Leesburg Tomorrow Endorses Judy Feder

During the 2006 campaign, I worked for all our Democratic candidates. Here in Leesburg I was proud to hand out Webb and Feder materials at the Farmers' Market. In 2007, I volunteered for Kelly Burk's campaign, and worked for our other fantastic candidates, like Mike George and John Flannery. We were lucky to effect some great changes here in Loudoun as a result of November's elections. In 2008, there is remarkable Democratic energy around the Presidential campaign, energy which may translate downticket to the Congressional race against Frank Wolf.


The 10th District has a primary this year, on June 10th, to decide who will face Frank Wolf in November. Democrats in Loudoun, Fairfax, Warren, Fauquier, Frederick, Clark and Prince William Counties (and many cities and towns therein) will decide between Mike Turner and Judy Feder to compete in this race.

Leesburg Tomorrow happily and heartily supports Judy Feder as the Democratic Party's challenger to Frank Wolf in the 10th District. I have three main reasons for supporting Judy again this year.

• Healthcare - The biggest reason I support Judy this year is healthcare. Our next President will face a great challenge in bringing healthcare reform to America. To do that, he or she will need a strong and experienced partner in the Congress. Judy Feder has spent her career in public service and is an expert on healthcare policy. She is a veteran of the healthcare fight of the 1990s, and will be able to help the Democratic leadership avoid the pitfalls of fourteen years ago in the next Congress. Judy has the skills and knowhow to help make healthcare reform work for America.


• Candidate Experience - Judy Feder was our candidate in 2006. That kind of experience counts. It matters because Judy has continuing name recognition from the 2006 election, as well as an established network of supporters from that run throughout the 10th district. It matters because second chance Democrats have had good luck running for Congress of late (Nancy Boyda, Joe Donnelly, Paul Hodes). Judy continued fighting for Democrats in the 10th after losing her race in 2006, helping all our candidates in 2007. In many ways, her 2008 campaign began in 2006. She is in the best position to cross the finish line in November and take the race for the Democrats.


• Intellectual Rigor - Judy is a tenured Georgetown professor. (She stepped down from her position as Dean of the Public Policy Institute there to focus on the campaign this year.) The House of Representatives is a body dominated by nitty-gritty proposals and detailed, technical hearings. It is in the House that very nuanced and difficult problems are discussed, evaluated and solutions proposed. Our Representative should have a background in rational rigor, capable of insuring that the ideas put forth for consideration really are the best, most effective ideas. The discipline of academic review and teaching gives Judy experience in giving and taking criticism, while advancing ideas through opposition and bureaucracy. Is there anything more deliberative than Congress? Perhaps so: The professor's lounge at a major University.

For these reasons and more, on June 10th I will proudly cast my primary ballot for the next Democrat to represent the 10th District, Judy Feder.