Without a doubt, Congressman Joe Schwarz is well-qualified for his position and reflects the values and views of his district fairly well. But Congressman Schwarz isn't on the ballot this year, having been defeated by far-right extremist Tim Walberg.

Despite his claims of a large victory, Walberg won narrowly in a low-turnout primary. So where will all of the Schwarz voters go on November 7th?

The Jackson Citizen Patriot asks that question in today's issue.

Will they move to Schwarz's left and pick Renier, who is trying for the seat again? Or will they veer right and select Tim Walberg, who ousted Schwarz in a contentious GOP primary?

Call it the Schwarz factor.

"Those of you who voted for Joe Schwarz should feel welcome here," Gov. Jennifer Granholm said last week while stumping for Renier in Jackson. "Those bread-and-butter moderates ... have been left behind by the Republican Party."

Moderates don't have a place in the modern Republican Party. Ask Jim Webb, Ronald Reagan's Secretary of the Navy, who's running for Senate in Virginia as a Democrat. Ask Jim Marcinkowski, a former Republican who's running for the House in the 8th District as a Democrat. Ask Gil Ziegler, a former Republican candidate for Congress in the 1st District, who founded Republicans for Granholm.

And then ask Congressman Joe Schwarz about the place of moderates in the modern Republican Party.

The article continues:

Or will Schwarz supporters just stay home?

"Few people vote in the primary. People don't know who Tim Walberg is," said Ed Sarpolus, vice president of the Lansing-based polling firm EPIC/MRA. "And he's to the right of where the district is. But nobody knows Sharon Renier."

Schwarz says he has made up his mind -- and he won't vote for Walberg.

The congressman contended Walberg won the primary "by blatantly distorting my record and committing character assassination."

Schwarz's campaign last month filed an extensive campaign-finance complaint, contending Walberg illegally took more than $500,000 in contributions.

Schwarz also blasted his former foe for not backing "life-saving" embryonic stem-cell research and supporting intelligent design.

But the surgeon and former state senator has played coy about endorsing Renier or another candidate.

"Sharon is a woman of good character," Schwarz said. "As far as I can tell, her positions are fairly moderate."

(Emphasis added)

A woman of good character. Fairly moderate. In politics these days, that's about as close as you can get to a Republican endorsing a Democrat.

The 7th District is not as conservative as Tim Walberg might wish, and we've had the good fortune of being represented by a genuine moderate for the last two years. Shouldn't we continue that trend?

Sharon Renier

Labels: 2006 Election