POLITICS: Why is Nachbar running?

on June 26, 2007

Thank you for your excellent interview with Congressional candidate David Nachbar. I was disappointed that Mr. Nachbar chose to deride his primary and likely general election-opponents - Democrat Eric Massa and Republican Randy Kuhl, respectively - as lifelong "government employees." It is an obvious slight to the brave members of the service who protect our country to say that they are unfit for office because they are "government employees."

But I would go further: as fashionable as it is to criticize politicians these days, public servants almost certainly benefit from the wisdom of experience that comes from governing and campaigning. Would anyone say "unlike a doctor, I'm not an employee of the health-care industry, so I can give you the best medical opinion"? That's essentially what David Nachbar is saying when he claims that his lack of experience with public service is an asset.

Finally, if Mr. Nachbar has such contempt for "government employees," why is he campaigning to become one?

Tom Tucker, Ericsson Street, Rochester