Rep. Geoff Davis doesn’t pull any punches when he talks. He knows his stuff – from military strategy to health care – and he takes his role seriously.
The knowledge and experience that the Hebron Republican brings to the table are a big part of the reason we are endorsing him for a fourth term as representative of Kentucky’s 4th District in the U.S. House.
Davis’ passion is squared around his experience as an Army Ranger and businessman; talking with him about Iraq and Afghanistan feels a lot like you’d expect if sitting in a Pentagon strategy room. His understanding of the wars is deep and his knowledge of military operations comes first-hand. Stemming from his West Point and service days, Davis is able to deftly take in the military brass’ assessment of conditions on the ground, and for many members of that military brass, he could also give you a story or two about their time in service together or at West Point.
But it’s that breadth of military and foreign service knowledge that serves Congress so well. When Davis says that “the tools of national security are not aligned,” and that “Afghanistan is severely under-resourced,” you know it’s not coming from a typical politician. Davis knows what he’s talking about, and Congress needs that sort of experience and voice in its body.
It wouldn’t be hard to imagine him serving as secretary of defense in another time and under another leadership.
But military matters are not Davis’ only strength.
Davis is still a strong opponent of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, which he voted against and calls unconstitutional, and supports a balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. In talking with Davis at his editorial board endorsement meeting, the member of the Center Aisle caucus seems willing to work with anyone, on either side of the aisle, who wants to make reduced spending and a reasonable federal budget a top priority. It’s a stand that echoes strongly with voters this year who seem fed up with runaway Washington spending.
Health care is another area where Davis’ voice might be well-received, both in Congress and by voters. His support for allowing Americans to buy health insurance across state lines and reducing the need for “defensive medicine” would be welcomed by many voters who do not agree with the health care bill in its present form. Should the power in Congress switch after the election, as many predict, Davis would be a reasonable voice in the debate.
But as good as Davis is at serving Americans on the whole well in Congress regarding national matters like health care, the budget and the military, he also has a strong focus on what we need back here in Kentucky. One example is Davis’ continued work toward gaining federal highway dollars to replace the Brent Spence bridge, a necessity for our region. Davis has worked with both Rep. Steve Driehaus, a Democrat, and former Rep. Steve Chabot, a Republican, to secure those dollars, and will be able to seamlessly continue working on it with whoever wins the seat in Ohio’s 1st Congressional District.
Davis knows his constituency well, and his conservative values and common-sense approach to issues makes him a good fit to represent this diverse district.
Voters this year also have a good challenger in Florence Democrat John Waltz, who seems knowledgeable about the issues and sincere in his commitment. However, Waltz’s suggestion that Davis’ office lacks good constituent services and claims that the office would not assist Waltz in receiving his Veterans Affairs benefits is seriously called into question considering Waltz’s unwillingness to allow Davis to release his office’s constituent file on Waltz. If Waltz’s treatment by Davis’ office were so egregious, he should be happy to make the file public. It seems unlikely that one man who served his country would be unwilling to help another.
And although his opponent would disagree, Davis has made constituent service a priority by making his office accessible to all residents – he estimates that most are no more than 30 minutes from one of his satellite offices.
Waltz clearly has a passion for serving other veterans and has done so well throughout Kentucky.
We encourage him to continue that service for the so many who need that advocacy.
http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20101023/EDIT01/10230355/Enquirer-endorses-Rep-Geoff-Davis