Elizabethton Star Endorses Dr. Phil Roe Within Crowed Republican Primary For 1st District U.S. House of Representatives Seat

The Elizabethton Star has for the second time within a week endorsed Dr. Phil Roe as the best candidate to vote for during the August 3, 2006 Republican Primary Elections representing the Northeast Tennessee 1st Congressional District within the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Wednesday June 28, 2006 edition of theElizabethton Star noted that the earlier June 25 endorsement of Dr. Roe within the Sunday Opinion section of the Star had incorrectly spelled the candidate's last name as "Rowe" [emphasis is mine]:

Dr. Phil Roe is our choice for Congress

Dr. Phil Roe is a Johnson City physician who is "pedaling" his way to the United States Congress. He hopes to be elected to the House of Representatives from the First Congressional District of Tennessee, which includes Carter County and 11 other Northeast Tennessee counties. The physician has been spending his weekends bicycling in each of the 12 counties, and is almost at the end of the route.

We have followed each of the congressional candidates as they have campaigned. We have listened to them; read their campaign news releases, and they each have some outstanding qualities. All seem to be noble men, interested in serving both their fellowman and the country. However, the man we are most impressed with is Dr. Roe. He is people-concerned, and he is most concerned about the issues that affect all of us -- health care, taxes, illegal immigration, veterans, and protecting our homeland.

In an interview this week, Dr. Roe said the one concern he hears most from people in Northeast Tennessee is "they are afraid they are going to get sick and they can't afford it." He shared a story about an elderly woman, who had three prescriptions filled. "It took one-fourth of her yearly income to provide her with these three prescriptions for one year. We have the most sophisticated health care system in the world, but it is unaffordable," said the doctor.

"We presently have 228 lawyers serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. There's only six doctors and three registered nurses serving in the House. If elected, I am immediately going to work to find a way to offer affordable health care in this country," he declared.

We like that. But, we also like the fact that he is not accepting any PAC money for his campaign. He only wants to work for the people of the 12 Northeast Tennessee counties he will represent.

A veteran, who served in Korea, Dr. Roe has experienced what it is like to serve on foreign soil and to leave a young family behind. His service experience was a learning experience. "Borders can be secured. We did it in Korea, and we can do it with Mexico . And, that's the first thing we need to do in dealing with this illegal immigration problem. We have to protect our borders, and we cannot grant amnesty to people who are lawbreakers. We are a people of laws, and if you enter this country, you must do it legally, and if you live here you must abide by the laws. Also, I think English has to be the language of this country," he said.

We like the way he thinks. We like his common-sense approach to solving problems. He thinks like so many of us in Northeast Tennessee.

We also know Dr. Roe to be a person of integrity and character; one who has conservative values like most of the folks who live and work in Northeast Tennessee.

Long before he became a member of the Johnson City Commission and Johnson City Planning Commission, he was giving of his time and energies to make life better for others. He has served the youth of the community as a soccer and basketball coach, was awarded the King Pharmaceutical Health Care Hero Award, and received the TN Board of Regents Award for Excellence in Philanthropy.

We believe he will be a strong and diligent Representative for all citizens of the First District. We believe he will not be swayed by lobbyists and special interest groups, but truly has at heart the needs and concerns of the people of Northeast Tennessee. We are casting our lot with Dr. Phil Roe in the Aug. 3 Primary Election, and we urge you to do the same.

You might go back into this Star endorsement and read the part about Dr. Roe's conversation with the elderly woman who could not afford to buy the prescription drugs and the observation by the Star that

"...he [Roe] is not accepting any PAC money for his campaign."

Contrast this observation about Dr. Roe with the political dealings of State Rep. David Davis who has himself a long history of accepting both pharmaceutical PAC money and campaign contribution from individuals directly involved with the pharmaceutical industry (such as former King Pharmaceuticals CEO and current Leitner Pharmaceuticals CEO John M. Gregory), and Davis' own personal involvement within the August 1999 King Pharmaceuticals legislative-lobbying airlift to meet with the then TennCare Director Brian Lapps in Nashville...