Massachusetts Democrat For Bush

Kathryn Jean Lopez of National Review questioned Rep.Brian Golden a Democratic state representative in Massachusetts. Golden is also a supporter of George W. Bush. For Golden, the choice in this election is clear. The following are some of Golden's answers.

"I've watched [John Kerry] in elected office for 22 years and still don't know what he stands for. That's not the kind of person I have faith in as commander-in-chief. Senator Kerry's willingness to place political expedience before conscience is disturbing no matter what your faith.

That's not the kind of person I have faith in as commander-in-chief. I'm doing what I think is best for the country, not any political party.If you look at it objectively you can see a profound difference. When John Kennedy spoke to people about his religion, he was essentially saying, "I'm a Catholic, but don't hold it against me." John Kerry essentially says, "I'm a Catholic, but don't hold me to it."
It's one thing if you don't believe that human life begins at conception. However, John Kerry admits he believes that life begins at conception but won't do anything to protect it in law. How does he square his conscience with his official antipathy to all legislation protecting human life? John Kennedy said that "if the time should ever come...when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do likewise." Can you imagine that coming from John Kerry? Senator Kerry's willingness to place political expedience before conscience is disturbing no matter what your faith.

My Catholicism was a significant factor in my decision to enter public life and it certainly plays a role in the way I approach public policy. The Catholic Church insists that respect for the human person should be at the center of political decision-making. That respect is manifest, first and foremost, in the protection of innocent, vulnerable human life. I take that as a non-negotiable foundation of my political worldview and I build on it.

Where would we be without the strong voice of churches informing our choices? African-American churches, mainstream Protestant denominations, Catholics, and Jewish congregations all changed America for the better during the civil-rights struggle. They play a key role in the development of a just society.
I didn't run for office because I needed to be popular. I have to do this job on my own terms. I ran because I wanted to do what I thought was right. I have consistently, and sometimes painfully, been true to my conscience in a district that is often to the left of me. The nice part of this is that the people of my district haven't expected me to sacrifice my core beliefs. I've won a total of four Democratic primaries, two of them after I endorsed George Bush in 2000.

There are many cultural and substantive reasons why I have remained a Democrat. I'm the product of Irish-immigrant grandparents; my dad was a police officer. For decades, the Democratic party spoke to the concerns of people who had working-class upbringings like mine. In terms of cultural values, economic justice and organized labor, and a strong defense, the Democratic party was a comfortable place. It produced people like Pennsylvania Governor Bob Casey as recently as the 1990s. He was a giant in my eyes. But people like Governor Casey are rarities now in the Democratic party. If the party doesn't do some soul-searching about its more extreme positions, it will continue to lose members and elections.

I've been in the Army for a total of eleven years, including three years on active duty in the 1990s. I've been back on active duty for almost twelve months since 9/11, and I have a brother in Afghanistan for most of this year. It's clear to me that the role of commander-in-chief is the president's most important responsibility.
Sen. Kerry has been incomprehensible on the war. The American people and our troops overseas need a leader with a strong voice and clarity of purpose. We have that in President Bush; we have little but demagoguery from the other side.

People understand that the all-volunteer military is a good thing. People who choose to join are more effective, more disciplined soldiers than those forced to join. The all-volunteer military served us well throughout the Cold War, and I don't think people really believe we're going back to a draft. We probably need to bolster our recruiting efforts, but most recognize the draft talk as pure politics.

After our darkest of days, George Bush developed and carried out a plan that has kept the American people safe. Think about it. After 9/11, with the United States' large porous borders, most people believed that acts of terror would become a sporadic part of life here at home. However, for three years, the president and his team have kept the homeland safe. That is an accomplishment that Democrats, Republicans, and Independents can respect.

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