Daniel Jackson & Alex Green
Triangle Reporters
During his visit to Bryan campus, congressional representative Chuck Fleischmann would ask himself theoretical questions and answer with a, “Well, gee whiz Chuck…”
Some students are asking themselves the same question about Fleishmann’s visit on Monday, Sept. 5. Fleischmann spoke at Monday morning chapel as the college kicked off its memorial week in honor of the 10-year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attack.
“I have never seen a white, short man dance that well around the issues,” said senior Politics and Government major Jonathan Neal about Fleischmann’s talking points. Neal and several other students believe the substance of Fleischmann’s points were vague.
Junior Brian Dicks said he felt Fleischmann was a, “Political Christian and not a Christian politician.”
The Chattanooga-based representative used his time at the podium touching on the repercussions of the 9/11 tragedy in today’s world, as well as giving insight into his position as a United States congressman.
Some listeners found the presentation enlightening. Professor Kevin Clauson said he was “very pleased” with Fleischmann because in Clauson’s 11a.m. Constitutional Law class, Fleischmann said he supported the idea that the Constitution has authority over the federal Government.
Fleischmann said in chapel that the current political, social, and economical turmoil in America could be solved by a return to the United States’ Judeo-Christian roots. He alluded to the faith of the Founding Fathers as a precedent for today’s governmental structure. Fleischmann also gave credit for America’s booming success in history to the Christian foundation laid down by the founders.
Professor of History Travis Ricketts said that when a politician speaks to an audience, that politician knows what the audience believes and what they care about. The politician will craft their talk to please the audience. For example, if Hilary Clinton were to speak at Bryan, she would find some common ground with Bryan community.
“When she leaves, she hopes to leave warm fuzzies behind,” said Ricketts.
He explained that many politicians are careful about what they say. Media can misquote and misrepresent situations.
“I could understand that he could be pretty gun shy in that regard,” said Ricketts.
What matters in evaluating a politician, Ricketts said, is not how they speak, but how they vote in congress.
Ricketts said he cannot support or discredit Fleishmann either way. With only a year of experience in office, Fleishmann still needs to establish a voting record.
Fleischmann took impromptu questions from audience members at a lunch speech, but he took on many specific students’ concerns in a more formal Q & A session on the third floor of the Latimer Student Center immediately following. At that session, Fleischmann offered his explanation for voting “no” on the emergency debt-ceiling bill on Aug. 2.
“I voted against raising the national debt,” said Fleischmann on his decision. “The vast majority of my constituents supported me in that vote.”
Fleischmann maintained that although the default deadline fell just hours after his “no” vote, the congress would have had enough time to construct another bill, one that would have cut more spending. The government, he added, would have had money coming in, and while some government agencies and services would have gone on hiatus, the country would not have gone bankrupt.
Fleischmann also said that he is a proponent of either the fair tax or the flat tax. The fair tax places one tax percentage on people of all incomes, and the fair tax, the more popular of the two systems, would place the burden of taxes on the consumption of new goods. Both systems would eliminate the IRS.
Fleischmann’s appearance at Bryan was one stop on a series of town-hall meetings that he is currently attending across his district.