Capitol Journal Q&A - Tim Walberg

GOP Congressman Tim Walberg will be our guest on the next edition of Capitol Journal Q&A. As always, you're the ones asking the questions, so get them in!

Walberg's sprawling congressional district covers Eaton County and southern Michigan from Battle Creek to Jackson and Adrian. He will be facing stiff competition in November 2008 from either Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer or organic farmer Sharon Renier, who held him under 50 percent in 2006. Former Rep. Joe Schwarz has neither filed to run nor ruled himself out.

To go over the rules again:

You submit questions either by commenting below or emailing them to me. I pick five, and will ask them of the congressman. His responses will be printed in a later post.

You have until Dec. 1 to get those questions in, so don't delay!

Comments

[amac]

Rep. Walberg, political partisanship is currently as high as it's been in living memory, in both Washington and Lansing. It seems the party line is all-important to our elected officials. What, personally, have you done since your election to Congress to promote bipartisanship?

[bent15]

Rep. Walberg, On your campaign website you say you "support expanding the use of alternative energy," while encouraging the exploration of oil in Alaska. You also voted against legislation in January 2007 that would provide incentives for alternative and renewable energy sources and prevent free exploitation of oil in the Gulf of Mexico. Why did you not vote to promote alternative and renewable energy sources instead of just giving lip service to them on your website.

[Mark Eagle]

Rep. Walberg in the past couple of months you had spoken to a group at the Eaton Intermediate School District about the No Child Left behind Act. Do you think our federal tax dollars could be better used on programs that set our youth on track to compete with the rest of the world? For instance, increase funding for more experienced teachers in the classroom, strengthening curriculums toward math, science and English skills.

[Joe]

Rep. Walberg, if, in the past, you thought Iraq was as safe as Detroit -- and this justified our military presence -- how safe has the surge made Iraq today? Is it beginning to rocket beyond the murder capital of the United States?

[Alan Goldsmith]

Rep. Walberg,

Please name the top three things you have acomplished in your first term and what your top three priorities are if you are reelected in 2008.

[Don Tomaso]

Representative Walberg, my state senator Mark Schauer recently voted for the largest tax increase in Michigan history. Do you think it is possible for us to tax ourselves into prosperity, like Senator Schauer, or do you think the key to economic prosperity can be found with a different approach?

[speds]

Congressman Walberg, when you ran for the Republican nomination against Joe Schwarz in 2006, you criticized him for supporting earmarks. At a televised debate, you promised never to support an earmark. Earlier this year, you voted for earmarks and have claimed credit for fighting hard for earmarks in the 7th district. What changed your mind?

[speds]

Congressman Walberg, do you expect to have the support of Club for Growth in your re-election bid or will you be looking to your constituents to fund your campaigns from here on out?

[speds]

Congressman Walberg, do you still believe human beings who believe in Islam are incapable of comprehending democracy, as you told a reporter at the Brooklyn Exponent, or were you just joking around?

[Kevin]

I would like to know if the Congressman would support making the federal flag code enforceable.

[Travis Radina]

Congressman Walberg,

As a student at The University of Michigan, I am very concerned with education costs and student loans. One of your opponents, Senator Schauer, has continuously proven himself as an advocate for students - by fighting for lower tuition, fewer loan burdens, and more accessible education. Why should students vote for you in 2008, when Senator Schauer's record has proven that he is a better advocate for students?

[Fitzy]

Derek, I've got a lot of questions, but I'd love it if you asked at least one of these two:

____
Congressman Walberg, Congress often makes symbolic gestures, and one of the most common ones is to name post offices after people. So far this session, the House of Representatives has voted to name 13 post offices after various people. You voted for 12 of those name changes and against one of them-- naming a post office in Pittsburgh after environmentalist Rachel Carson.

I heard you call yourself an environmentalist at a town hall event in Adrian. Rachel Carson is generally credited with starting the modern environmental movement. You supported naming post offices after people ranging from former President Gerald Ford to Lino Perez, a postmaster in Texas. Is there a reason why you don't think Rachel Carson deserves this symbolic gesture?

____
Congressman Walberg, you've voted to support President Bush's course in Iraq and to support General Petraeus and the "surge." However, violence is still high, the Iraqi government is still disorganized, and when British troops withdrew from Basra, attacks dropped by 90 percent. At what point will you support a different strategy, and what might that strategy be?

____

I also want to thank you for this blog. I don't usually comment, but I check it every day.