Campaign for 48th District is quiet one

Alicia Robinson

In a “safe” congressional district like the one that includes Newport

Beach, the November election is the incumbent’s to lose.

Despite smaller bank accounts and less publicity, challengers to

Republican Rep. Chris Cox hope to gain votes by calling attention to

what they see as Cox’s shortcomings as a congressman.

Democrat John Graham and Libertarian Bruce Cohen will be on the

ballot seeking Cox’s 48th Congressional District seat. Cohen, 43, of

Aliso Viejo, is a real estate agent and a first-time seeker of

partisan office. Graham, 56, of Irvine, is a professor of

international business at UC Irvine and is facing off with Cox for

the second time.

Each of Cox’s opponents criticized him on different grounds --

Cohen for a perceived weakness on budget and tax issues and Graham

for having the wrong focus on national security issues.

“I got into it in the 2000 election because at that time I was

dissatisfied with Cox’s crying wolf about China,” Graham said. “Now

he’s chair of [the House] Homeland Security [Committee] and he’s

butchering that job too.”

In 1999, Cox chaired a House committee on national security

concerns and the possible threat posed by China. Graham maintains

that the congressman’s undue attention to China was one of the

distractions that left America unprepared for the Sept. 11 terrorist

attacks.

Graham also lambasted recent U.S. expenditures on nuclear

submarines, which he said Cox has supported.

“It’s pork barrel expenditures,” Graham said. “Certainly nuclear

submarines are no use at all in fighting Al-Qaeda.”

Cohen said he’s concerned about the size and scope of the federal

government and how much money it takes from citizens’ paychecks. He

said Cox has voted in favor of spending increases and has failed to

cut wasteful programs.

“Chris [Cox] has not been a good tax fighter,” Cohen said. “Yet

he’s running on a fiscally conservative platform.”

As a Libertarian, Cohen supports a smaller government that lets

people run their own lives, and that is in tune with what Orange

County voters want, he said.

“Orange County wants less taxes,” he said. “Orange County wants to

have private retirement accounts, not government accounts. Orange

County believes in gay rights.”

None of the candidates seems to be campaigning vigorously. Though

he’s been mentioned as a choice for other offices, Cox has brushed

the rumors aside. He said he wants to return to Congress because he

has more work to do.

A Republican majority in both chambers, a Republican president and

the increasing notoriety of Orange County make this the best time to

push a conservative agenda, Cox said.

“The opportunities that lie ahead in the 109th Congress are the

greatest that any legislator from Orange County will ever have,” he

said.

Restoring the state’s fiscal health and paring down federal

spending are among the congressman’s top priorities, he said.

“I’m not satisfied with the spending level in Washington,” he

said. “I voted against most of it.”

He also plans to continue working on environmental issues and has

lobbied hard to fund dredging in Newport’s Back Bay. His successes in

the past year include legislation devoting $5.4 billion to combat

biological terrorism threats and a change to the way homeland

security funds are distributed, which is part of a pending bill.

After 16 years in Congress, Cox said he still doesn’t assume the

election is a lock.

“History suggests that’s right, as do demographics and party

registration, but there is no such thing as a safe seat,” he said.

Cohen and Graham know they’re long shots, but both hope their

campaigns will raise ideas they think Cox has ignored.

“If you ask me, am I confident of winning? No,” Graham said. “But

I think if people wake up to how dangerous Chris Cox is sitting in

Congress and start asking questions, ... that’d be a very good

thing.”

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (949) 764-4330 or by e-mail at

[email protected].