Editorial: Hafen, Berkley, Derby are right choices for Nevada

Sunday, Oct. 15, 2006 | 7:27 a.m.

The bruising partisanship of the Republican-led House has gotten out of control - and Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., hasn't done anything to stop it. One telling example occurred in October 2003, when Democrats proposed giving U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan a $1,500 bonus.

Porter initially voted for the measure, but that didn't last long. The Republican leadership, which feared that the Democrats would get political credit for sponsoring the measure, leaned on Porter to switch his vote. Porter, a few minutes later, meekly went along and changed his vote.

The final tally: a 213-213 tie. The bonus for the troops was defeated since it didn't receive a majority - all because of Porter's deciding vote. Porter let partisan politics prevent the troops from getting a well-deserved bonus for their sacrifices. Furthermore, in almost 9 out of every 10 votes cast, Porter has voted for President Bush's agenda. Porter has been a reliable supporter of the president's failed policies, including the war in Iraq.

So much for Porter's "independence," a quality that he laughably touts in his bid for re-election. Porter's subservience to Bush and Republican leaders is an embarrassment. It doesn't have to stay this way, however.

Voters in the 3rd Congressional District have an opportunity to send someone to Washington who will truly represent them - and not be beholden to a Republican administration and big special interests.

Tessa Hafen, a third-generation Nevadan, is the Democratic nominee opposing Porter. In recent years she has been Nevada Sen. Harry Reid's press secretary, working out of his Washington office. It's a reflection of Porter's character that his TV ads lie about the time Hafen has spent in Nevada, trying to make it sound as if she is a newcomer to the area. Porter's ads are the act of a desperate candidate, one whose record is weak.

On the issues, Hafen clearly is in tune with the voters. She believes we need to adjust our policies in Iraq - and that begins with firing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Hafen also supports an increase in the minimum wage and opposes billions of dollars in tax breaks and subsidies to oil companies. (Porter voted for such tax breaks and subsidies.)

With respect to health care, there are serious differences between her and Porter. She believes that the gap in Medicare coverage that requires people to pay the full price for prescription drugs should be closed and that the federal government should be allowed to negotiate with drug companies to obtain lower prices.

The incumbent has opposed the Yucca Mountain project, but the fact is that Porter's Republican Party has done everything in its power to send the nation's nuclear waste to Nevada. Republicans already are making noises about making it much easier in the next session of Congress to bypass environmental and public safety rules to ship nuclear waste here. We fear what the outcome might be if there once again is a Republican-controlled House, especially if it's coupled with a president hell-bent on doing the nuclear power industry's bidding. We are confident that Hafen would do much better in fighting Yucca Mountain than Porter has.

It is clear that more of the same in Washington, exacerbated by Republican control of both Congress and the White House, isn't working.

It also is obvious that Hafen is intelligent and well versed on the issues. She has the kind of enthusiasm and independence sorely lacking in our nation's capital. We believe Hafen would be an outstanding addition to the House of Representatives.

The Sun endorses Tessa Hafen.