Atlanta Journal and Constitution Endorses John Barrow for Congress

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution today released its endorsements for all 13 of Georgia’s congressional district, calling Barrow’s bipartisan record in Congress “an admirable quality in these days of extreme partisanship:”

John Barrow, the Democratic incumbent in the 12th District, likes to point out that he regularly crosses his party leadership when his conscience requires it. That's an admirable quality in these days of extreme partisanship and one of the reasons voters should re-elect Barrow over Republican Max Burns in a rematch of the 2004 election. The eastern Georgia district has since been changed to bolster Republican chances, but Barrow votes frequently enough for GOP-endorsed legislation that voters in that party should feel comfortable retaining him.

To read all of the AJC’s endorsements, visit: http://www.ajc.com/opinion/content/opinion/stories/2006/10/31/1101edcong.html

Waynesboro True Citizen Endorses John Barrow; Urges 12th District Voters to Send Barrow Back to Congress

Barrow for Congress

Inevitably, today’s political campaigns evolve into mud-slinging contests. Both sides distort their opponent’s record, position or even personal life. We are left with the task of sorting through all the garbage thrown at us so we can make intelligent choices on Election Day. It’s not always easy. Voters have to dig deeply into independent sources of information to find unfiltered truths about each candidate.

It is after that process that we have concluded that John Barrow has earned another term representing the 12th District in the United States Congress. Barrow hit the ground running after his election in 2004. He began visiting the communities in his district, setting up lines of communication with farmers, healthcare providers, veterans’ groups and others in order to serve them effectively in Washington. He supported the ethics bill that passed earlier this year in an effort to clean up the mess made by lobbyists and corrupt members of Congress.

Though his opponents have tried to paint a picture of a left-leaning liberal big spender, John Barrow is really just the opposite. He has been tough on the issue of illegal immigration. He voted to authorize more than $28 billion to hire over 2000 new Border Security Agents and additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He voted to add five years to any sentence for violent crime or drug trafficking when the offender is an illegal alien. He voted to continue building a fence along the Mexican border and to make it a crime to enter this country illegally.

Barrow has worked hard for our nation’s farmers by opposing efforts to cut $3.7 billion out of agricultural appropriations that would help fund crop insurance programs, federal farm assistance, food safety, agricultural research and conservation efforts. He also cosponsored bills to make sure the nation’s Farm Service Agencies remain open and fully staffed.

Contrary to negative advertising, Barrow has consistently opposed higher taxes, including the National Sales Tax, which would raise taxes on 80 percent of low and middle income Americans. He supported the extension of the 2001 tax cuts which provided about $56 billion in tax relief. And he voted to repeal the Death Tax permanently.

He voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), which is widely believed to have contributed to the closing of manufacturing plants in our area.

Max Burns is a good and decent man who did a creditable job in his one term in Congress. His biggest handicap, like that of every other Republican Congressional candidate across the country, is the failed policies of the Bush administration. Voters will have to ask themselves if they want to send representatives to Washington who will support the Bush-Cheney-Rumsfeld-Rice regime which has gotten this country into the biggest quagmire since Viet Nam.

For that reason, more than any other, we recommend a vote next Tuesday for John Barrow.

www.thetruecitizen.com