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Goodlatte to Face Primary Challenge

6th 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 [1]for his party’s nomination.

Karen Kwiatkowski [2] 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 [3]. 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 [4]from writers at The Daily Kos and criticism from National Review‘s Michael Rubin [5] 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 [6]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 [7]. “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.