forgottenliberty.com

Laurence Verga is a conservative running for Congress in Virginia’s 5th district and was kind enough to allow me to ask him a few questions.  He has a background in commercial real estate and has worked for several large companies including ABC/Disney, AT&T, and CBS/Viacom.  Mr. Verga is also the founder of the Verga Project at the University of Virginia Health Services, which funds research towards a cure for polycystic kidney disease.  You can find out more about him at his website, Laurence Verga for Congress, and his Facebook page.

Why have you decided to run for Congress?

I was compelled to run to fight back against the reckless policies of President Obama and the Democratic Congress that are putting at risk my childrens’ ability to pursue their dreams freely. Frankly, I am also running to reform the Republican Party from within. We need to regain the trust of the American people through principled conservative and ethical leadership.

Who is your favorite character in American politics, past or present, and why?

It would be easy to say Ronald Reagan, so I will veer to Kit Carson. Carson was an essential figure in developing the Western portion of our great nation, but is somehow forgotten in history.  He was a brave and noble man who always answered the call to service for his country.

Health care reform is a big topic in the news today. What do you think should be done to lower health care costs, and what types of reforms would you be willing to support?

Doug Keller is a conservative running for Congress in Oregon’s 1st Congressional district and he was kind enough to allow me to ask him a few questions.  I was told about Mr. Keller’s campaign by someone on Facebook and found him to be a very interesting candidate.  For example, he makes himself available for the people in his district by having a regular “Coffee with Doug” event at a local coffee shop.  Mr. Keller is also a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis and served proudly in our armed forces.  For more information about him, please visit his website, Doug Keller – Join the Resistance.

1.  Why have you decided to run for Congress?

I am running because I am tired of status quo…taxation and misrepresentation.  I don’t like it that we have so many lawyers in Congress.  The height of my frustration came when my Representative voted yes on the biggest spending bill in the history of the country without even knowing what it was about or even reading it.  I said, “That is dereliction of your basic duty, you should be fired.”  I looked for someone to replace him and found no one so I said, “I’m not rich, I’m not a lawyer and I’m not a politician, but someone has to stand up for freedom and against this ever expanding government.”  So, I did.

2.  Who is your favorite character in American politics, past or present, and why?

Toss up, I love all the characters involved with the formation of the United States, but personally, it would have to be Ronald Reagan.  I liked his optimism and I saw the results of his tax cuts first hand.  We need that now.  He was right, “Government isn’t the solution, It’s the problem!”

3.  Health care reform is a big topic in the news today.  What do you think should be done to lower health care costs, and what types of reforms would you be willing to support?

Freshman Democrat Tom Perriello, who currently “represents” the 5th district, won his last election on the coat tails of Obama and a misleading advertising campaign about the Fair Tax and the Republican incumbent’s support it.  He ran commercials claiming that Republican incumbent Virgil Goode wanted to raise everyone’s sales tax by 23%.  It’s true that the Fair Tax consists of a 23% sales tax, but in his commercials, Perriello conveniently left out the fact that the Fair Tax would abolish all other taxes including the income tax.  Rep. Perriello has also voted for the Stimulus bill, the Cap and Trade bill, and the House version of the Health Care bill.  Needless to say, those of us in the 5th district want him out.  He does not represent our conservative Virginia values and is a reliable vote for the liberal agenda of President Obama and Speaker Pelosi.  We need a strong conservative to run against Perriello and become a reliable vote for liberty and a protector of the Constitution.

There a currently 7 candidates vying for the Republican nomination to challenge Perriello in the November election.  I have sent all of them emails asking if they would be interested in an interview that would be posted on this site.  I would like some reader input on questions to ask the candidates.  I welcome input from not just those in the 5th district of Virginia but from all of my readers, because the winner of this election will be voting on national issues.  Please leave any questions you would like to ask the candidates in the form of a comment at the bottom of this post, and I will incorporate them into the interviews.  Do you want to know how they would vote on tax issues, the environment, health care, the Constitution, terrorism, the proper role of government, or anything else?  Here is your chance to ask a potential future member of Congress some questions!