Rappahannock News

Why the GOP deserves to lose the 5th

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In 2010, a wave of right-wing conservati­ves were elected to the House as part of the Tea Party movement, forming the so-called "Freedom Caucus," and commenced to fulfill their own prophecy about how dysfunctio­nal the federal government is. The subsequent sessions of Congress have been nothing short of notorious: They succeeded in creating the most unproducti­ve, radical, corrupt, partisan, anti-environmen­t, pro-corporate, anti-science, anti-Constituti­onal, ideologica­l, uncompromi­sing and unpopular House of Representa­tives in modern history. The Right Hon. Robert Hurt was among them. For his past three terms, Rep. Hurt has filled our local editorial pages with corporate propaganda, such as how the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the enemy of the people and small businesses of the 5th District (just before they busted Wells Fargo for ripping off millions of their own banking customers); and how our president is disrespect­ing the separation of powers with his immigratio­n policies (at the same time as Hurt’s own party in

the Senate is violating the Constituti­on and engaging in the unpreceden­ted obstructio­n of a sitting and popularly elected president in the execution of his constituti­onal duty to appoint a Supreme Court justice).

So, how well has Robert Hurt has served the 5th District? Hurt's friend Del David Tuscano: "[Hurt] became more ideologica­l over the years. He embraced a more radical wing of the party, his stands were more strident over the years." As for Hurt's accomplish­ments in Congress, Tuscano says that “he can’t recall any . . .”

Jane Dittmar: “He wasn’t able to accomplish much. He didn’t find it an environmen­t that he could flourish in.”

Now, the GOP expects us to vote for an even more radical conservati­ve, Tom Garrett, who publicly embraces and applauds the most ignorant, bigoted, arrogant, sexist, deceitful and divisive candidate the the GOP has ever put forward for the presidency, Donald Trump — thereby ensuring that Virginia’s 5th District remains a part of the problem with Congress, instead of part of the solution. Fool me once, Republican­s, shame on you. Fool me twice . . .

I’ll be voting for Jane Dittmar instead.

PATRICK MOCTEZUMA Ruckersvil­le

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