By Gina Hamilt
Coastal Journal staff

BATH - Charlie Summers is running for the First Congressional District seat, being vacated by Tom Allen. He is one of two Republicans who have thrown their hats in the ring, and also one of two candidates who have served in Iraq, the other being Adam Cote, a Democrat.

His current deployment will run beyond the 2008 primary season; however, we met up with Mr. Summers a few weeks before he was deployed. As in the past, our goal is to allow each candidate to speak for him or herself. Here, then, is Charlie Summers on the issues:

Iraq and the War on Terror: Whether it was initially or not, now Iraq is the central front on the war on terror. Al Qaeda is present in Iraq, and is killing civilians. I am committed to the war on terror, and to protecting American interests. As a vet, I am also committed to supporting vets and their families, both while the soldier is deployed, and also after he or she comes home.

Oil and Alternative Energy: American dependence on foreign oil has led those who would harm us to use oil as a weapon. Bolstering America's energy independence is the single most important way to protect our economic vitality and national security. America must insulate families and businesses from the shifting world political tides that often restrict the supply of foreign fuels and drive up their costs. We need to find more energy sources in the United States, including exploring the Arctic, and working with new technologies like hydrogen power. By increasing the supply and diversity of fuels and adopting technologies that allow us to use our fuels more efficiently, we can reduce our reliance on uncertain energy sources, boost the productivity of our industries and strengthen our ability to withstand global uncertainties. We have to increase the amount we spend on R&D to support these technology.

Global warming and carbon emission: There seems to be no doubt that global warming is a real phenomenon, according to the best science we have on the subject. However, we can’t just abandon our oil-based economy. We have to increase the diversity of our fuels, including many energy forms that are low in emissions, and work together with the world community so that everyone is working toward lower carbon emissions.

Health care: The skyrocketing cost of health care is the number one concern of America's families and small businesses. In the absence of Congressional leadership a growing number of states are adopting new approaches to providing affordable, quality health care. Too many of the current plans focus on extending coverage without addressing costs. Strategies that rely more on consumer choice to drive down costs and drive up quality appear to have the best chance of meeting the health care needs of most Americans. I would encourage Congress to take the best of the experiments now proliferating across America to build a national health care policy that will make affordable, quality care available to all Mainers.

Social Security, Medicare, and Government Spending: Congress seems to have lost contact with the interests of the American people when it comes to spending your hard-earned tax dollars. The limitless needs of special interests have led to ever- expanding demands for more government expenditures. Too often your tax dollars are poured into ill-conceived projects with no measurable results. This is leading to an increasing national debt and growing budget deficits. If government insists on taking a share of American's earnings it should ensure these dollars are put to good use. I will push for more accountable, common-sense approaches to public expenditure and that government spending is limited to meeting our most pressing needs. Having said that, I support programs that provide our elders with a decent quality of life ... Social Security and Medicare are proven programs that have lifted our parents and grandparents out of poverty. However, we have to be thinking about ways to make these systems more efficient, and less costly, especially as the population ages.

Education: American schools are beginning to see the gains from the accountability and competition encouraged by the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Our children can only benefit by demanding that schools show that they are improving educational outcomes, Still, the pace of reform is far too slow, especially for families and communities of modest means. Maine has been a national leader in school choice for years. I will bring the Maine experience with competition with me to Congress and push for national education policy that brings the benefits of accountable education to children across the nation.