By Michael Benjamin
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wrvo/local-wrvo-944957.mp3
Utica, NY – Richard Hanna says he supports his party's plans to call a vote on repealing last year's health care reform law, but he says there are some aspects of the Republican platform towards which he takes a more nuanced approach - like the Bush-era tax cuts extended by congress last year, before he was a member.
Hanna says that aversion to strict party politics is one of the things he hopes to contribute in congress.
"I am happy being a Republican," he says. "There are parts of it that I take exception to - but, you know, I do it in a thoughtful, deliberate, considered way and try to be a mature person about it all; and hopefully, if I do that, I can add value to the conversation."
Hanna says there is a need for more moderate debate in Washington, but says incidents like the one in Arizona this past weekend should not influence the way Washington works, but rather serve as an opportunity for reflection on the purpose of public service.