Pleasanton Weekly: Swalwell for Congress

Congressman Pete Stark, a 20-term U.S. Representatives who has served a part of Pleasanton and a larger part of the East Bay longer than many of us have lived here (or even been alive), is taking a lot of heat for seeking re-election. Some consider him, at age 80, too old to stay in Congress, although many who have been older have served with distinction. Others argue that his home on the Eastern Shore where he lives with his younger wife and young children is too far from the district he represents, although many congress members and senators, including Dianne Feinstein, have long ago moved into homes closer to the Capitol. Jerry McNerney, who leaves us next month due to redistricting, is perhaps the exception, flying home almost every weekend to Pleasanton.

Our problem with Stark is not where he lives or his age, it's his politics. His voting record is so far to the left that he made Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi seem almost conservative. His strong liberal views now outpace most of the far left in Congress and at a time when political leaders of both parties are moving toward the center.

That's why we like Eric Swalwell, a Dublin Councilman and Alameda County prosecutor. Still a Democrat like Stark, Swalwell is a moderate whose supporters cross party lines and include business and even union leaders. Swalwell, at age 31, promises to bring new energy and younger ideas to Congress, including a mobile Congress initiative that we like that would allow representatives to spend more time with their constituents (and their families) in their home district. He says he'll work on reducing the national deficit but not at a pace that would threaten today's feeble economic recovery. As a local lawmaker, Swalwell is also closely identified with local schools and sees first-hand the impact federal legislation has on state and local education. Although fairly green in terms of political experience, he has the savvy to be our representative in the newly aligned 15th Congressional District.

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The Pete Stark Scam Revealed

 

Pete Stark Finally Debates Eric Swalwell...Kind Of

Eric Swalwell for 15th District

Anyone who has seen Eric Swalwell and Rep. Pete Stark under questioning this year will readily understand why Stark wants no part of a general-election debate.

Swalwell, an Alameda County prosecutor and Dublin councilman, comes across as composed, perceptive and in touch with the changing dynamics of the East Bay district.

Stark, elected to Congress in 1972, comes across as haughty, mean-spirited and prone to gaffes and false accusations.

There is no doubt about which of these two Democrats should be representing the newly drawn 15th District in the House of Representatives.

Stark first ran for office as a wealthy banker whose challenge of 81-year-old Rep. George Miller played on a theme of generational change. He called fellow Democrat Miller "a man whose ideas petrified years ago."

The tables have turned. Today, it is Stark's hyper-partisanship and boorish antics that have grown old. He is, to put it bluntly, an embarrassment to the district.

We endorsed Swalwell in the primary and reiterate our confidence in his ability to bring fresh ideas and a problem-solving sensibility to Washington.

By: San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Board
Source: http://www.sfgate.com/opinion/editorials/article/Eric-Swalwell-for-15th-District-3944823.php

Eric Swalwell on KTVU Meet the Candidates

Oakland Tribune editorial: Voters should select Swalwell to replace Stark

We said this in the primary election, but it bears repeating: It is time for Pete Stark to leave the U.S. House of Representatives.

Stark should have recognized that on his own, but he did not, so the voters of the 15th Congressional District should help him along.

The Fremont congressman faces his toughest challenge in the 40 years he has served in the House in the person of Eric Swalwell, an Alameda County prosecutor and Dublin city councilman.

Swalwell is an excellent alternative to the 80-year-old Stark, who has demonstrated he is not fit for office by the amazingly reckless manner in which he has conducted his campaign.

He has repeatedly launched unsubstantiated accusations against Swalwell and when those allegations are later shown to be untrue he simply says that he is sorry -- and then launches another false salvo.

It is behavior unbecoming a member of the U.S. House and, let's face it, that is hardly a high bar of ethical behavior.

It is always sad to see someone in the public arena not know when it is time to retire. We see it with athletes all the time.

But Stark is no Michael Jordan or Brett Favre. His recent campaign antics are only a public manifestation of embarrassing loose-cannon behavior that his colleagues in Congress have seen him display for some time.

It is the kind of behavior that hurts his effectiveness on Capitol Hill. Few of his colleagues will talk about it on the record, but their actions spoke volumes when fellow Democrats were so uncomfortable with him that they ignored his seniority and passed him over for the chairmanship of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee.

That should tell us all we need to know. Simply put, it is time for Stark to go.

Because of the state's new open primary system, voters in this heavily Democratic and reshaped East Bay congressional district do not have to hold their nose and vote for a Republican just to get rid of Stark.

Indeed, Swalwell is a Democrat who reflects the district's political values and can provide it with fresh and effective representation. He is smart, committed and accessible. He cut his political teeth as an intern to then-Rep. Ellen Tauscher, a moderate who worked effectively with members of both parties.

Swalwell is more centrist than Stark and has a strong interest in governing. We have been impressed with his pragmatism as a city councilman and his restraint in the face of Stark's wild charges.

Most candidates would rightly have become hysterical in the face of such false claims from a sitting member of Congress. But Swalwell has calmly but forcefully refuted each of the charges.

Frankly, it displays a temperament that we wish we saw more often in Congress.

We believe Swalwell is ready for Congress and that he will represent the interests of the district far better than Pete Stark.

By: Bay Area News Group
Source: http://www.insidebayarea.com/my-town/ci_21742053/oakland-tribune-editorial-voters-should-select-swalwell-replace

ERIC SWALWELL ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF CARPENTERS UNION

PRESS RELEASE

 

For Immediate Release                                                                       Contact:  Lisa Tucker

October 8, 2012                                                                                                 (925) 934-0550 or

                                                                                                                           Augie Beltran, Carpenters

                                                                                                                           (209) 993-7340

 

ERIC SWALWELL ANNOUNCES ENDORSEMENT OF CARPENTERS UNION

PLEASANTON—The Northern California Regional Council of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters endorsed Dublin City Councilman, Eric Swalwell in his campaign for Congress in District 15.  “I have always been an advocate for the working men and women of Labor and appreciate the Carpenters’ trust in me to be an effective advocate for working families in Congress.”

The Carpenters sited Swalwell’s support for Project Labor Agreements on federal construction projects and protecting Davis-Bacon, which provides for prevailing wages to be paid on federal construction work.  Last week, Swalwell introduced a resolution in Dublin to adopt prequalification standards and local hire provisions for contractors and their workers on local development projects.

“I will always support common-sense initiatives that ensure construction projects are built on time and on budget and that the quality of the construction is a top priority,” said Swalwell.  “I am proud to have the support of the Carpenters.”

More than eighty locally elected officials and community leaders have endorsed Swalwell for Congress across every community in the district.  Support crosses party lines.  Recently, Don Perata, Alberto Torrico and Ellen Tauscher have endorsed Swalwell.  He also has the full support of local law enforcement including every police officer association, the Deputy Sheriffs Association, Alameda County Sheriff Greg Ahern, and Alameda County Sheriff Emeritus Charlie Plummer. 

 

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California Report Features Eric Swalwell's Race for Congress

 

Rep. Pete Stark hates “stupid” questions and won’t debate — now he’s posting his own “tough” interviews

California East Bay Rep. Pete Stark, a 20-term Democrat facing the toughest race of his career, refuses to debate his Democratic opponent Eric Swalwell, calls press questions “stupid,” and was a no-show at a senior voter candidates’ forum this week in his CD-15 district.

And now there’s this: he’s producing his own campaign “news” videos, showing him taking “tough” questions — from his staff.

In the video series called “Pete Stark taking the tough questions,” the often-inaccessble Congressman is shown serenely conversing in a library setting, where he’s apparently able to shield himself from pesky real life issues that have resulted in what’s been called his “year of gaffes.”.

But we’ll give him this: the latest creative effort to completely control his exposure to questions from the press, his opponent — and real voters — puts him in the company of some very big political leaders: Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad come to mind.

First, take a look at the latest in Stark’s “series” of canned, “tough” questions: (http://youtu.be/8-aKub4Titc)

 

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