The Savage Republican

I sent the following letter to Congressman Kennedy and the RPM Chairman Ron Carey. I find it increasingly difficult to support a candidate that votes more for his special interests friends and less for the people that he wants to have send him to the Senate!

Congressman Mark Kennedy
1415 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Fax 202/225-6475

Congressman Kennedy,

Two years ago, during the Bush Campaign, I was one of many grass roots activists who whispered “I sure wish Congressman Kennedy would run for Senator Dayton’s seat!” The week after you announced your intention to run, I contacted your campaign office to sign up as a campaign volunteer. I spent the last 2 years writing letters to the Star Tribune and writing blog posts in your support (I contribute to a blog called The Savage Republican www.savagerepublican.com). I spent many hours talking up your campaign to anyone who would listen to me. I have been one of more your avid supporters.

That all came crashing down this past spring. With gas prices pushing $3.00 a gallon, votes against increasing our domestic production of oil have dampened my enthusiasm for your candidacy. I find it increasingly difficult to support a candidate that cares more for he can do for the alternative fuels industry and less for what he can do for the hard working middle class citizens of the state of Minnesota!

I certainly understand the need for alternatives to oil based fuels, however, as long as hybrid cars cost a full year’s salary for people like me gasoline is a necessity! Voting against drilling in ANWR and voting to continue a ban on off-shore drilling are votes against your volunteers! As long as gas prices continue to hover around $3.00 a gallon I know that I will not be able to drive to your St Paul campaign office very often for volunteer activities – it is simply too cost prohibitive for me and I certainly will not have any extra money for things like campaign contributions.

In two weeks, we will be having your endorsing convention. I am having a hard time justifying my support for your candidacy and I am taking a hard look at your two challengers. Something has to change between now and then if you stand any chance of retaining my (and my husbands) support in the endorsing convention on June 1.

The average hybrid fuels vehicle sells for $25,000 to $30,000. If someone in my circumstance has a hard time justifying that kind of expense, just imagine what the person who only makes $15,000 to $20,000 a year has to go through.

In a poll on the Congressman's website, the Congressman asked "what can Congress do to reduce oil prices?" He gave four options and not one of them included increasing the supply of oil in order to match demand! THIS IS SIMPLE ECONOMICS - something that one would think a Certified Public Accountant and business owner would understand! America puts it's national security at risk when we continue to rely on questionable allies like Saudi Arabia, Canada and Venezuela for the majority of it's fuel oil. Yes, we should continue to do research on renewable fuels. Yes, we should build more refinery capacity. However, instead of rescinding the Federal gas tax, we should be taking that money and putting it into increased domestic production aka more domestic drilling.

As I said, it is Economics 101. Maybe we should send Congressman Kennedy and Senator Coleman a refresher course!