Gazette endorsement: 2nd District Congress, Archer

Gazette

Editorial Board

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Second District congressional candidate John Archer may not have a lot of political experience. But he does have ideas.

And the 40-year-old Bettendorf businessman and attorney makes a compelling case that voters should send him to Washington, D.C.

In talking with him, we appreciated Archer's practical perspective and focus on getting things done, even if it means that both parties have to give up some of what they want. We could use more of that in Congress.

Archer says he's learned to compromise while negotiating contracts as corporate counsel at John Deere, as a small-business owner and as a member of a local school board.

That philosophy carried through to his views about the Affordable Care Act - which he opposes overall, while acknowledging there are parts of the plan he would keep, such as those that protect consumers with pre-existing medical conditions, and allowing young adult children to stay longer on their parents' health insurance policies.

His views on other issues of the day seem mostly well reasoned. For example, he's not lobbying for drastic budget cuts in the short term that could trigger a fall back to deep recession, but he's also insistent that long-term changes must be made to cure the government's massive debt problems and that means some programs need to go or be combined.

Incumbent Democrat U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack has engaged and worked hard for constituents in the six years since he was first elected to office in 2006 on a wave of Democratic sentiment. For example, his support for veterans has been unflagging and commendable.

But we expected more impact in Washington from a third-term congressman. Loebsack's voting record also shows that he rarely strays from his party when voting on legislation. We don't see that he's given voters enough compelling reasons to send him back to Washington for two more years.

We don't agree with all of Archer's ideas, and there's always some risk in backing a newcomer to a large-scale political stage. However, Archer would bring new energy, valuable large and small-business background, well-tested negotiating skills, and a fresh pair of eyes to persistent problems facing the country.