Firmness and Tact

Wesley and Anna Mietus hosted a lunch gathering for congressman Adrian Smith on Saturday, July 19. At the intimate gathering of roughly 25 people, Smith was able to converse with most in attendance individually and hear their concerns on issues plaguing the state and the nation.

Smith is seeking to get reelected for Congress this year and is, therefore, campaigning throughout the state. A conservative republican candidate, Smith tends to fit the bill for many in the state. His stances on things like health care, tax reform, defense and budget speak to what a large number of Nebraskans want. The ones in attendance on Saturday surely showed their support for Smith through their attendance and their agreement with the statements he made during his question and answer session at the end of the lunch.

Smith made his rounds talking with everyone in attendance. He remembered names and faces, oftentimes very specific details about friends and family of the person with whom he spoke. It was almost as though those in attendance were greeting an old friend rather than a member of Congress.

The Mietus family was certain to make sure the point of their gathering was known. Signs decorated the windows and walls that read "Help get congressman Adrian Smith re-elected." After everyone had finished their lunch, Smith took the time to address them as a group.

One of the first things Smith brought up was the attitude of President Barack Obama and how America is seen by other countries.

"There are tense situations going on around the world and they call for the use of firmness and tact. Now, I like how Ronald Reagan handled things, with a firmness and if you look at the military action during the Reagan administration ,it was very limited. and I think his firmness spoke volumes in terms of what America stands for, and I think he did a good job at demonstrating what America was about, not by pounding his chest around the world, but simply sharing in a conversational way what America is about," Smith said.

Smith expressed concern for how other countries, allies, are perceiving America. He acknowledged that America has friends, and he is worried at how they might be wondering what is happening to America. Although not turning a blind eye to the mistakes America has made, Smith believes that America is a positive force.

"I think we can take a stand in ways that are reflective of how we think and what our priorities are. Being proud of who we are is important, and yes, we must admit that our country has made mistakes, that will happen when humans are involved, but despite that I think our country has been a more positive force for good than any other country in the history of the world. Let's not brag about that or pound our chests to show that we need to just share what we're about," Smith said.

One way Smith hopes for America to improve its relationship with foreign entities is by establishing trade agreements. However, something must be improved upon in the current state of Washington itself.

"I don't like the division we have in Washington. I have friends on the democratic side and we're able to work together on different issues, for example the horse processing issue is one of them. We have a special committee on Benghazi so we have to let them do their job. We are calling for a special council for the IRS situation. We have to learn to work together again," Smith said.

He expressed that as far as the IRS issues go, a special council will be the way to go. It will allow politics to be stripped from the situation and real progress to be made.

At this point in time the question of whether or not any progress has been made to get Obama impeached was brought to the forefront. Smith handled this question with logic.

"I think that the president would probably prefer that we head in the direction of getting him impeached, because he knows that the Senate won't support that, and that if that is going on it will take attention off of Benghazi and and several other issues that are pending right now. I think it would end up being a distraction. We are almost halfway through his second term and I'm anxious to get to the end of that second term as well," Smith said.

Smith believes in riding out the Obama administration in order to avoid allowing Obama to hide behind the drama of impeachment instead of addressing important issues of the people.

Due to another engagement for his campaign Smith had to cut his visit shorter than he would have liked, but not without thanking those in attendance.

"Well thank you so much for taking the time to show up, and you know our country is run by those who show up and I want to take your ideas and your concerns back to Washington," Smith said.