CHARLIE BROWN (D-CA) FOR HOUSE

In the 2006 election, political neophyte and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Charlie Brown challenged incumbent Rep. John Doolittle (R) in California's 4th Congressional District. Doolittle had represented the district for sixteen years but appeared vulnerable because he had been implicated in the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal. Brown ran a strong campaign but lost the close election, 49-46%. Trailing Brown by double digits in polls, and facing further allegations of impropriety surfaced in early 2007, Doolittle announced his retirement at the end of the term. Brown's extensive national security background and substantial momentum coming off his upstart 2006 run put him in strong position to win this open seat in November.

Brown served for twenty-six years as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force, and was involved in every major U.S. conflict from Vietnam to Desert Storm. He received the Distinguished Flying Cross as a rescue helicopter pilot at the end of the Vietnam War. Following the first Gulf War, Brown coordinated surveillance missions over Iraq. The experience led him to conclude that Iraq did not possess weapons of mass destruction, and to oppose the invasion of Iraq. Brown also believed that that an invasion would unleash centuries old sectarian conflicts inside Iraq, and divert American military resources from defeating al-Qaeda. He believes it is time to bring our troops home from Iraq.

Brown expects to draw on his years of military service as he promotes progressive approaches to national security policy in Congress:

"The best way to keep America safe in a post 9/11 world is through a clear and consistent national security strategy that encourages our allies and dissuades our enemies. I will fight for a coherent policy that roots out terrorists in their safe havens, addresses the root causes of terrorism, and prevents rogue regimes from obtaining weapons of mass destruction."

Brown believes the Bush administration has not focused on adequately protecting the United States from a terrorist attack:

"It is nothing short of appalling that seven years after 9/11, the U.S. government still has not implemented most of the 9/11 Commission's recommendations. We must immediately secure our borders, implement a national railway, port and transit security plan, end the practice of using homeland security funding for pork barrel projects that don't enhance our security, address the communication and interoperability problems that continue to plague intelligence and emergency response operations and adequately fund FEMA."

Brown's opponent is State Senator Tom McClintock, a conservative firebrand. McClintock defeated a moderate Republican opponent in an expensive and divisive primary. McClintock's opponent criticized him for moving to the district in order to run for the open seat and for taking excessive legislative per diem expenses.

Brown argues that McClintock is too conservative even for this district that was carried twice by George W. Bush. It will be a difficult election, but with Republican fortunes at a low ebb this year, Brown has a clear shot at victory and polls show a statistical dead heat.