Opinion

As we gather together in the midst of family BBQ's, parades and fireworks commemorating our nation’s independence, we also remember and honor our founding fathers and their vision of a great and free nation.  Nearly 170 years later, 35 boys from Bedford stormed the beaches of Normandy as part of the D-Day invasion with hundreds of thousands of allied forces.  These brave men answered the call to service and many paid the last full measure of devotion so that we can enjoy the freedoms and liberties envisioned by our founding fathers.

    A couple of weeks ago, I urged people who don’t think a bust of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin belongs at the National D-Day Memorial to be team players as far as the Memorial, itself, goes. It’s really hard to do that when D-Day Memorial Foundation decision makers apparently won’t let them do it.

It is far too easy for those in Washington to forget just how brutal this economy is for working families back home. Every weekend when I travel around the 5th district, I hear stories of the struggles of those who are looking for work or trying to make ends meet in these tough times. It has become increasingly clear to me that the elites in the United States Senate have completely lost touch with the struggles and challenges of the people they represent.

    Everyone knew that whoever won the 2008 presidential campaign would have to face tough issues and many a difficult choice inheriting the mess left by George W. Bush.

    Newsweek and NBC reporter Howard Fineman has written that President Barack Obama is “hunkered down” these days in the White House, under siege from the weight of the troubles he’s facing.

Empower and honor our Constitution

    As we honor and empower our wounded warriors, constituents owe it to them to honor and empower our wounded constitution.

    We should never assume that all elected officials are vigilant in empowering and honoring our constitution.

    As it is the duty of soldiers to serve and protect our freedom, so it should be the duty of constituents to purge elected officials straying from the constitution for their own personal empowerment.

Nearly two months ago an explosion occurred on the Deepwater Horizon oil drilling rig off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico.  This explosion, which tragically took the lives of eleven hard working Americans, resulted in an environmental catastrophe like we have never seen before.  The oil spill continues to have an enormous impact on the Gulf Coast region, its economy, and the environment.

    Even while memories of last winter’s heavy snows still linger, we face a long hot summer.

    Given the state of our world today, a sense of humor is a necessary tool of survival. Summer seems to bring out the silly season in both politics and sports, the latter being something I enjoy as a diversion from more serious matters (probably another survival tool).

While Joseph Stalin might have played a part in the eventual Allied victory that was precipitated by the actions of June 6, 1944, having his bust at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford does more harm than good. Yes, Stalin was the leader of Russia, an ally to the invasion, but he was also much more — a murderer of millions as the Soviet dictator. His place in the history of World War II can be told at the Memorial without the bust. His bust at the Memorial muddies the message of why the Memorial exists.

Last week, in a rare showing of bipartisanship in Washington, the House of Representatives joined forces to pass common-sense reforms related to mortgages and housing loans. The Federal Housing Administration Reform Act, which sailed through the House nearly unanimously, will encourage responsible homeownership for those who can afford it, while rooting out and cracking down on lenders who make risky or fraudulent loans.