Not Tom Davis Debate in the 11th Congressional District

By: Teddy
Published On: 4/18/2006 11:00:06 PM

Ken Longmyer and Andy Hurst met before approximately 75-80 voters in a debate sponsored by the Springfield Democratic Committee at the Fairfax County Government Center on Tuesday evening the 19th of April.  George Burke, 11th District Chair, monitored what turned out to be a lively and very informative meeting which showcased each candidate completely in character, as well as displaying the degree of sophistication and involvement of the audience itself.
Mr. Hurst led off with a characteristically energetic declaration: he is running to replace Congressman Tom Davis in order to change the way Congress does business.  Hurst grew up in a working class New Jersey family, got his law degree at Georgetown, worked on John Edwards+óGé¼Gäó campaign and was inspired by Edwards to run for office in order to improve the lives of ordinary real people in contrast to the Republicans+óGé¼Gäó concentration on helping corporations and the rich. Hurst's experience in litigation representing the underdog makes him especially keen to kick Tom out.

Mr. Longmyer gave a typically measured, balanced response, noting that he came from the poorest part of Mississippi, had spent years in the Foreign Service at various posts overseas, had been a teacher, and had dealt repeatedly with Congress and the Department of Defense.  With all that, Longmyer says he will bring enormous experience to areas currently under-represented in Congress and exactly where it's most needed. 

Longmyer noted that he ran against Davis previously, knows Tom, and believes that the interests of the 11th District have not been represented by him.  Insted, Davis has voted with Tom Delay and Bush.  In contrast, Ken emphasizes that he is strongly connected to the Democratic base in the 11th.

There were 14 questions in all, ranging from "why are you running," through Iraq, health care, the economy, immigration, impeachment or censure of Bush, education, special needs of the 11th District, the gay marriage amendment, and the appropriateness of retired military officers+óGé¼Gäó commenting on Bush and Secretary Rumsfeld. In additinon, there was a question asking each candidate to pinpoint where Tom Davis is most vulnerable, and also how would each candidate will convince the editorial staff of the Washington Post to endorse them rather than Davis.

In his answers, Longmyer was reserved, thoughtful, measured - the professor discussing his specialty. Hurst was forceful, told jokes, moving in front of the podium, like a litigator convincing a jury. While there was basic agreement as Democrats on many questions, each candidate displayed a unique style and differed in the fine details of his position.

Iraq: Andy: Backs Rep. Jack Murtha, believes the generals on the ground should determine how we get out.
Ken: Bosnia and Iraq have similarities, let those on the ground set the timetable, if the country breaks into three parts, so what.
Health care: Ken: health care must be affordable, accessible, of high quality--- European countries provide that, why can+óGé¼Gäót we? Concentrate on preventive measures and eventually we+óGé¼Gäóll have national health care.
Andy: create incentives for small businesses to provide health care, fight fraud and abuse, get the consumer back in the loop instead of kowtowing to drug companies and HMOs.
Immigration: Andy: this issue has been deliberately raised by Republicans to divide us as it cuts across party lines; this is not an emergency, don+óGé¼Gäót let it become a crisis, we must not create an underclass
Ken: look at Germany with its "guest worker" program which failed miserably because the foreign workers were never assimilated.  Look at Sweden, which accepted foreign workers but from the beginning set about assimilating them. One way to reduce the flow of illegals is to improve economic conditions in the countries of origin.

Both candidates saw Tom Davis as vulnerable, especially this year. Ken Longmyer pointed out that Davis runs locally as a moderate but, when he is in Congress, votes hard right almost every time, closely aligned with Tom Delay and George W. Bush. Ken asked what Davis has ever really done for the 11th District.  Instead, Ken asserted that Davis has failed to do much of anything; for example, on our transportation problems.

Andy Hurst tied Davis tightly to the Abramoff corruption scandal and to Tom Delay.  Hurst shared a conversation he had with Davis a few years ago when both were involved in a local charity raffle in the Lorton area. Davis was offering a lunch with himself and Delegate Albo as a prize and, when Andy asked Tom how much he thought the lunch would bring in bids, Davis responded to the effect that "well, down here" meaning in the godforsaken section of Fairfax called Lorton, "not much at all, but if a lobbyist were bidding on it, about $25,000."  Andy said that right then and there he decided Davis needed to be replaced.


Comments



A couple questions (Ben - 4/19/2006 8:23:50 AM)
First of all, I didn't understand the lobbyist line.  Is it a bad thing that Tom thinks lobbyists would pay $25,000 for dinner with him?  It's almost as if Andy (and you, Teddy, by writing this) thinks that anyone a lobbyist would WANT to meet with is somehow corrupt?  How do you get from A to B here Teddy?

Also, why did you leave out the attack's on Tom's family?  I was voting for Hurst until he said that, now I need to learn more.



Is there a transcript or recording of this debate? (Lowell - 4/19/2006 10:06:03 PM)
I can't imagine Hurst attacking anyone's family.  A recording or official transcript could clear it up, seems to me.


Hurst said TOM, not Tom's family (Andrea Chamblee - 4/19/2006 10:50:38 PM)
Hurst also said "You'll notice we (Ken and Andy) are not stabbing anyone in the back."  At least he spoke for himself. Who manufactured that "Tom's family" rumor?

The acoustics were just fine, and everyone there should have heard what he said.

Ken said "I've known Tom Davis for XX years..."
Andy said "I don't know him well, but I've heard stories about Tom, some printable and some not."  He went on to tell how Tom had disdain for folks way "out here" in Lorton because they wouldn't shell out 6-digits for a lunch with him, as a lobbyist would.

Ask him if you want. He's an approachable guy.  Send an email to the address at http://www.hurstforcongress.com



Additional questions (Teddy - 4/19/2006 9:21:11 AM)
There was much more than could be covered in a short article. For example, on Education, including No Child Left Behind and the use of vouchers Ken pointed out NCLB has failed, that it concentrates on schools rather than the true components of education (teacher, child, parent); Andy despises vouchers but approves of magnet schools. 

On the American low savings rate and the death of pension plans, Andy said that people can't save now, but if we make social security and medicare work better, they will have the ability to save, and that we should get rid of government incentives for special interests and instead  incentivize individual savers; Ken wants stricter legislation on predatory lending, adding that government can't do it all, it's up to parents and schools to teach children about budgets, saving, and the economy.

When it came to investigating and/or impeaching Bush, Andy said Congress must exercise its oversight function and investigate Bush and the rest of his Administration, pointing out that Davis is Chair of the Government Reform Committee in Congress, and has done nothing. Ken said investigations sometimes result in nothing; what is needed is to elect a Congress prepared to do substantive oversight. That means: throw the rascals out that are currently in Congress.



??? (Dan - 4/19/2006 9:29:18 AM)
Well,

  How did the crowd respond?  Did they like Andy or Ken?  I think anyone who doesn't like Andy for this race had their heart removed.  HURST 2006!!!



The lobbyist line (Teddy - 4/19/2006 9:32:34 AM)
Sorry, Ben, space considerations unfortunately left out the surrounding comments leading up to the lobbyist line. What Andy was, I believe, trying to say, was that Davis was implying, and Andy understood, that Tom was accustomed to dealing with lobbyists on a quid pro quo basis a la Tom Delay... in other words, selling favors. That was the surrounding aura of the story, implicit not explicit. 

As I said, Andy tied Davis tightly to Delay and the Abramoff scandals, although he was quick to point out that so far, no one has directly implicated Tom. However, Davis was right there in a leadership position during much of the era, and did nothing to hinder what was going on; and, once additional underlings begin to sing, who can say what more will be revealed.



Tom's Family? (Teddy - 4/19/2006 9:34:39 AM)
Ben, exactly when and how did Andy "attack Tom's family?"


Tom's Family (Ben - 4/19/2006 10:16:06 AM)
The quote I got was:

"I have heard every story about Tom Davis' family.  Some are printable and some are not."



We need to avoid ad hominem statements (Rebecca - 4/19/2006 10:29:16 AM)
I think we need to avoid ad hominem statements in this campaign. I think anything that relates to government corruption is game even if it involves a family member, however. Other statements that border on "Your mother dresses you funny" (or she drinks too much, -just an example) should be avoided.


Did he mention any stories? (Tom Joad (Kevin) - 4/19/2006 10:34:51 AM)
Is that what you want to know? No...he didn't mention anything...just the vague notion of something. Is that an attack? I don't think so.


Why Not Just Call Him Hitler!? (Josh - 4/19/2006 11:04:27 AM)
It never fails...

You get a guy like Andy Hurst who is willing to take the fight to Tom Davis and the wingnuts fall back to their tired claims of SOCIALISM, COMMUNISM, even STALINISM!

What a bunch of cowards.  I usually like Vincent.  In this case he may be a bit too much of a Davis groupie to see Davis as part of the problem.  In practice, Davis is much more Santorum than Warner, no matter how much he'd like us to believe otherwise. 

Today, Vincent and James Young are smokin' the same fatty.



Tom Davis, not Tom Davis's family (Andrea Chamblee - 4/19/2006 11:41:56 AM)
I didn't hear the word "family" after Andy mentioned Tom Davis. I heard Andy say some stories about Tom are printable. As to the $25,000 payment for lunch, The WHOLE STORY was that people way "out here" (Lorton) don't appreciate how much Tom "goes for" but lobbyists know they should put out the coin.


Hmm.. (doctormatt06 - 4/19/2006 1:21:26 PM)
Its so hard to choose, we got to ask questions of them last week at the Mason District Democratic Meeting, and you're right to describe them as such, Longmeyer is the reserved professor, and Hurst the agressive lawyer.  They both seem like good candidates to me.  I really want Davis out though, so I'm trying to think of who's the better candidate and its tough going?  Anybody have anything they think would sway me one way or the other?

Also a poster on Andrewsullivan.com has started touting Webb, just thought I would give you Webbfanatics something to cheer about =O)



A choice between Hurst and Longmyer (bloo - 4/19/2006 11:45:33 PM)
Many reasons to go for Hurst:
  Hurst is running for the fire in his belly, to make things better.  Longmyer is running to put a D on the ballot.
  Hurst can get his message out.  He's knocking on thousands of doors - no exaggeration.  He has $100,000+ to take that message to the streets.  He has a team of volunteers. Ken has $437 after debts, NOT COUNTING the fling fee he had to pay April 14th.  http://www.fecinfo.com/cgi-win/pml1_sql_efview.exe?DoFn=C004028672006&server=PML2
  Hurst is young, and can actually be around long enough to get seniority and help the next Democrat.  Longmyer is 70 years old.
  Hurst has details. Ken said the economy can be fixed if we buy less oil and less goods from China.  Huh?  Andy has identified sections of laws that need changing and what he's replace them with.


Ken Longmyer @ Northern Virginia Community College-Apr. 27 (thegools - 4/19/2006 8:21:14 PM)
April 27 from 12-1 pm, Faculty Dining Room, CF Building (the Food Services building):

Ken Longmyer will speak & entertain questions at NVCC's Annandale Campus.

The event is sponsored by the Campus Democrats-Interest Group and is open to all students, faculty, staff, and  interested parties (i.e. the public).



EXACT (Too Conservative - 4/19/2006 10:46:23 PM)
My quotes were exact.

He did mention family.

THEY ARE EXACT.



were you the one doing the crossword? (Andrea Chamblee - 4/19/2006 11:05:24 PM)
Or was it Sudoku? 


HA! (Too Conservative - 4/19/2006 11:23:55 PM)
That wasn't me...it was Ben Tribbett.

...sorta, kinda, sorta close.

I was sitting behind him at the end.



He said it (Greg Bouchillon - 4/20/2006 12:24:01 AM)
I didn't. I did not name any names whatsoever, so let it be known, the Vincent, the scourge of modern politics, outted Ben Tribbett as a Sudoku junkie.