Congressional candidate logging miles despite high price of gas

No one knows any better about the high price of gasoline right now than Congressional candidate, Blaine Luetkemeyer. The Republican is out on the campaign trail anywhere from four to seven days a week.
“We’re getting to some areas where we haven’t been before, trying to connect with some folks that we haven’t before, trying to build our network even more than what we have in the past. We’ve been very successful at it and look forward to continuing to do that. We’ve got a lot more trips planned over the next several weeks,” he said Thursday morning during a visit to the Hannibal Courier-Post.
Rather than relying solely on advertising to reach residents of the Ninth Congressional District, Luetkemeyer feels it is important to look voters in the eye and explain his positions on various issues.
“I think if you’re trying to look at a candidate you need to look at the philosophy of that individual and ideas he has along a certain line. That would give you an idea of how he would either vote, or what kind of proposals he would be suggesting. That way you would have an idea where he would stand or she would stand in regard to their political ideas or their solutions to potential problems. What we try to do is give people an idea of what direction we’re going to take,” he said.
An issue that voters are particularly concerned about is the rising price of fuel.
“It’s causing lots of problems throughout the economy for everybody. It’s touching almost every business and every person’s life,” he said. “My philosophy is that we need to bring the development of these resources home and quit continuing to develop them overseas where we don’t have control of them. Right now our energy policy has deteriorated to the point where it’s really costing our citizens a lot of money. By the same token it’s a national security issue from the standpoint that suddenly they (foreign interests) have the ability to stranglehold our economy.”
President Bush has expressed having reservations about the new veterans bill. Luetkemeyer understands why the president is reluctant to give the bill his approval.
“It’s not that he’s against the GIs, he’s not against the veterans, he’s not against some of the other issues in there. I think he’s got some concerns about all the stuff that’s been thrown in there,” he said. “The president and Congress are of opposite parties and they’re trying to play games here with each other. The president is trying to hold the line on spending and those in control of Congress, the liberal folks, are trying to put more pork in there.
“I support the benefits that are in there for the GIs, but I understand his concern about continuing to bloat the federal budget.”