Dear Editor,

Apathy and carelessness are two cancers that metastasize their way through the lifeblood of our union. This lifeblood is made up of perfectly fine, moral, and upstanding people who woke up one morning and asked, “What happened to my country?”

While they were busy working, paying taxes, raising their children, coaching a little league team, or teaching a Sunday School class, they did not notice the methodical erosion of our nation’s constitution and, thus, true liberty.

While easy to identify liberty’s enemies on another side of the aisle, very few chose to see the plank of compromised representatives in their very own beloved party.

By regaining our vigilance and refusing to allow just any person with an elephant next to their name automatic re-election, the wonderful people of Alabama’s 6th Congressional District can help restore true constitutional freedom for the entire nation.

Together we can take the first step towards this restoration by ensuring Spencer “Bailout” Bachus is not re-elected.

With every term he is re-elected, Mr. Bachus’s rating with the Amercian Conservative Union drops. He now hovers around 84 percent, a score that allows him to bear the distinctly infamous title of RINO (Republican In Name Only).

He has never inspired or led great legislation. Whatever the party leadership dictates, he most often follows. However, the most important factor that helps us decide the failed representation of Mr. Bachus and the extent of the damage he caused is a review of the TARP legislation shoved down our throats in 2008.

Spencer “Bailout” Bachus, as the Ranking Republican next to Barney Frank on the House Financial Services Committee, was faced with a moment to make a difference in history, not just a piece of legislation called TARP.

He was the Republican to stop this horrible, unconstitutional, and intellectually lazy piece of legislation. He was the Republican that chose to listen to the large donation contributions of bankers while refusing to hear the millions of phone calls from citizens demanding its downfall. He thumbed his nose at us and now we are left with the fallout.

Fortunately we can all express our regret for electing Mr. Bachus by voting for a better candidate when we get another chance. No more apathy. No more carelessness. Good people will now restore a great nation.

Christine Chilton Carr

Alabaster