3 GOP candidates square off for seat in Congress
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 http://www.mlive.com/news/bctimes/index.ssf?/base/news-12/1216739721144800.xml&coll=4&thispage=1
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A state representative, a Ron Paul volunteer and a Ronald Reagan conservative all hope to unseat eight-term Congressman Bart Stupak in the 1st District.
But first, the three will face off in an Aug. 5 Republican primary.
State Rep. Tom Casperson of Escanaba is on the ballot along with Linda Goldthorpe, an attorney from McMillan who volunteered for Paul's presidential campaign earlier this year, and Don Hooper, a self-proclaimed ''renegade'' from Iron River who's making a fourth run for
Stupak's seat.
All three agree it's time for Stupak to go, and say the federal government needs to be reined in.
The 1st district stretches from northern Bay County through the Upper Peninsula. The job pays $169,300 per year and the term lasts for two years. The top vote-getter in the primary will face Stupak in November.
''I'm not ready to give up,'' said Casperson, who's term-limited in the State House after six years serving the 108th District.
He said he's grown frustrated with over-bearing federal regulations and wants to try and set things straight if he gets the job.
''There needs to be some sanity brought back,'' Casperson said.
As examples, he lists differing opinions from state and federal regulators on the need to create new wetlands when existing ones are developed. Timber sales on federal lands in the U.P. also have been held up by environmental groups, he said, along with plans for the Kennecott mine in Marquette.
Casperson said elected officials should engage regulators and interest groups when it comes to environmental issues.
''You've got people that are talking science and yet it's all emotion,'' he said.
He said it's become too popular to be green.
''I think it's been too popular to side with environmental groups as in 'I'm going to side and go along with them because I don't want to be portrayed as anti-environment,''' Casperson said.
He said the public is feeling the results of that now, with high oil and gas prices and businesses moving out of the state. He thinks Congress should take another look at directional drilling under the Great Lakes.
''Trying to develop anything in Michigan is almost impossible,'' he said.
Goldthorpe said she's never had the ambition to hold public office, but is tired of seeing the U.S. Constitution ''ignored by every level of government.''
''I'm still not sure I want the job,'' she said. ''I want somebody to have it that cares about the Constitution and individual rights and nobody's stepping up.''
Goldthorpe and Hooper both list Agenda 21, a United Nations plan to reduce human impacts on the environment, as a threat to the 1st District and the country.
Goldthorpe said there's too much meddling from the federal government in state affairs.
''The Constitution would have the states and the local government making decisions,'' she said.
Goldthorpe said the ''rewilding'' of the U.P. is part of Agenda 21.
''Introducing wolves up here,'' she explained, ''the whole notion is that humans are not supposed to be here and other species are more valuable.''
Her agenda?
''I'd like to go to Congress and vote no 1,000 times,'' Goldthorpe said. ''Ninety percent of what they do in Congress is not authorized by the Constitution.''
Hooper said he also thinks the Constitution is being disregarded.
He said the founding fathers intended for Congressmen to serve one or two terms, ''then return to the farm.''
Hooper thinks U.S. representatives should be limited to three terms, and be required to receive higher percentages of the vote each time to remain in office.
He said he's too conservative for party leaders, who have decided that Casperson is ''the chosen one.''
'A renegade like Don Hooper, I'm accountable to none other than the voters of the
1st District,'' Hooper said.
He said Casperson's experience in the state House wouldn't transfer well to Congress, but he has ''six decades of very, very comprehensive study and almost 6 million miles of travel throughout the U.S.''
Hooper said he's been to 49 states, Mexico, Canadian provinces, Great Britain and France, always making sure to visit U.S. historical sites.
''The 1st District of Michigan is a rather poor district, heavily dependent on socialism,'' Hooper said.
He refers to Congressional earmarks as ''blackmail'' and said he wouldn't bring home the bacon for his district like Stupak has.
''I can't do that, because we have a budget in this United States, now approaching a
$10 trillion deficit,'' Hooper said.
''We only have an economy that generates a little bit over $3 trillion.''
Hooper said the U.S. needs to conduct more oil exploration and drilling, including in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
''The only thing that goes up there is a big mosquito,'' he said.