Republican Stan Thompson, a candidate for Iowa’s third district Congressional seat, yesterday indirectly suggested Democrat Congressman Leonard Boswell, his opponent, is too old and not sharp enough to serve another term. Thompson says voters are looking for a candidate “with vigor” — a slap at Boswell, who’s 68-years-old. Thompson and Boswell are competing for Iowa’s new third district Congressional seat, which includes Des Moines, Knoxville, Grinnell and Newton, and Thompson says Boswell, a retired farmer from southwest Iowa, doesn’t fit the urban district. Thompson called Boswell a “folksy” “good-old-boy”, and Thompson says that won’t cut it in Congress. Thompson, who’s a lawyer, said the district needs a Congressman who’s “bright” and “can get things done.” Boswell responded.Boswell said we live in times when it’s best to have someone with experience and a “steady hand.”Boswell said as a 20-year military veteran with two combat tours in Vietnam, he’s faced matters of war and peace on the front-lines. Boswell voted yesterday to give the President authority to go to war against Iraq. Boswell says he got to go to the White House two weeks ago to discuss the issue directly with President Bush. He says he encourage Bush to take it to the American people to get them behind it. The Libertarian and Socialist Workers party candidates joined Boswell and Thompson in yesterday’s debate, which was sponsored by K-U-N-I radio.
