Libertarian Lou
Last night was déjà vu for me. I had the pleasure of attending the debate for the NJ 8th District Congressional seat, which pitted the incumbent Congressman, Democrat Bill Pascrell against the challenger, Libertarian Lou Jasikoff.
Two years ago, it was I who sat behind the microphone, as the Republican challenger to Pascrell. I am very disappointed to report that my counterpart, José Sandoval, who is on the ballot as the GOP candidate this year, did not attend this debate (or any of the previous ones), and did not submit a written statement either. I cannot for the life of me ascertain why. As a rule, a challenger will take any and EVERY opportunity to square off and embarrass the incumbent, especially when the record is replete with contradictions, as is most certainly the case with Pascrell.
(note: I cannot link to Pascrell's campaign website, as I did with Sandoval and Jasikoff, as Pascrell does not have one. In fact, last night during the debate he actually bragged about not needing one, and suggested that his congressional website run by the government was sufficient. To me this yet another example of this man's sense of entitlement - he does not seem to see the need to inform voters of why he believes he deserves another term in DC. I would not be surprised if Pascrell were the only one of 435 incumbents who does not use the internet in campaigning.)
But anyway, after the debate, I had the pleasure of speaking at length with Lou Jasikoff - a lifelong Republican who favors Libertarian ideology (like myself). Like many Libertarians that I have met, he possesses strong intellectual capacity and has a solid understanding of American history, as well as the Constitution. Jasikoff is more akin to the "practical" breed of Libertarians, unlike the slash and burn style demonstrated by Austin Lett, who ran against Rodney Frelinghuysen 2 years apparently moved to Utah to run again this year.
I urge everyone to take a look at Lou's campaign website. Here are some key quotes to give you an idea of what he is all about:
Two years ago, it was I who sat behind the microphone, as the Republican challenger to Pascrell. I am very disappointed to report that my counterpart, José Sandoval, who is on the ballot as the GOP candidate this year, did not attend this debate (or any of the previous ones), and did not submit a written statement either. I cannot for the life of me ascertain why. As a rule, a challenger will take any and EVERY opportunity to square off and embarrass the incumbent, especially when the record is replete with contradictions, as is most certainly the case with Pascrell.
(note: I cannot link to Pascrell's campaign website, as I did with Sandoval and Jasikoff, as Pascrell does not have one. In fact, last night during the debate he actually bragged about not needing one, and suggested that his congressional website run by the government was sufficient. To me this yet another example of this man's sense of entitlement - he does not seem to see the need to inform voters of why he believes he deserves another term in DC. I would not be surprised if Pascrell were the only one of 435 incumbents who does not use the internet in campaigning.)
But anyway, after the debate, I had the pleasure of speaking at length with Lou Jasikoff - a lifelong Republican who favors Libertarian ideology (like myself). Like many Libertarians that I have met, he possesses strong intellectual capacity and has a solid understanding of American history, as well as the Constitution. Jasikoff is more akin to the "practical" breed of Libertarians, unlike the slash and burn style demonstrated by Austin Lett, who ran against Rodney Frelinghuysen 2 years apparently moved to Utah to run again this year.
I urge everyone to take a look at Lou's campaign website. Here are some key quotes to give you an idea of what he is all about:
"My position has been the same for years, that as a nation we cannot continue to be the world's police force...Everyone of our politicians need to be held accountable for their vote and stop hiding behind the notion they were mislead."Check back tomorrow for hard-hitting coverage of the 2 Passaic County Freeholder debates.
"Both parties are now bought and sold by the special interest groups they now represent. For my part, this campaign will accept no contributions from anyone over $199.00. We will not be influenced by any individual, group, corporation or party. Foolish perhaps, but better to get our message out by taking it to the people than selling one's soul and ideas for a few dollars."
"We cannot have open borders, where illegal immigrants work at low wages for companies that are not paying the same taxes as those who are playing by the rules. It is an unfair disadvantage for legitimate companies, and at the same time drive the wages down for the American worker."