Scott Tibbs
Printed in the Ft Wayne Journal-Gazette, 02-05-1999

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Souder a good conservative

To the Editor:

I was intrigued by the February 2 article in the Journal-Gazette about the challenger to Representative Souder in the 2000 congressional primary. While I am sure Mr. Souder's challenger is a qualified candidate; I am perplexed why conservatives feel a need to expunge Souder from his seat.

I share the disagreement that many conservatives have with Rep. Souder over his vote on impeachment. Our President has committed crimes against the legal system and should be removed from office. But while I disagree with Souder on this issue, I do not think he should be voted out over it, especially by his own party.

Representative Souder is one of the strongest conservatives in the house. He has fought to reduce the size and scope of government, and is a leader in the 1994 Republican Freshman class that won such a landslide in 1994. Souder is an unwavering supporter of the right to life of unborn children, standing firm against the horrors of abortion. Overall, Souder is an excellent conservative and represents his party well. The fact that he voted his conscience on impeachment is not reason enough to remove him from office.

Republicans should not cannibalize their own party over such infrequent policy lapses. Instead, we should keep Souder right where he is: serving the people of the 4th District with common-sense conservative values.