IRAQ WAR

 

 

Fort Worth real estate broker and former TV and newspaper reporter Tracey Smith has thrown his hat into the ring for former Speaker Jim Wright’s congressional seat. 

 

            “The American people spoke in November, 2006, that they want to end the war in Iraq and the new Democratic congressional majority has tried to do that only to be rebuffed by President Bush and the Republicans in Congress,” Smith said.  “It’s time to let the Iraqis learn to get along and run their own country.  The war is over.  We won.  We should bring some of our soldiers home and send others to Afghanistan to finish the war there.  A vote to continue the war in Iraq is a vote to kill two soldiers per day.  Meanwhile, we have ignored Afghanistan and the Taliban is regaining footholds there.  It is the same as if the Nazis had returned to power in some areas of Germany three years after World War II ended.”

 

            Smith worked as a reporter for The Dallas Times Herald in the early 1970’s and for KDFW-TV, Channel 4, as a Fort Worth reporter in the late 70’s.  He is running for the congressional seat now held by Republican Kay Granger.  The district includes northern and western Tarrant County and all of Parker and Wise counties.
 

HEALTH INSURANCE

 

            The United States is the only nation in the industrialized world that does not have a national health insurance program.  We do not need the government running an insurance company.  But we should make it possible for citizens to have medical coverage for their children.

 

            It is unthinkable that congressional Republicans and President Bush opposed the SCHIP bill in 2007 which is a federally-funded state program supported by most governors of both parties.  The GOP’s opposition denied health insurance coverage to an additional 700,000 children.  Fort Worth representative Kay Granger voted twice against the bill and once to sustain President Bush’s veto.  SCHIP stands for State Children’s Health Insurance Program.