Still time to run for Congress

In 2006, the incumbent congressman in the 49th District, Mr. Issa, put out a press release that Israel needed “tough love” as, at the time, rockets were raining down on innocent women and children from Hezbollah in Lebanon. I had been in Lebanon in 1982 and knew the background to that situation.

The next day, I filed the papers to run against Issa and over the next 18 months visited with more than 1,600 people, one on one. I was amazed at the nearly 100 percent who felt that this nation is headed in the wrong direction and that Mr. Issa is a part of the problem.

As a former Captain of Artillery, Chairman of both the Natural Food and Organic Industries, nationwide, Republican Chairman in Texas in the ’60s, 20 years with Athletes in Action, Campus Crusade for Christ and honors like American of the Year in 1976 and the top environment award in the nation in 1984, I was a strong and viable candidate and I enjoyed getting to know the great people of this area. However, as a nuclear commander 51 years ago, leukemia stemming from that got much worse in 2007, and two months ago I had to withdraw from this race. I am 75.

Fifty years of working actively to make this a better nation in the political realm perhaps qualifies me to say that Bilbray and Issa are two of the worst congressmen I have ever seen. There is still time for patriots to step forward and make a change.

Jesse Frank Ford