Hostettler likes to claim that Brad Ellsworth hasn't taken any positions on well, anything, but this article is chock full of 'em...There's a decent local news story on immigration policy as well, which you can find here, because I can't figure out how to rip the video from their playlist file.
He said elected representatives need to "keep American jobs in America, whatever that takes," and called for tax breaks and incentives that create local jobs and help families send children to college.
Health care availability, Ellsworth said, "is a crisis in America right now." He said he would support insurance pools for small businesses and allow for the "legal, safe importation" of prescription drugs.
He called for the passage of a "patients bill of rights" in which "doctors and their patients finally rule what goes on in their health care, not an HMO or an insurance company."
He repeated his stance against "amnesty" for illegal immigrants and support for a "military bill of rights," assuring health care for veterans.
Those currently serving in Iraq and elsewhere "deserve everything they need to get their job done," Ellsworth told Rotarians. In an interview after his speech, Ellsworth said he opposes setting a deadline for troop withdrawals from Iraq.
"It was a flawed plan to get into that war, and we can't afford a flawed plan to get out. ... You see a growing number of the public dissatisfied with the war, but you can't make a military mistake based on political judgement," Ellsworth said.
Asked by if he would support House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., for speaker if Democrats win the House's majority, Ellsworth deferred, saying he would want to see first who runs for the position.
Another questioner asked Ellsworth what piece of legislation he would want to sponsor first if elected. Ellsworth paused and drew a chuckle from the audience when he said he would support a bill to "get rid of partisan bickering" in Congress. "It sickens you to watch that."
