Dear Birmingham Eccentric...
In response to Mary Johnston's letter ("Reclaim Democracy," 2 December 2007), extolling the virtues of Nancy's Skinner's second run for Michigan's Ninth District Congressional seat:
Nancy Skinner may have been born in Royal Oak, but for most of the past decade she lived and worked far away from the District she wants to represent. As late as 2004, she was so connected to Illinois that she ran for Senate there, losing to Barack Obama in the primary.
Contrast that to Democrat Gary Peters, who is from the Ninth District and represented part of the District in the State Senate. He's a veteran, a successful manager of a state agency, and his local roots are uncontested -- all of which matter in this increasingly "purple" District where swing voters and moderates will make the difference.
Only Peters has the basic public service experience and competence to be an effective Congressman from the first day. That's what we need, and that's what will defeat Joe Knollenberg.