Press release: Sowers: “Leadership is about accepting responsibility”
October 18, 2010
Sowers: "Leadership is about accepting responsibility"
Contact: Christie Cunningham
Email: christie@sowersforcongress.com
Phone: 573.458.0028
In their final debate, the Congressional candidates for Missouri’s 8th District demonstrated differences in their approach to leadership and Congress. The first topic of the evening was campaign finance. Whereas Congresswoman Emerson takes 45% of her contributions from lobbyists, Tommy Sowers takes 97% of his support from individuals. Sowers discussed the topic:
“Congresswoman Emerson has taken $900,000 from Wall Street, and in return she gave them a $780 billion bailout. …Now that’s a good return on their investment. If you want government of, by and for the people, I’d be honored for your vote. If you want government of, by and for the lobbyists, you’ll have to look elsewhere.”
Another difference arose on a healthcare question. Congresswoman Emerson discussed the bad parts of the bill, but did not discuss her plan for how to fix healthcare for Missouri families. Sowers commented on healthcare:
“The question is who is best placed to fix it…Congresswoman Emerson is a former lobbyist who has taken thousands and thousands of dollars from healthcare and insurance lobbyists. That’s whom she’ll be advocating for in this bill… I’ll be advocating for the people of this district.”
On the topic of trade deals, Sowers advocated for renegotiating trade deals and noted that Emerson has voted for 12 foreign trade deals that have shipped jobs overseas. He referenced Brown Shoes in Fredericktown that recently closed their doors. Instead of acknowledging her role in the trade deals, and acknowledging the toll that trade deals have taken, Emerson commented:
“The fact of the matter is trade deals are an executive function…it’s not something Congress really does.”
Sowers addressed the importance of accountability in his closing statement:
“I learned in the military that you’re accountable for everything that you do and everything that you fail to do… Leadership is not waiting for a crisis to happen. Leadership is not placing blame. Leadership is accepting responsibility…and she can’t answer for the loss of jobs, her vote for the bailout or these endless wars.”
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