GUEST REPORT

by John Hickey

California Congressional District 11 will be a hotly contested battleground come November 2, 2010. Currently held by Democrat Jerry McNerny, but evenly split in registration, Republican David Harmer, the current favorite to win the Republican nomination, presents a formidable challenge to the incumbent, a man who votes 98% of the time with Nancy Pelosi.

Invoking a Reagan Era spirit of optimism, David Harmer, kicked off his campaign on February 24, 2010, at a packed breakfast event held in San Ramon, California.

Calling the upcoming November election, "the most consequential election in thirty years," Mr. Harmer related his experience as a young volunteer for Ronald Reagan, "thirty years ago in July of 1980 I was on the floor at the Republican National Convention in Detroit when Ronald Reagan accepted the nomination for the presidency of the United States."

That experience seems to have forged Harmer's political philosophy in the Reagan ideal of limited government at an early age.

Back to the Founding principles of the American Republic

In today's hard hitting speech, delivered without notes, Mr. Harmer chided the current regime as having turned away from America's founding principles. The solution he offered consists of a return to the, "tried and true principles which are as old as the nation itself," while posing the question, "in another thirty years, will our children still be free?"

Saying that question wasn't hyperbole, he characterized the upcoming elections as being "a test of national character," featuring, "two dramatically different world views."

He said the Democrat's pursuit of ever bigger, more intrusive government over the last two years, hastening under Obama, has forever, "abolished the myth of the moderate Democrat."
Mr. Harmer identified in rapid-fire manner some of the most problematic aspects of president Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid's philosophy, criticizing the Democrat approach. He attacked the current healthcare legislation as an effort to "create a top down, command and control one size fits all bureaucratic monstrosity."

Common sense free market approach

On cap and trade he stressed that the administration's intent is to, "increase costs...to create artificial scarcity just to fit some utopian's notion of how we should live," adding almost parenthetically that, "we don't have resource problems, we have regulatory problems."

Noting the congressional district's rise in joblessness when, "unemployment is pushing 20% if you count discouraged workers," Harmer asked why we were still, "spending money we don't have on programs we don't need."

David Harmer is an attorney and businessman with a long record of public service. The son of former California State Senator and Lt. Governor John Harmer, David began his lifelong involvement in politics at age four, when he walked precincts for his father, who won an upset victory in the Glendale-based 21st district and went on to become one of Governor Reagan's key allies in the state legislature.

Inspiration for Liberty ideals from libertarian think tanks

Early in his career, David took his expertise in constitutional law to Pacific Legal Foundation, where he defended property rights and other freedoms in state and federal courts. David was also a Resident Fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and his book on education reform was published by the Cato Institute, America's foremost market-oriented public policy organization.

Popular Congressman and national taxpayer advocate Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) announced his support for David Harmer for California’s 11th. Flake is known for his tough, no-nonsense taxpayer advocacy, and he brings a well developed national network of conservative donors and activists which will provide a solid national foundation of support to the Harmer campaign effort.

“The national momentum has clearly swung back toward fiscal conservatism, and now is the time to recapture districts like California’s 11th,” said Congressman Flake. “In order to turn back the tide of federal spending, we need fiscal conservatives like David Harmer in Congress. He’ll be a strong, principled voice for limited government, and I’m happy to support his campaign for Congress.”

HarmerforCongress.com