Questions about Mollohan’s ethics helped make up our mind in race

The Dominion Post endorses state Delegate Chris Wakim, R-Ohio, for the 1st District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. This endorsement reflects a change of mindset since the 2004 election when we supported longtime Rep. Alan Mollohan, DW.Va. 

While we recognize Mollohan’s more than two decades of public service and the wealth of appropriations he has steered to our state, we now have reservations about the congressman’s ethical standards. Earmarking funds to your congressional district should be applauded. But we had our doubts when we learned that a relative handful of Mollohan’s business associates, partners and friends benefited from contracts resulting from those earmarks. But we knew he lost our support when he arrogantly refused to even acknowledge the ethical impropriety of such a situation. 

We realize that Wakim’s political experience is limited as a two-term legislator, however, his education and military experience (a graduate of Harvard and West Point) should serve him well in Washington. Wakim is in lock-step with President Bush’s war on terror in Iraq and elsewhere around the globe, and maintains that a proactive foreign policy in this struggle is the correct strategy. He also correctly notes that this war is not being fought against any nation or region, but against an ideology, and the only way to win it is to stay on the offensive. 

However, he is just as quick to note policies of the Bush administration where he begs to differ. For example, he does not accept the president’s proposal for a virtual amnesty program for illegal immigrants. And he admits, as a freshman lawmaker, he may not be able to sustain the level of earmarks that routinely come back to the state. But he insists rather than worrying about how much is coming back here, we can at least rest assured that it will not be misdirected or distributed unfairly. 

Wakim also recognizes the benefits of bipartisanship and as a minority lawmaker in the Legislature found that common and regional interests often served as a bridge across party divisions. While we endorse Wakim’s candidacy, we take issue with some of the political advertising he has approved of recently, especially those ads that call Mollohan a “two-bit crook” and a thug. 

Wakim should take the high road to be successful on Election Day and in the days to come in the House of Representatives.