Radtke Calls for a Fresh Approach to Politics in 2012

Jamie Radtke, a tea party candidate running for U.S. Senate, spoke Wednesday night about bringing fresh faces and new ideas to the Capitol in the next election.

“It’s the definition of insanity to keep doing the same thing over and over again and think you’re going to get a different result,” Radtke said to the Arlington County Republican Committee. “It’s sort of like this battered wife syndrome, we’re so used to being beaten up and saying we’ve got to take second best, and we’ve got to break that cycle.”

Radtke, who considers Northern Virginia home since her grandparents still live here, said that Arlington residents can appreciate her original approach to problem solving since they see first hand the “out-of-control spending addiction that is going on” just across the river in Washington.

Her platform includes strong support of the Second Amendment; returning power to the states, including complete removal of the Department of Education and Department of Energy; and spending cuts to eliminate the deficit. She also opposes the recent debt ceiling hike.

“They voted on a compromise that was sub-par at best and now they’re all home vacationing, acting like there isn’t a problem,” she said. “I also think that this super committee is just ridiculous. If all you had to do was put the word super in front of something, we should’ve called it the super debt deal and just gotten it done with to begin with.”

Walter Derrig, an Arlington resident who attended the meeting, agreed with many of Radtke’s positions.

“She isn’t a gadfly who just popped into the movement. She has ideas,” he said. “She shares my belief that Republicans need to question their own establishment sometimes. It’s like a family.”

Others were less impressed with Radtke’s plans, citing the need for more specifics. 

“I thought she had good ideas and everything. However, it was all pretty vague,” said Robert Melvin, who also did not appreciate Radtke’s jabs at fellow Republican George Allen. Allen is also seeking the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate in Virginia next year. 

The overall message was one of patriotism and a return to conservative roots to bring about improvements — something she said people voted for in the last election, but did not receive.

“Have they been paying attention to the last two-and-a-half years?” she asked. “The guy (Obama) promised hope and change and all he’s brought is despair and an economy that’s drowning in spending, drowning in unemployment.”

One in the crowd believed her message could be the clean start America needs in 2012.

“I think we need … people with new ideas and fresh energy and I think she has that,” said Goud Maragani.