Bloomfield in the Beverly Hills Courrier

The Beverly Hills Courier should be commended for their open and balanced article on 33^rd Congressional District challenger and experienced citizen Bill Bloomfield.

The extended allusion to Frank Capra’s film Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is quite telling, since Congressman Henry Waxman was born the year of that film’s release. Like Mr. Smith, Mr. Waxman came to Congress with the reform agenda, joining the class of 1974 reacting to the national outrage over the disgraceful Watergate Scandal.

If anyone wants to see what money, power, and prestige can do to a man who goes from changing Washington to Washington changing him, look no further than Henry Waxman, who is now “pathetically beholden” to special interests and hyperpartisanship. After pulling strings and paying dues to choose his own easily-won districts, Waxman never campaigned for office, instead directing funds to other races as part of the “Berman-Waxman” machine. He attacks the Koch Brothers for pulling the strings of majority members on the Energy and Commerce Committee, yet two-thirds of his donations come from special interests. He stands by the green tech lobby, even though the same companies have gone bankrupt or gone overseas with federal tax dollars. Waxman half-sincerely apologizes: “I’m Sorry!”

In the past three years, Waxman has authored the most divisive and risible legislation – ObamaCare and Waxman-Markey – both of which passed on the slimmest of margins.

He has wasted precious time on steroid use in baseball, admitting in one documentary his blatant ignorance about our nation’s steroid and drinking laws. He admitted ignorance about his prized Cap and Trade bill and that GM went bankrupt three years ago! For decades, Waxman could say “I Don’t Know” and not care since he was assured a win term after term.

The last straw for me, though, was February 2011, when in open committee he asserted “We’re Not Broke!” in the face of a $14 trillion (now $16 trillion) national debt.

Waxman the “experienced politician” had his chance to do the right thing for the voters. Now the right thing for the voters to do is vote for Bill Bloomfield for the 33^rd!