Via Betsy Z. Russell:
A few tidbits from 1st District GOP Congressman Raul Labrador’s appearance in Eagle today:
When a constituent told Labrador, a tea party conservative, that she never watches Fox News, Labrador responded, “I actually watch CNN more than any other, because I don’t want one side or the other to constantly bombard me.”
When he was asked about Social Security, Labrador said to laughter, “I’ve already alienated half of this group, so I need to alienate the other half.” Then, he said, “The reality is if we don’t do something with Social Security, it’s going to go away. … I think the easiest thing to do is to start increasing the age of retirement.” He said he wouldn’t change anything for those already receiving benefits.
When a constituent asked why he was among just a handful of “no” votes on legislation that contained funding to continue the A-10 aircraft mission for the Air Force until there’s a replacement, Labrador said it was because the measure was part of the National Defense Authorization Act, which he opposed for two reasons: Because it doesn’t reflect the costs of war, thus “playing tricks with your money;” and because he said it allows the government to arrest and detain a citizen without due process as long as the country is at war. “You know I’m a civil libertarian,” he said. “So for those two reasons I voted against the NDAA, however I fully support the A-10’s.”
Labrador said he disputes the idea that Republicans are for big business, and Democrats are for “the little guy.” Instead, he said, “What you really have in Washington, D.C. is you have a fight where big government and big business unite so that they can squash everybody else below them.” He said, “I don’t want to favor anybody.”