Politics Today: Pete Calderone (R) for the 17th U.S. House District for the State of Illinois

By: Krystle Russin

         Every two years, Americans are forced to see political ads everywhere they turn: television, newspapers, radio, even from someone ringing their doorbell. However, this doesn't tell you anything about who the candidates really are.

An example is Pete Calderone, a Republican running against Congressman Lane Evans to represent the 17th District. His campaign slogan is "good for the country, good for the 17th District, good for you," but who really is Calderone?

"I feel that I'm a dedicated family man and a man of faith that will always make an effort to do the right thing for the right reason," he says.

Although it's unsure if that is how voters see Calderone - at least until Tuesday - in this interview, he speaks about gun control, issues within the district, and his party.


Q: What can you bring to Congress that Lane Evans can't?
A: I think I have a more diverse background than he does. I'm married and have raised four kids, so I know what that's all about, but because I've worked a variety of jobs and with my diverse work background, I think I can bring a little bit more to the table when it comes to working with all aspects of labor and management and those kinds of things. In other words, he's picked one side, he's picked the labor side. I want to help all sides. I want to help labor, I want to help industry, and I want to help the farmers too, and I'll keep that ever present in mind. I don't want to pit one group against the other group. So in terms of those kinds of things, life experiences and work background give me a better idea of what's going on.

Q: You're involved with the NRA. What is your position on gun control, and how will you use it when voting in Congress?
A: I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and I don't want to do anything that violates our Second Amendment rights. That's pretty much it. In terms of the federal government, I think that the federal government has enough laws. Now state and local people can do things on their own as they see it individually, but I don't think we need any more federal laws when it comes to gun control.

One of the things I would like to see though is swift and stern enforcement of the gun laws that are broken. I'd like to see some things done in terms of making sure that criminals performing acts of crime with a firearm are treated severely and that the laws that are on the books are enforced and not just give people a slap on the hand you make sure that people get convicted and serve their time.

Q: What did you learn from working at your father's business as a teenager?
A: Actually, there's quite a few things. I learned about business. I learned what it takes to get up in the morning and be responsible for unlocking the door. I learned what it takes in terms of responsibility of ordering things and paying for them. It helps give you an understanding of how bills are to be paid and how you take care of them.

I also learned about customer service and about how your customers have needs. If they have questions, problems, or concerns, how you should take care of them immediately...which relates an awful lot to constituent service. In Congress, your constituents are basically your customers. If they call you with a problem, you need to take care of that problem, take care of their needs in that way. In some respects, they're your boss...

Just learned about what it's like to have government regulations that are looking over you all the time, how they can infringe sometimes on your desire to do business in a proper, efficient, profitable manner. Sometimes, government regulations can really hinder small business, and we should keep them out. I also learned about the problems with overburdening taxes. That's pretty much it - quite a bit, actually.

Q: Throughout your life, you have had many different careers. What will this experience do to help you in Washington?
A: A lot of it is just life's experiences. You're supposed to learn from history and learn from your past experiences, and that's why you think that old people are wise - because they've had life's experiences, and they know how to cope with different situations...You can learn by studying, books, things like that, all well and good. With a lot of things, you know what they're about, but if you've experienced them, you've actually been through it. A lot of times, it goes a long way to helping you understand why those things are the way you read them to be...

I think that living through those experiences has really helped me in terms of being a father, a family person, being a business man. I worked as a factory worker. I worked as a railroader, learning what it's like to be a union member and working for a large corporation, and I've learned what it's like to work for a small business owner. It goes a long way sometimes, just experiences.

Q: You mentioned farming and transportation as some of your issues. What other local issues are you concerned with?
A: Right now, probably the most important thing we need for the district is jobs. Unemployment in other parts of the country is not nearly as severe as it is in Illinois, and particularly in the 17th District. I think that we need to get the economy going, which is kind of a national thing, but we need to bring that economy down to the local level.

Also, part of that is to bring new industry into the area. I think that I can do that much better than my opponent because of the fact that I have such a diverse background, and I know how factories work and operate. I think I can do a nice job of recruiting industry to come in, but because I have the experience of working with factories and that, I can also nurture the factors that are here now and help keep them in the area without keeping them from moving out. I think that's really important; that's a local issue.

There's actually two super important issues we're faced with right now...On a national level, as you probably know, is the war on terrorism and homeland security, and that is a very critical issue. I think as a U.S. congressman, you have to look at things a little differently. Yes, you do need to look after local issues, but at the same time, you have to keep in mind that you're more than just a local representative, you're also a U.S. representative, somebody that's supposed to be doing what's best for the country and protecting the people. One of Congress's main jobs is to make sure that we protect the people of the United States by having good immigration laws, by having strong defense, those kinds of things.

Q: Why do you believe the Republican Party is the best choice for voters this year?
A: I think that the Republicans are a more compassionate party...Jack Camp - I don't know if you remember him or not - he ran for vice president a couple times back with Dole, and one of his lines I think was, "The compassion of Republicans is to see how many people no longer need welfare." In other words, to do the best you can to build the economy so people have jobs, and they have respect for themselves, and they're doing well for their families. I think that's part of the Republican philosophy.

Another thing that I think the Republican philosophy is good is the fact that we're generally for lower taxes. I think when we have lower taxes, it stimulates the economy, it generates more money back into people's pockets, and I think it makes people happier. I think that as a Republican, we understand both labor and management have to be happy, because you can't have jobs unless you have somebody to hire people for jobs, and if you have jobs, you have to have people that work. You have to work for a common goal, and that's prosperity.

 

Krystle Russin writes for The State Journal-Register(IL) and contributes political articles/interviews to several publications including PurePolitics.com.