Stowe Reporter endorses Congressman Welch

Peter Welch has built a strong record in his four years in the House of Representatives. He has pushed for consumer interests, pressed for energy efficiency, grilled federal budget experts, and offered the kind of constituent service you’d want from a congressman. He has called himself the cop on the beat in Washington, and he takes that approach seriously.

Welch, a Democrat, has proved to be far better than we thought he might be. He’s smart, well-informed and tenacious, and he has a knack for sniffing out problematic policies and moving quickly to put them in the spotlight.

Among Welch’s issues: Rebuilding the economy, restoring the middle class, providing health care for all, energy planning, and bringing back a sense of accountability and oversight in government, particularly its financial regulatory agencies. He opposes the war in Iraq, has a strong agricultural policy, and has worked to make college more affordable.

In contrast, the Republican nominee, Paul Beaudry, is best known as a conservative talk-show host on True North Radio. If we believe that the worst kind of politicians are those who love to hear themselves talk, why would we elect a radio talk-show host? Beyond that, Beaudry is largely anti-government, and yet depends on the disability checks he receives from the Veterans Administration. He thinks climate change is politically motivated. He questions whether President Obama’s Hawaii birth certificate is genuine. And when a tire was punctured on his car in May in Waterbury, we found out that Mr. America was driving a Suzuki. And on and on.

Leahy and Welch. The opposition’s not even close.