Letter: 'Obsitnik Refuses to State Where He Stands'

If ever there was an election in which Democratic and Republican candidates represent dramatically different values, this is it. The electorate is keenly aware of the differences. Recent polls show that a majority of voters believes that President Obama’s policies will help the middle class. Unlike Governor Romney’s policies, which a majority believes favor just the wealthy. Romney has been forthright with where he stands, not backing down from his statement that nearly half the nation doesn’t take responsibility for its own well-being.

But here in Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District, Republican challenger Steve Obsitnik refuses to state where he stands on important issues. He is trying to appeal to moderate voters without repudiating radical Republican policies. On his website he says he will “fight to ensure that seniors receive the healthcare they need.” But he refuses to go on the record about whether or not he supports the Ryan budget plan. Ryan’s plan turns Medicare into a voucher system that would likely not allow seniors to buy the coverage they receive today.

Obsitnik says he supports “women’s reproductive choice”, but has repeatedly refused to answer whether he supports the constitutional protection of Roe v. Wade, which Romney and Ryan vow to overturn. Obsitnik wants lower taxes and a reduced federal debt, but offers no plan for how these incompatible goals can be achieved without decimating investments in education, infrastructure, jobs and energy independence.

In contrast, Jim Himes has a voting record that makes his positions clear. He stands behind his vote for the Affordable Care Act, which will extend healthcare coverage to millions of Americans. He is working to find fair, balanced solutions to our fiscal problems, being called a “hero” by USA Today for voting for a compromise budget modeled on Obama’s bipartisan Simpson-Bowles Commission. Congressman Himes is the thoughtful, bipartisan legislator we need to move the country forward. He deserves to be re-elected.

Jonathan Perloe

Greenwich