Guthrie campaigns at Tea Party event

Elizabethtown News-Enterprise (KY) – Thursday, February 18, 2010— The local Tea Party organization Tuesday gave residents a chance to meet and question two candidates for federal representation.

(Elizabethtown, KY) U.S. Rep. Brett Guthrie and U.S. Senate candidate Bill Johnson discussed their qualifications for their respective seats at a meeting of Tea Party Patriots at Nolin RECC.

Guthrie focused on accomplishments in his first term in office. He spoke about the federal health care bill that has recently been threatened by the election of Scott Brown to a Massachusetts Senate seat. Guthrie was not a supporter of the bill, and he said he was worried about its passage. But he said Brown’s election showed where many voters stood on the issue.

“And guess what, the American people took over,” he said. Guthrie thanked the approximately 100 people who attended Tuesday’s event for making a difference on issues such as health care.

Guthrie also discussed his opposition to the $787 billion stimulus package that was passed a year ago. Opposing the stimulus bill is a major tenet of the Central Kentucky Tea Party’s platform.

Newcomer Johnson introduced the crowd to himself and his background, which includes service in the Navy and a career in the energy industry.

Johnson discussed his position on several issues. He supports business deregulation, all forms of coal removal and dissolving the Department of Education and Internal Revenue Service by moving education decisions to the states and instituting a consumption-based tax, respectively.

He also expressed his support for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“We cannot show weakness, we cannot show surrender,” Johnson said.

Event attendees were able to question both men after they spoke.

Bobby Alexander, local Tea Party chairman, was pleased with the turnout on a snowy Tuesday evening as well as audience participation.

Alexander said the organization is still getting a feel for how their events will be received.

“We never know what to expect because it’s kind of a new thing,” he said.