11th District candidates spar at chamber event

Rep. Gerald E. “Gerry” Connolly and his opponent, Keith Fimian, hammered each other Friday in a candidates’ forum at Old Hickory Golf Club, Woodbridge.

Fimian and Connolly are running for the 11th Congressional District seat and met at a forum sponsored by the Prince William Chamber of Commerce.

Connolly, the one-term, Democratic incumbent, opened by accusing Fimian, a Republican,  of spouting the party line and being immune to the needs of the district.

“It isn’t good enough to show up and read national talking points and say ‘I want to be your congressman,’” Connolly said.

Fimian came out in attack mode and sought to lay any problems with the budget deficit, stimulus spending and health care squarely at Connolly’s feet.

“I’m running for Congress ... because I think people like Gerry Connolly are part of the problem and I’m part of the solution,” Fimian said.

“Politicians will tell you anything to get elected. They literally will say one thing to you and the 180-degree opposite to someone else,” Fimian said. “They want to create an alternative reality.”

When asked about federal the government’s role in creating private sector jobs, Connolly said he supports tax credits for small businesses and voted for some things he thinks will help them. 

“I voted for the small business bill that just  passed Congress that creates the $30 million credit facility so that credit can flow again to small businesses,” Connolly said. “I co-sponsored a payroll tax holiday for small businesses so that they can get some relief and get back on their feet and reinvest in the economy.”

Fimian said continuing the Bush-era tax cuts was paramount.

“The single most important thing that government can do in job creation is to eliminate uncertainty,” he said. “If you just tell the markets that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts will be extended, that puts all kinds of relief into the market.”

Fimian accused Connolly of changing his position on extending the tax cuts.

“The fact of the matter is ... my position on the temporary extension of all of the tax cuts at every level is well known,” Connolly

Connolly said the Wall Street Journal “praised” his position on the tax cuts, as did the National Review.

The candidates were also asked about alternative energy sources and the states’ rights to control them.

Fimian said generally that if something could be decided at the state level, it should be governed there.

Connolly said he opposed off-shore drilling in Virginia for economic reasons.

“I think it threatens the economy of  Virginia. Fishing and tourism is a $1.4 billion industry for Virginia and growing. An oil slick like the one in the Gulf of Mexico could go the equivalent of Dale City to New York City,” he said.

In closing Fimian said the country was in trouble because of too much spending.

“It’s time to balance these budgets and start saying ‘No’,” he said. “There’s no money in the bank. The bank is empty. All we have is debt.”

Fimian once again pounced on career politicians in general and Connolly in particular.

“They say, ‘No’ to no one because they want to be liked by everyone,” he said.

Fimian closed by asking the audience if they knew  “deep down” in their guts that Connolly was  “part of the problem.”

“I’ve had it. We need to change Congress and to do that we need to change congressmen,” Fimian said.

Connolly said voters had to look at what the candidates had done for the districts, particularly Prince William County, and asked Fimian where he’s been, saying Fimian only showed up when he’s in a political race.

“What have you done for us? What are your credentials in terms of civic engagement in our community? You’ve been running for Congress for four years. We expect to see you. We expect to see some involvement,”Connelly said.

Senior reporter Keith Walker can be reached at 703-369-6751.