Goodlatte to Face Primary Challenge
By Jason Johnson | Friday, April 22nd, 2011 | Politics6th District Congressman Bob Goodlatte has served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 terms, winning every election handily. Before Rep. Goodlatte will be able to run for an 11th term, it appears that he will have to campaign for his party’s nomination.
Karen Kwiatkowski will challenge 6th district incumbent Congressman Republican Bob Goodlatte in a June 12, 2012 primary or convention. Kwiatkowski was the top pick of Libertarians to run for President in 2008. She declined the draft attempt and has not run for any other office until now.
She is running as a Republican, looks for Tea Party support and is making the rounds preparing for an official announcement in June.
Kwiatkowski, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force and an adjunct professor at James Madison University, is a longtime member of the Libertarian Party. After declining the Libertarian Party’s vice presidential nomination, Kwiatkowski publicly supported the candidacy of Texas congressman Ron Paul.
Lt. Col. Kwiatkowski (Ret.) made a name for herself in the run-up to the Iraq War by speaking out against what she described as the politicialization of military intelligence that she observed during her time in the Pentagon. Her anonymous essays, “Insider Notes from the Pentagon,” earned her praise from writers at The Daily Kos and criticism from National Review‘s Michael Rubin and Clifford May. U.S. Senator Jon Kyl erroneously linked Kwiatkowski to Lyndon LaRouche–an association which she has vehemently denied. Later, she received a written apology from the senator. Nonetheless, her strong statements on the U.S. military will, no doubt, make some Republican primary voters uncomfortable.
During the upcoming campaign, Kwiatkowski
…plans to take Goodlatte to task on his “term limit” pledge. His term has been up long ago explained Oddo. His “yes” vote on the budget bill to extent funding the federal government through September without sufficient budget cuts is also a bone of contention she has with Goodlatte.
The Patriot Act is unconstitutional, says Kwiatkowski on her website, www.KarenKforCongress.com. “In fact, he asked me to show proof that the FISA warrants were being used on American citizens. I have seen the evidence. His campaign donors benefit from his looking the other way,” she said.
She admonishes Goodlatte for not proposing the elimination of ethanol subsidies and mandates.
Kwiatkowski would repeal the 17th amendment to the Constitution and return the power to Governors and state legislators to appoint Senators to the U.S. Senate. She would also repeal the 16th amendment that gives the federal government taxing authority.
Currently, Kwiatkowski is making the rounds of 6th District Tea Party events, has spoken with the acting 6th District Republican Party chairman about her plans to run and intends to make a formal announcement in June.
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A lifelong political junkie, Jason caught the political bug as a fifth grader after meeting George Allen in 1993. Since then he has studied political science at both the undergraduate and graduate level. When not perusing the blogs or volunteering for conservative Republicans, Jason enjoys cheering on his beloved Virginia Tech Hokies and spending time at his Bedford County home.
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25 Responses to "Goodlatte to Face Primary Challenge"
Hoo boy.
If Bob Goodlatte isnt’ conservative enough for you……
I take this lady 2.5 times as seriously as Crabill. So she gets 25% in the primary.
Right. Repeal the 16th Amendment. That’ll fix the deficit problem alright.
Gosh, I wonder why people think that the Libertarians and Tea Partiers are a bunch of whack jobs?
Pessimists may focus on one aspect of a platform and chuckle while stating that we have a deficit problem as though this is something new. Actually advocates like us have been warning of the deficit problem since Reagan raised the debt ceiling. And your 20-year incumbent has done nothing but band-aid a breaking dam with his so-called balanced budget amendment. As long as the federal reserve can print money, a BBA will have no teeth.
Joe,
At the end of the Reagan Administration, the budget deficit was $278B. When Obama was elected, it was $455B, following three years of surpluses that peaked in 2000 at $291B. Today it is $1.65T.
Eliminating the income tax will not solve anything. The real solution is to find a balance between Federal spending and taxes. That is, unless your goal is to emasculate the Federal government and return our country to the chaos of the pre-1789 Articles of Confederation. Isn’t that really where the Libertarians want to take us?
You need to look back at Joe Oddo’s plan for America when he ran for Congress. He wanted high speed rail everywhere and nothing else. If his candidate is using his ideas,she will do as well as he did,especially against a solid conservative like Godlatte. Hardly remembered. Bob has done a great job and is widely respected.
Some want to deny the recent polling that support for the Tea Parties is on the decline. This should be exhibit A as the reason why. There is a reason why the Libertarian Party has never gotten off the ground, so now they want to destroy the Republican party. They may agree with Republican’s on some fiscal issues, but as to social and national security issues they are Liberals. This is a center right nation, and those on either extreme are equally dangerous. Let’s see if Kwiatkowski or Radtke break the low single digits in polling first.
Sandy, there is nothing liberal about a non interventionist foreign policy.
However, something seems fishy here. When did she decline the LP’s vp nomination? The 08 LP convention VP race came down between Root and Kubby. I dont recall her ever being mentioned.
@Sandy,
This evening, my brother and I went to 7-11 and McDonalds. As we spoke to the individuals waiting on us, I felt no contempt for who they are or what they were doing. They were not below me or I did not think of them as having less intelligence or being less educated. They were extremely nice and I addressed them with respect. It was a cordial exchange between several individuals.
Now, HisRoc has explained that he wishes to be ruled by a well-educated, elite oligarchy. What’s the reason for your ignorance? Is it a thirst to be like HisRoc?
The thread was about Goodlatte and Kwiatkowski, not the Libertarians or the Tea Party. That’s the support these politicians are seeking.
@HisRoc,
No, not pre-1789 Articles of Confederation. We do not wish to return to your collectivist governments such as Hitler, Stalin, Mao or Lenin. It’s been tried numerous times throughout history ending in disasters.
As for Kwiatkowski, I smell something fishy also. She’s a Lieutenant Colonel in the military. Funny…who else might have been a retired Colonial in the military? Guess those elites stick together, degrading the commoners.
John J- Shame on you for denigrating those that work at 7-11 and/or McDonalds. If you are looking for a pat on the back because you treated those that served you with respect, you miss the point that all workers everywhere deserve to be treated with respect, regardless of their educational level. It’s entirely possible that at least one of those that served you may have had an educational level above yours. You seem to assume that all those workers are uneducated.
I don’t know HisRoc. I’ve seen some comments made by him/her from time to time. I don’t choose my mentors based on some random comments posted on a website, though I may agree with what they say at times.
Concerning the “Tea Parties”, look at who has taken the leadership roles, and who is claiming responsibility for organizing the national Tea Party groups, Dick Armey. His FreedomWorks organization has been around much longer than the Tea Party phenomenon. Why do you think Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin of the Tea Party Patriots are “co-founders”? That’s right, because Dick Armey set that group up as a spin off of FreedomWorks. Dick Armey is about as big an inside the beltway elitist as you can get. His lobbying days, and those that he lobbied for are insightful. He lobbied for a pharmaceutical group who supported Obamacare, while he was out there rallying against it. He lobbied for Raytheon, the outfit that designed and produced the scanning machines being used by the TSA at airports currently. While in Congress, he voted for every defense spending bill (which I agree with BTW). Yet he now claims to be some big time Tea Party advocate, who is recommending that we cut the already stripped defense spending, at a time when the world is on fire, and the radical Islamists consider us the Big Satan. They will wipe us off the map given half a chance. His partner in crime, Grover Norquist, the Islamic sympathizer and enabler is right there with him. These people are playing the Libertarians like a prized violin. The Libertarians, apparently desperate to make political gains are willing to be used and abused.
I am not a Libertarian or a libertarian. I highly value the importance of the three planks of conservatism. I value the importance of enough government in order to maintain an orderly society. I value traditional social values, especially at a time when the Liberals have all but deleted any decency and/or tradition in every institution. I support drastic entitlement reforms, they breed social evils. I value a strong military, and Reagans peace through strength initiative, as it acts as a great deterence. I also value our military presence throughout the world to also act as a deterence, especially in those locations where the bad guys despise our freedoms. Yes, you do have more freedom as individuals than in any other country in the world.
You can support the Libertarians, the Tea Parties that are being led by the nose by those who don’t have good intentions, and those that think Ron Paul is sane or rational. I’ll support those that believe in traditional conservatism, not those that are one plank quasi-conservatives.
Sandy,
Genuine liberty IS chaotic. It is also the most productive environment imaginable. This perhaps is the glaring exposure in the label “conservative,” as it belies a desire or perhaps a need to “conserve” what has already been achieved, while closing the mind entirely to how those things were achieved in the first place.
They were not achieved through a regulatory state, nor by dictating how people should live and work and then monitoring them to make sure they comply, nor through central banking, nor a massive tax-and-spend welfare/warfare state, nor through occupying the globe with a “military presence throughout the world to act as deterrence.”
Genuine human liberty unleashes the creative and productive human spirit; this was the genius of America, and could be again if we could get the government off our backs. Nothing less will do. Your fear of the future is palpable and it will prevent us from achieving the greatness you cite. I am certain that fact is lost on you.
The America of the Founders is bold but not overweening; bright, competitive and proud but not arrogant and militaristic. We face the future clear-eyed, confident and fearless.
What are you afraid of?
@ Sandy,
It seems that every stance you mentioned is where I stand on issues. I believe in a strong defense, cautious of Islam and entitlement reform.
We cannot continue on our current path and both parties are at fault with getting us to this point. Ronald Reagan was a hiccup in a century of “the greater good of society” mentality that engulfs our government now. My main concern is that our government has turned from one that protects individual rights (law) to one that does for the greater good of society (Socialism). Anyone who wishes to turn that around…I am with them no matter whether it’s Armey, Goodlathe, Kwiatkowski, Radtke or Allen. Goodlathe and Allen have some work to do at convincing me because they are part of the crew that got us here.
The Tea Party (in alliance with libertarians) have been rejuvenating because they have forced politicians to, at least pretend, to have those discussions even though their actions have been to the contrary. Allen West, Marco Rubio and Rand Paul have been exceptional in their pursuit of these goals and explaining the direction in which they wish to take us. I have never heard such stupidity as the words that come from Nancy Pelosi, Joe Biden and Harry Reid and I could go on.
Quite honestly, I believe most libertarians and tea partiers will evaluate Kwiatkowski with more skepticism then most. But you and HisRoc immediately went on the attack of the Tea Party, totally eliminating the ability to have a true debate about who she is and what she stands for. It is this ignorance in which I mention. Who can have a discussion about whether Kwiatkowski is a RINO, a true conservative or a Democrat plant while you and HisRoc are clouding the thread with stupid stereotypes and innuendos.
@Jamie,
Well put! Anarchy is chaotic not necessary genuine liberty. Liberty is not chaotic unless it is allowed to infringe on other people’s liberty. We were built as a Republic to exercise these liberties without infringing on others. The problem is that our politicians are so corrupt they cannot enforce these laws and they are so arrogant that they feel they should provide social engineering. Even though I’m more militaristic than you, I agree with your premise also.
JJ,
What “stupid stereotypes and innuendo?” I simply said that most people think that the Libertarians and Tea Partiers “are a bunch of whack jobs.” And you are proving my point.
BTW, your hero Allen West was ordered to face a General Court-Martial for conducting a mock execution of an Iraqi detainee. Only Congressional interference stopped his trial and most likely confinement in prison. I’m not impressed with your ideas of “exceptional” leaders.
That’s pretty much your default comeback…your proving my point.
As for Allen West, he got courtmartialed because he beat an Iraqi policemen who refused to reveal details of an ambush and immediately after it happened, he turned himself into his superiors. Would you have allowed people to die? Guess we know that answer. When asked if he would do it again during his court martial, he stated, If it’s about the lives of my men and their safety, I’d go through hell with a gasoline can.
Yeah, I’ll take those heroes any day.
JJ,
That is quite a fantasy world that you live in.
First of all, West never said any such thing at his court-martial because there never was one. He was allowed to retire in lieu of court-martial after Congressional heavyweights stuck their noses into the matter. BTW, this was before the Abu Ghraib prison scandal broke. After that shit hit the fan, all of West’s supporters in Congress shifted to a position of “Allen who?”
Second, the Iraqi detainee never had any actionable intelligence to give West, according to the criminal investigation.
Third, West turned himself in only after a subordinate made a complaint to the IG.
But, then again, getting creative with the true seems to be your “default comeback.”
http://www.breitbart.tv/lt-col-allen-west-wears-controversy-over-iraq-interrogation-as-badge-of-honor
Do you know the difference between a leader and a manager? Allen West is a leader!
All your political hacks would abandon their values for political gains. This is why our country is in the situation we’re in.
BTW, I love my fantasy world because the American people are capable and our country is exceptional.
I’m not doubting what you’re saying but I’m curious where you found this investigative report? I would like to read it myself. Do you have a link?
JJ,
Criminal investigative reports by the Army CID are not published or posted on line. However, here is a cream puff NY Times article about West. Note two important facts: first, West admits that the Iraqi policeman did not have any real intelligence about attacks. Second, the reason that West was interrogating the Iraqi was because he thought that there was a plot to kill West.
Leader? Hardly. Just another slug who was willing to violate the law to protect his own ass. Then, when the shit hit the fan, he concocted this whole “leadership” and “concern for my men” cock and bull story to cover up his own cowardly and illegal behavior.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/05/27/politics/27WEST.html?ex=1400990400&en=71d7b26fe2922d57&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND&pagewanted=3
The New York Times, are you serious? After reading it, I have even more respect for Allen West. Thank you.
As I have also read from your previous posts, you believe in primary sources, “One of the first lessons that my professors beat into my adolescent, pointed little head was that if you wanted to study history objectively you must learn to research primary sources–and then know the editorial prejudice of the source.” So I naturally assumed that you’d gotten your information from an IG Report or investigation report. I guess you relied on the editorial source.
I’m not sure how he was another slug protecting his own ass… What was he protecting by conducting illegal interrogations? Was he doing it for fun? As I believe in abiding by the law, there are times in which leaders must do things to ensure the safety of his troops. He weighed the options and took them.
He received his hearing and retired from what would’ve been an even more distinguishable career. But he sacrificed his career for the lives of his troops. That, my friend, is a true hero and a real leader.
Karen Kwiatkowski?? Oh for God’s sake — another Catherine Crabill.
From under what rocks do these people slither????
That would be Goodlatte’s second Libertarian challenger. Bain, a young unknown who ran as a Libertarian pulled a respectable 9% against Goodlatte in 2010. Vanke, Goodlatte’s challenger from the left wisely ran as an Independent and got 13% of the vote.
Nice of so many of you to welcome me to your blog. I do not know Mr. Watkins, but having been on GOP committee in the past I recognize his style: attack the messenger. True I advocated high-speed rail but not the 120-mph old tech Amtrak version. I also managed to get Congressman Goode to sign on to the FairTax. He failed to defend it and thus allowed Perriello to pummel him with it.
Fact is Karen K does not share my support for the FairTax or HSR. So how about considering her platform verses anyone that may be supporting her?
I understand those of you with more allegiance to the party than to your country. You will allow military adventurism to ruin our treasury. You will allow fear to strip our civil liberties and find no fault with the Patriot Act. And you deny that your party was instrumental in growing BIG federal government – as though the slower rate than your so-called opponents somehow justifies it all.
As Jamie R says, it doesn’t take courage to challenge Pelosi, Reid or Obama. The real courage is to challenge those within your own party. I just wish the party-faithful were capable of a little introspection.
Finally thanks for the laughs. No wonder blogs are considered with such low regard. One individual compares Karen to some previous candidate and another claims a Dem plant. What depths will you people not go to defend your elite incumbents?
I had Karen on my radio program yesterday…Bob’s served several terms beyond his self-imposed six term limit. He’s a dependable Republican vote, with no desire to speak up when others in the GOP act in opposition to the Constitution, which is frequently now.
Say what you want about the largely co-opted Tea Party…those that aren’t got what they have from classical liberalism.
Karen’s better qualified, not ready and willing to sell out either 6th District residents, or citizens in general for corporate donations.
Goodlatte’s idea about repealing the IRS Code without backing ANYTHING to replace it is about the dumbest damn thing I’ve seen…and on Neal Boortz’s radio program, Neal gave him a great reaming because it’s clear Bob lacks a clear understanding of the FairTax.
I understand Karen’s view of the FairTax, being that it’s revenue neutral, when he view is the need for deep spending cuts…but she’s willing to look at backing options.
We could do a helluva lot worse than Karen winning the 6th District nomination.
About the Tea Party. I planned the very first Tax Day Tea Party rally in my town two years ago. It was, in the beginning, a true citizen’s uprising. No sitting or prospective politicians were allowed to even speak at one of these rallies in the state of VA. We were a sight with all our homemade signs and banners. The local news media all came out, one sent a mobile van and interviewed people. It was great! We were mad as hell and we weren’t taking it any more! I was too busy working a job to be part of the last two, but I am very sad to say they’ve been allowed to be taken over by Republicans for the most part. Goodlatte showed up at both of my local cities rallies as an invited speaker! Drowning rats decided they better jump on the Tea Party ship or else. I don’t believe for one minute that the Tea Party folks are going any where any time soon. They are way better organized and the Staunton group reads every bill they can get their hands on to let elected officials know how they should vote! These people are supposed to be representing the people who elected them and sent them to their offices. We The People, are tired of being lied to , misrepresented, and robbed of all we hold dear.
I am sick of the media focusing their cameras on a select group of people with misspelled signs who are usually dressed poorly. They purposely look for the most red-necky looking ones in the group to target and my democrat “friends” point their self-righteous fingers and laugh! HA HA HA! These same people sport bumper stickers that proclaim these types shouldn’t be allowed to reproduce. I HATE that! It’s really wrong! There but by the grace of God, go all of us! Tea party people are blue collar, school teachers, business owners, veterans, self employed, artists, nurses…. They are the silent majority, not being so silent any more.
Tea Party people just want our government to have to live within their means as we have to. To get back to the original intentions of the founding fathers when they drafted our constitution. People are starting to be worried about the future, and the legacy we are leaving our children, and their children, and who knows how many more generations! Karen is 100% behind these ideas.
We have to get beyond all these stupid labels and vote for the people who are willing to stick their necks out there to attempt to find ways to rescue this country! I’ve hated politics and politicians my whole life, but decided we all better get involved before it’s too late. It may already be too late, but the Karens of the world are our best hope. We need a lot more of them!
Karen Kwiatkowski Seems like a legit, but different type of candidate. She is a former Lt. Colonel and has a storied military career. Kwiatkowski now is a columnist and farmer from the Shenandoah Valley. She is in touch with the daily struggles “regular” folks are dealing with every day right now. It would be a major mistake to ignore this woman… All she needs is a little traction to change the game.
The fact is that Goodlatte is venerable and if she plays her cards right, can give Goodlatte a run for his money.
This woman is for real folks… You’ll see…
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