1st Cong. District Debate Reveals Berry's Poor Performace

In the 1st US Congressional District debate on AETN, Wednesday, Oct 25, Stubby Stumbaugh clearly would be the winner if one were selected. Berry plugged his usual mantra of send me back to Washington and President Bush is terrible. Stumbaugh accused the incumbent of ineffectiveness but Berry tried to ignore his opponent and claimed that he was proud of his accomplishments in office and that he would do better if he returns to Congress as part of a potential Democratic majority.

Stumbaugh said that Berry's lack of effectiveness, particularly in getting approval for a highway bill that benefits the 1st District, stems in part from how he deals with other members of Congress. He referred to Berry calling another lawmaker on the floor of the Congress a "Howdy-Doody-looking nimrod." Howdy Doody was the freckled-face, grinning star of a children's marionette-puppet show on television in the 1950s. "No wonder we can't get anything done," Stumbaugh said. "Our congressman is busy out there calling other congressmen names." Stumbaugh presented documented statistics of Berry's failure to bring home even a fraction of what the other three Arkansas Congressmen have in highway funding. The 1st District continues to be the poorest district in the State under Berry's tenure in Congress.

Berry wouldn't respond but said he was proud of the work that had been accomplished, with federal help, on improving the infrastructure of the district in eastern Arkansas. He alleged that this helped attract Hino Motors manufacturing plant at Marion. Unfortunately it was Republican Governor Huckabee, not Berry, who worked to secure Hino Motors. Berry said he was proud of having voted for the strongest anti-illegal-immigration measure ever approved by the House of Representatives but did not identify that he had also failed to support limiting illegal aliens, is in favor of amnesty and only voted for the latest bill because he had an opponent for office. Then Congress failed to appropriate adequate funding for this bill.

On immigration, Stumbaugh accused Berry of acting to benefit himself in a way contrary to what Berry says he believes. Berry had knowingly employed illegal immigrants in his Arkansas County farming operations. "Berry says he doesn't support amnesty [for illegal immigrants], but he continues to support illegal immigration because it is a dollar in his pocket," Stumbaugh said, and then identified that Berry Farms had received close to a million dollars in farm subsidies.

In his closing statement, Stumbaugh said "we need new leadership, and Stubby Stumbaugh is that leader." Berry's closing statement focused on his party affiliation. Stumbaugh sharply criticized Berry's record, saying he puts politics above the needs of the district. Among other things, he has faulted Berry for his vote against adding a prescription drug benefit to Medicare in 2003, not obtaining enough federal dollars for highway projects for the district and not doing enough to try to reduce gas prices and create jobs in the district.