the person who truly represents your values and vision. Your decisions can affect the future of not only our region, but the entire country.
