Miller-Meeks is qualified, levelheaded

Voters of the 2nd District have a rare opportunity Nov. 2. We can send a remarkably well-qualified Iowan to Congress and make history at the same time by electing the Republican candidate, Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks.

Like her opponent, Miller-Meeks has taught at the college level - in her case, at the University of Michigan and the University of Iowa, where she was the first female faculty member of the Department of Ophthalmology.

But unlike her opponent, her experience extends far beyond academia. She was the first female president of the Iowa Medical Society. She retired as a lieutenant colonel after 24 years in the Army. She created and ran a small business. She now uses her medical skills as a volunteer at a free clinic. She is a wife and the mother of two children.

Politically, she is conservative but no wild-eyed right-winger; she's a thoughtful, knowledgeable person who is guided by reasoned judgment, not blind ideology or orders from party leaders. A good example is her recent decision to adjust her position on Social Security when the facts changed, despite knowing her critics would pounce. That's the kind of principled, realistic “flip-flop” we need from our leaders.

We have a chance to make Congress more responsible and responsive while ending an appearance of gender prejudice that does not reflect Iowa values. Let's not blow it.

Mike Deupree

Shueyville