Commentary; Posted: 10/20/04

Kennedy is ECMís choice in Sixth District

Four years ago Mark Kennedy narrowly beat incumbent Rep. David Minge to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Kennedy also won in 2002 against a different opponent in a different congressional district, Minnesotaís Sixth.

Now he's running again, this time in a race against a well-known challenger, Democrat Patty Wetterling of St. Joseph.

We believe Kennedy deserves another term.

The Republican from Watertown has demonstrated leadership skills and a clear command of the issues. While we donít agree with him on everything, he has represented Minnesotaís Sixth District well the past two years.

Transportation has been one of his priorities. Itís an issue near and dear to Sixth District voters. Kennedy supports the Northstar commuter rail project, which would offer train service between Big Lake and Minneapolis. He also has spearheaded a proposal which would allow for new toll lanes on certain highways as a way to alleviate congestion.

Kennedy articulates a firm position on national defense and the war on terror. He contends that this nation is far better off fighting terrorists where they live and train than on the streets of America. He believes with Saddam Hussein in jail and Osama bin Laden on the run, the United States is safer. He has visited Iraq to see the situation there first-hand.

On the issue of the national debt, Kennedy says the best way to curb it is to get federal spending under control and grow the economy.

Kennedy is pro-life. He also has co-sponsored a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Both issues are important to many voters in the Sixth District.

While he is a Republican lawmaker, Kennedy isnít afraid to buck the party line. For instance, he voted against the No Child Left Behind education initiative. He also has opposed efforts to open sensitive areas such as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.

Wetterling, meanwhile, offers Kennedy a serious challenge. Wetterling has become a national expert on child safety since the abduction of her son, Jacob, 15 years ago this Friday.

She has clearly demonstrated an ability to bring people together around an issue. She has successfully lobbied federal and state governments for public safety improvements including sex offender registration, community notification of sex offender release into neighborhoods and the Amber Alert system.

Wetterling is an impressive candidate in her own right. We admire her and we wish her well.

But come Nov. 2, we believe Kennedy is the best choice. óAn editorial from the ECM Editorial Board. The Forest Lake Times is part of ECM Publishers, Inc.

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