Newspaper says Dingell is ‘the far better choice for 15th District voters’

The conservative editorial board of the Monroe Evening News said U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Dearborn, is “without question, the far better choice for 15th District voters.”

The endorsement by the Monroe Evening News last week makes it an almost clean sweep of newspapers that cover the 15th District, including the state’s two largest newspapers, the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News. The only major one remaining is the News Herald. The only thing keeping the teabagger Republican opponent, Rob Steele, in the race appears to be his rather large ego.

Dingell enjoys a lead of 17-19 points, and the News, like most people, wonder why Republicans are even wasting money on this race.

“One reason is that the match-up has all the characteristics of an actual race — an oddity in a district that long has been steam-rolled by Rep. Dingell, the longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives.”

For every job you interview for you will not even be considered for the position without some experience, yet Steele and his supporters think not knowing how the legislative process works, knowing nothing about national security or that someone with no experience will hold the purse strings of billons of dollars is a plus. It’s amazing to me that as little as two years ago and for the past 230 years the serious character flaws and extremism of some of the Republican candidates would automatically disqualify them for office, but today that is seen as positive or just ignored.

“Although Dr. Steele tries to cast his political inexperience as a plus, it sometimes reveals a threadbare understanding of some of the daunting issues facing the nation,” the MEN said.

Steele has also tried to use Dingell’s long and distinguished record against him, but only for a small fringe minority that Steele calls his base is Dingell’s stellar record a liability.

“Steele has tried valiantly to use Rep. Dingell’s record against him,” the paper said. “Problem is, the record is too long, too accomplished and too laudable to be a liability. Despite whatever political winds of change might sweep the nation, Rep. Dingell’s stands still resound with an often silent majority of District 15 voters — Democrats, Republicans and Independents alike.”

One of the more laughable and ridiculous false charges Steele has leveled at Dingell is that he never shows up at events, he is out of touch with voters and can never be found in the district. Anyone who has spent any time in the district knows how accessible Dingell is, and the paper agrees. What is really illustrated here is how truly out of touch Steele is. That or he is just a complete liar, and in keeping with his past record, it may be both.

“He not only has a record of listening to “the little people,” he’s been a watchdog for years for many of the interests of the big auto and energy industries, which have been the backbone of southeast Michigan’s economy,” the paper said. “More recently, in Monroe County alone, he’s been a champion of federal incentives to business and industry, one of the architects of the Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge, and a driving force behind the creation of the new River Raisin National Battlefield Park.

“Indeed, time and again, he has stood for principle over party.”