Oct 17 2008
Mel Watt, Ty Cobb (not the ball player) Square off in NC-12
It’s been a one-man show in North Carolina’s 12th U.S. House District since the district was created 16 years ago.
That man is U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, a Democrat from Mecklenburg County, the only person to represent the district that tracks Interstate 85 as it meanders from Charlotte through Greensboro.
Watt, 63, has run successfully eight times but characterizes this year as a difficult climate for those seeking re-election. He is paired against a newcomer to politics, Ty Cobb Jr. of Salisbury, a 68-year-old Republican running a populist campaign.
The 12th District is a travesty of gerrymandering. It looks like a snake crushed by a steamroller, and virtually guarantees that Mel Watt can do anything -up to and including intimate knowledge of farm animals on live TV- and STILL be re-elected. Still, mega-props to Mr. Cobb for giving this a shot. Here’s where they stand on some issues:
The Economy-
As a member of the House Financial Services Committee, he (Watt) prodded the administration to rein in “predatory lending” by the mortgage industry that helped trigger the economic crisis, he said. Cobb counters that Watt had a catbird seat on the developing crisis but did nothing: “I’m saying, ‘Where have you been? Our economy is in an absolute shambles. Why wasn’t that committee proactive?’”
(Personal interlude by Celtic- Watt is full of it. He and Barney Frank pursued policies that directly led to the lending crisis. For this alone, Watt should be fired.)
The Bailout-
Watt sees it as regrettable but necessary - he voted yes both times the House considered it. Cobb said he would have voted no the first time, but probably relented after it became clear government intervention was a necessary evil.
Iraq-
Watt voted against authorizing the initial invasion and thinks troops should be withdrawn as quickly as is safely possible. Cobb, a retired U.S. Army lieutenant colonel, believes the invasion has kept Islamic radicals occupied in the Middle East instead of attacking the United States in its own backyard. But he says gradual withdrawal of all but a relatively small force is now possible.
- Congressional District, or Crushed Snake? Only Mel Watt Knows for Sure.
