Vogel responds to Collins' address to the nation

GAINESVILLE - The Democrat running against 9th District Congressman Doug Collins has responded to remarks Collins made a week ago in the weekly Republican address to the nation.<br /> <br /> David Vogel issued a statement Saturday saying the address was "one of the finest examples I have seen of what has gone wrong with political discussion. It is all slogans and meaningless assertions."<br /> <br /> Noting that Collins repeatedly criticized Democrats in the Senate for failing to act on a number of Republican-sponsored bills, Vogel asserted that "there is room for rational discussion, here, and no need for name calling."<br /> <br /> He added he believes Congress "would begin to function, again, if our legislators would come to the bargaining table with their evidence instead of their slogans."<br /> <br /> (Below is the full text of Vogel's response and there is a link below to an earlier story about Collins' remarks.)<br /> <br /> ................................................................................<br /> <br /> The full text of Vogel's response:<br /> <br /> When the United States was founded, there were political slogans and deceptions enough even for the 21st Century. However, there was also a level of carefully reasoned debate that has been lost in America. Few newspapers today would publish that collection of letters to the editor we now know as the Federalist Papers. Those carefully reasoned letters were written to urge adoption of the Constitution, but they also pointed out potential problems the Constitution did not address such as the risk of excessive influence in government by banks and corporations.<br /> <br /> Doug Collins' address was one of the finest examples I have seen of what has gone wrong with political discussion. It is all slogans and meaningless assertions. He tells us, "We [Republicans] passed bill after bill to help our struggling economy, save taxpayer dollars, lower the cost of gas and groceries, and help every child get a good education. But Democrats in the Senate have essentially decided to do nothing."<br /> <br /> What bills are you talking about, Doug? Those are all such good things to do, surely no one would object to them. Or was there some disagreement over whether those bills would actually do what you say they will? In that case, shouldn't we be discussing the bills and the reasoning behind them rather than just making assertions about them? That's what the founding fathers would have done.<br /> <br /> Soon after that, Collins tells us, "Even when it comes to the crisis on our southern border, House Republicans passed a common-sense solution, and Senate Democrats left town.... That's just irresponsible...." <br /> <br /> Well, the Senate Democrats thought the Republicans under G. W. Bush had already passed a common-sense bill that was appropriate for children who come to this country unaccompanied, and saw no reason to undo it. Let us acknowledge that there is room for rational discussion, here, and no need for name calling.<br /> <br /> And so continues the rest of his address.<br /> <br /> I have tried to make my website an example of rational political discussion in the 21st Century. I urge citizens of the 9th District to visit VoteVogel.org (not .com) where they will find the evidence that lies behind my positions. Perhaps, Americans even have a duty to their country to look for more rational political discussion, and to vote for those who offer it. I believe our Congress would begin to function, again, if our legislators would come to the bargaining table with their evidence instead of their slogans.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2014/8/278670