First Congressional District nominees for the U.S. House of Representatives seat Republican Greg Davis and incumbent Democrat Travis Childers recently exchanged political viewpoints in two debates.
Childers defeated Southaven Mayor Davis in a special election earlier this year after Sen. Roger Wicker left the 1st District position upon accepting Gov. Haley Barbour’s nomination for the Senate seat which was left open after former Sen. Trent Lott’s resignation in 2007.
Communication director for Childers Dana Edelstein said the congressman was a clear winner in each of the recent congressional debates.
“He proved that he would be willing to work with all 434 members of Congress, whereas his opponent wants to continue to play party politics,” she said.
Edelstain said North Mississippi is facing tough times right now and needs a congressman who understands tough times.
“Childers voted against the bailout bill twice because he thinks that its unfair to ask hardworking Mississippi families to bail out Wall Street for its own recklessness.” she said.
He only voted against the bailout after he voted for it twice.
“We believed that the insurance agencies should have been insured instead of bailed out,” he said. “If they were insured, it would have only cost $29 billion instead of $300 billion.”
Childers is willing to cross party lines to provide solutions for the big problems we are facing now, Edelstein said.
“Our opponent has made it very clear that he has no interest in working with the other party, even if it is in the benefit of North Mississippi,” she said.
Davis said overall his opponent is ranked No. 3 of all congressmen in taking money from Democratic leadership political action committees and has received $204,000 from unions.
“Childers is receiving more money from leadership PACs [political action committees] than any other congressman,” he said. “I think it is truly representative of who will work for the people of the 1st District and not for those in Washington.”
Davis said Childers is not in favor of the liberal Democratic leadership yet takes their money.
“Philosophically, I could not accept money from individuals I do not agree with,” he said.
Henderson said Childers continues to say that he is a conservative but has voted 93 percent with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the Democratic Party, Henderson said.
“If he [Childers] is conservative, then he would vote for someone more conservative for speaker of the House,” he said.
The 93 percent figure is not an accurate number, Edelstein said.
“He is the second most independent member of his party in Congress, and the number is based on specific votes that his opponent decided to cherry-pick out of every vote the congressman has cast,” she said. “Travis Childers will always be an independent voice in North Mississippi, and his vote is not for sale.”
Childers also understands what it’s like to run a household on a very limited budget, she said.
“He’ll make sure to work towards balancing the budget in Congress and stop wasteful spending of taxpayers dollars,” Edelstein said.
Other candidates include Green Party candidate John Wages and Wally Pang, who is running as an independent.
Pang said he is entering this race because the other politicians are not representing the middle class.
“I am the only candidate that does not receive campaign money,” he said. “I do not like politicians wasting our money to be re-elected. When they do spend it, they should inform us how they will use it.”
John Wages said he is embittered by the two-party system. He said if he had plenty of money, he would be allowed to debate.
“Since I have only ideas, I am not invited,” he said. “I think that to exclude Mr. Pang and I shows contempt towards the voters of the 1st District.”
Wages, who is a professor at Itawamba Community College, said he is running for this position because he is concerned about the North Mississippi area.
“I have seen how people in other states live, and I think we can do better here,” he said. “We are lagging behind according to most economic indicators.”
There are many issues that Davis and Childers won’t speak about, Wages said.
He said if people are satisfied with the Democrats and the Republicans, then they should vote for Childers and Davis, Wages said.
“If they want real change, then they should vote for real change,” he said. “I am real change.”
Original publication date: 10/24/08.