REGION: Leibham, Dunlap look to break GOP hold on 50th

Incumbent Republican Brian Bilbray faces two challengers

By MARK WALKER - Staff Writer | Wednesday, October 1, 2008 11:38 AM PDT ∞

Democrat Nick Leibham, who is hoping to replace Republican incumbent Brian Bilbray, says the race for the 50th Congressional District election will be decided by independent voters.

"Independents are the entire ball of wax," Leibham said, noting that unaffiliated voters make up nearly one-quarter of the district's 367,886 registered voters.

"Independents are looking at the parties this year and their stances on health care and the economy and they're breaking for Democrats because we offer a positive message of fiscal conservatism and moving forward," Leibham said.

Not so, says Bilbray.

"San Diego County knows me and I have drawn votes from independents all of my life," Bilbray said. "Independents want to see you working on the issues of the nation and not engaging in partisan bickering and that is what I have tried to do."

He's running for his second full term since winning the seat after Republican U.S. Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham resigned in late 2005 and pleaded guilty to accepting more than $2.4 million in bribes.

A third candidate, Rancho Santa Fe Libertarian Wayne Dunlap, is mounting a low-key, long-shot effort he said has voter appeal because neither major party has proven it can effectively lead.

"We need to take a different approach to governing this country," Dunlap said. "The basic idea of the Libertarian Party is less government and more personal responsibility. I honestly believe that's what North County voters are all about."

Dunham said he plans to spend about $1,000 on his campaign. He said his low-budget effort shows voters he won't be beholding to anyone but himself.

"My position of not taking special interest money may be one of the most important positions taken by candidates in this race," he said.

Bilbray and Leibham are each expected to raise and spend about $1 million.

Year of surprises?

Jack Pitney, a respected political science professor at Claremont McKenna College who studies California elections, said that while he thinks Bilbray has a strong chance of keeping the seat, 2008 is a year of surprises.

"Districts such as the 50th tend to stay Republican, so it seems unlikely he will be beat," Pitney said. "But anything can happen in a year in which Barack Obama will probably carry California by a wide margin."

One sign that Leibham's effort is uphill is the lukewarm support from the Democratic National Campaign Committee in Washington, which worked hard in 2006 on behalf of Bilbray's then-Democratic challenger Francine Busby.

This year, the group lists Leibham on its "Emerging Races" rather than its "Red to Blue" list. Races on the latter list are viewed as seats Democrats have a strong chance of winning and candidates that make that list receive financial, communication and strategic support.

Voters will get a closer look at the candidates for the congressional seat that covers Solana Beach, Encinitas, Carlsbad, San Marcos and Escondido in the coming weeks as at least three debates are planned, two on television and one on radio.

As of early September, the district remained dominated by Republicans, who hold a 40,000-voter edge over registered Democrats, according to county registrar figures. The GOP had 153,627 registered voters compared to 113,757 Democrats and 85,421 "decline to state" voters.

Bailout

Bilbray voted against the Bush administration's $700 billion economic aid package on Tuesday. Taxpayers, he said, should not have to "foot the bill for the irresponsible actions of Wall Street and borrowers."

"Socializing the capital market is wrong," he said.

Instead, Bilbray said, Congress needs to craft a new plan that does more to address the root causes of the credit and banking problems that have arisen in recent weeks.

Leibham decried Bilbray's opposition to the plan. He said he would have voted for the package.

"Although not a perfect plan, I would have voted for it because we were about to fall off a cliff," Leibham said.

Dunlap said he found several elements of the rescue package troubling and said he would have voted against it.

"We are being held with a gun to our heads to pass one of the most important pieces of federal legislation in decades," he said. "This bailout plan will move our country toward socialism."

Bilbray

Bilbray is viewed as a moderate to conservative Republican by groups that track Congress.

In ratings based on his 2007 votes, he received high marks from conservative groups such as the National Taxpayers Union, the Center for Security Policy, the American Conservative Union and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

He received low marks from liberal groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union, the Children's Defense Fund, AFL-CIO and Americans for Democratic Action.

If re-elected, Bilbray said immigration, national security and budget issues will dominate his legislative agenda.

Americans "aren't as secure as we think we are," he said, calling for continued upgrades in identification documents and systems.

Last year, he became chairman of the House of Representatives immigration reform caucus, which opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants.

"Immigration continues to affect everything from national security to our schools and our hospitals," he said, adding the U.S. needs to maintain pressure on Mexican authorities to crack down on drug running.

Reining in federal spending will take a truly bipartisan effort, he said.

"It does require some pain, but we proved in the '90s that we can balance the budget and have a surplus," he said, referring to his stint in Congress from 1995-2001, when he represented San Diego's 49th Congressional District. "Washington too often puts partisan bickering ahead of good policy."

He supports a complete overhaul of the nation's tax laws.

Bilbray favors continued troop presence in Iraq. Setting a timetable for withdrawal of U.S. forces is wrong, he said, adding conditions have to dictate when troops can safely come home.

Asked about a budget surplus the Iraqi government will have this year from oil sales, Bilbray said he believes it's time to slow U.S. spending in the country.

"The Iraqis in my opinion need a little tough love," he said. "As they gain the ability to pay their own way, they need to not only take responsibility for what's happening on the ground, but also by putting their revenues on the line."

Bilbray supports moving more troops to Afghanistan as quickly as possible.

The 57-year-old former lobbyist opposes proposals for universal health care, saying he believes there needs to be much more emphasis on fitness and early detection.

"We need a national policy for prevention," he said. "Most of the increases on Medicare and Medicaid spending come from preventable diseases. That's something we all should be able to agree on and something we can afford."

Leibham

Making his first run for elective office, Leibham said he believes voters are looking for new, "responsible leadership."

"The entire U.S. government has failed us over the last eight years in performing its job," he said.

Leibham supports a renewed emphasis on education as a means to higher-paying jobs, and he backs investments in clean energy as a place to start.

"Brian Bilbray has been a vote for big oil and I'm for weaning us off our dependence on foreign oil," he said. "I believe we should be energy-independent within a generation and I will be a voice and vote for that kind of future."

He swats at Bilbray for one of his votes on an amendment regarding veteran's benefits. Bilbray opposed the amendment to a defense spending bill that would have expanded education programs for former troops because it included a tax increase.

"He will send them off to war, but he won't send them to college," Leibham said.

Bilbray shrugs off the characterization, saying its inaccurate and that he supported the final version of the bill that he co-sponsored. The legislation did expand some veteran's education benefits and ultimately became law.

A 34-year-old economist and lawyer, Leibham favors a complete elimination of congressional "earmarks" that steer federal funding to projects outside the normal appropriations process.

"A major piece of my platform has been fiscal responsibility and that means deconstructing our mountain of debt," he said. "We can start by eliminating all earmarks once and for all."

He wants lawmakers to require every department of the federal government to "prove its worth" and eliminate those Congress deems no longer necessary.

Leibham says every American should be able to see any doctor of their choosing and favors what he called a "baseline of health care coverage."

Asked if he would support universal health care, Leibham said that has become a pejorative term that he refuses to use.

He can win in November, he said, because Bilbray is a "pork barrel, earmark spender" who cares only about the wealthy "gold coast" of San Diego County.

Dunlap

Also making his first run at a major elective office is Dunlap, who said he wants to "save America for our children."

Dunlap left the Republican party three years ago in favor of the Libertarian Party, which he said represents the kind of new approach to governing the country needs.

He favors removing as many troops from foreign soil as possible, saying it makes no sense to maintain a presence in many European countries.

The invasion of Iraq, he said, was the "biggest foreign policy blunder since the Vietnam War."

"I would like us to withdraw as soon as is safely possible," Dunlap said. "We went in for all the wrong reasons and we never should have done it."

The former economist who now runs a small Internet-based firm says education would be his top priority. He favors a national voucher system that would allow parents to send their children to the school of their choice.

He also supports expanding the nation's electrical grid to insure efficient distribution of renewable, green energy resources.

Dunlap said he believes Bilbray has become too extreme on immigration issues.

"We do need immigration reform and secure borders, but we also need to balance the need for labor and all of the issues that are involved with people and families already here."

Dunlap said Bilbray has "lost touch with the voters" and that his voting record too often is squarely along party lines and not in the best interests of the entire 50th District population.

"We need new leadership," he said.

Contact staff writer Mark Walker at (760) 740-3529 or mlwalker@nctimes.com.

50th Congressional District

Brian Bilbray, Republican

Age: 57

Residence: Carlsbad

Education: Attended Southwestern Community College

Employment: U.S. representative

Campaign Web site: www.bilbrayforcongress.com

Wayne Dunlap, Libertarian

Age: 56

Residence: Del Mar

Education: doctorate in economics from UC San Diego

Employment: owns Leveraged Web Technologies

Campaign Web site: www.dunlapforcongress.com

Nick Leibham, Democrat

Age: 34

Residence: Rancho Santa Fe

Education: master's degree, business administration, law degree, UC San Diego

Employment: attorney

Campaign Web site: www.picknick08.com

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