Chet Edwards For Congress

October 11, 2006
We Recommend Chet Edwards in U.S. House District 17

Dallas Morning News
Editorial | The Dallas Morning News

Central Texas stalwart Chet Edwards is being challenged for his seat in Congress this year by a rookie who's long on cash and slash-and-burn campaigning but short on answers.

Mr. Edwards' steady, pro-defense record and years of dependable service to constituents are reasons enough to return the Democrat to Congress for a ninth term. The fitness of his Republican opponent, Van Taylor, is another reason.

The battle in District 17 – which stretches from Cleburne to Crawford, Waco and College Station – has become one of the nation's most expensive House races.

Mr. Taylor, 34, a Waco real estate investor and Iraq war veteran, is one of the GOP's top prospects for knocking off a sitting Democrat. A district newcomer – he says he moved to the district 16 months ago – he's received an infusion of outside money and fundraising help.

But that hasn't helped Mr. Taylor's grasp of the issues. In an interview, he stressed an urgent need to trim spending but was vague on where to start, despite several invitations to outline priorities. On immigration, he opposed "amnesty," yet lacked a thought-out proposal and was unclear about ideas on the table in Washington.

Credibility is another concern. Mr. Edwards, 54, of Waco, says his opponent has used Willie Horton-like ads, a charge close to the mark. The ads say one Edwards vote helped dangerous immigrants avoid deportation, including some who later committed "rape and murder." That's a stretch. The measure in question threatened Homeland Security money for cities; Mr. Edwards voted with most of the Republican-dominated House.

Mr. Edwards' centrist politics have helped him survive as a Democrat in GOP territory and build seniority that helps his district. His senior position on the House Appropriations Committee gives him muscle in the fight for Waco's threatened VA center.

He favors a balanced approach to immigration that seeks security plus guest worker provisions. He also calls for a bipartisan summit to attack the deficit and favors a wise pay-as-you-go approach to federal spending.

Libertarian Guillermo Acosta, 30, of Allen, lives outside the district. Saying people should be "happy," he supports amnesty for all immigrants, marriage for gays, legalization of marijuana and replacing taxes with fees.