“Abigail Spanberger is my Name”

by Mike McClary

The most important election in our lifetimes is just 1 1/2 weeks away.

The only debate between Dave Brat (R-VA07) and Abigail Spanberger (D) was held on October 15^th here in Culpeper.  Due to a lack of any legislative accomplishments that helped Culpeper families, Dave Brat unsuccessfully tried to tie his opponent to Nancy Pelosi 25 times.  That’s all he had.

In a nutshell:

“I question again if Congressman Brat knows which Democrat he is, in fact, running against.  I am not the Democrat that supported single payer in the primary, I am not Nancy Pelosi, and I am not President Barack Obama.  I am a woman who grew up in Henrico County, who grew up in this community, who was taught service, hard work, and a commitment to the belief that the American people can be anything, and we will lead the way in this world, and that’s who I am.

“I returned four years ago because I wanted to get my kids closer to my parents, closer to my in-laws, closer to my family, and I am committed to this community.  I am committed to making it stronger, and I am committed to policies that make sense and that are fiscally responsibility because to me it is absolutely hypocritical to have someone stand on stage, talk about fiscal responsibility, after adding 1.9 trillion dollars to the deficit, after voting against hurricane relief, after voting against the omnibus bill, after voting against budget after budget because he didn’t want to add to the deficit, but when it came time to give 42 billion dollars in tax breaks to the pharmaceutical companies, there he was.”

Representative Brat and his Super PAC allies, like Paul Ryan’s cynical Congressional Leadership Fund, savagely and cruelly attack Abigail Spanberger with lies and distortions because Brat has no record to run on.  During his four years in Congress, he has introduced only one bill that has been signed into law – renaming an arboretum at the Veterans hospital in Richmond.  Instead, Brat spends most of his time prating on extremist radio shows.  He brags about his carefully-staged photo ops instead of getting out into his district and answering the questions of his constituents.

By Election Day, Abigail Spanberger, will have held more than 150 meet and greets all over the ten counties in the 7^th District that have been open to everyone. Unlike Brat.

It is quite easy to discover where Spanberger stands on the issues.  Her website, www.abigailspanberger.com, is detailed and totally transparent.  She discusses all the issues important to our citizens:  healthcare and the opioid crisis, preventing gun violence (not abolishing the 2^nd Amendment), protecting Social Security and Medicare, promoting jobs, the economy, and public education, pushing for immigration reform while opposing open borders and sanctuary cities, reforming Federal marijuana laws that would allow states to enact marijuana laws without federal interference.  Promoting good governance and strong national security and foreign policies, civil rights and equality, campaign finance reform and an end to gerrymandering.  Protecting the environment and diversifying our energy resources.  Promoting technology and providing rural broadband.  Actually fighting for veterans.

Brat’s insistence that “we don’t know what Spanberger stands for,” is patently ridiculous.  Don’t just take my word for it.  Look these things up for yourselves.  Where does Dave Brat stand?  He is very vague.

Vote like your lives, the lives of your children, and your grandchildren depend on it.  The choice is clear.

“I want to serve this community.  It’s the community that made me who I am.  And, I ask for your vote on November 6^th.  Abigail Spanberger is my name.”