This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
The Tribune editorial board chose not to endorse 1st Congressional District candidate Donna McAleer, while calling her "the best qualified candidate the Democrats have fielded against [Rep. Rob Bishop] in years" ("Rob Bishop: Insider can have clout in capital," Our View, Sept. 2).
After noting Bishop's "cavalier" attitude toward "protecting the environment from the impact of oil and gas drilling," and "interference in development of the Wasatch canyons," etc., only his congressional seniority was cited to justify endorsing him.
With years of polls giving Congress an abysmal approval rating (now at 10 percent), ironically, Bishop's seniority makes him a senior partner in the problem. That problem starts with 54 percent of his campaign contributions coming from oil, gas, finance and real estate interests. He must serve them, not Utah, first.
If seniority alone justifies re-election, can we expect anything other than more of the same? To change congressional performance, we need to elect those rare, well-qualified people who take on stagnating incumbents like Bishop.
McAleer listens. She is committed to solving problems. She is not wedded to special interests or rigid ideology. McAleer will be a difference maker for Utah.
She deserved The Tribune's support. Voters should give her theirs.
Steve Lewis
Park City