Laura Loomer is the Future, Webster is the Past- Endorsement

Endorsement written by OLN Editor Marshall Swanson-Polston. Published on behalf of the Orlando Local News Editorial Board. 

Laura Loomer. She’s everything Daniel Webster is not.

In 1980 the price of gas was $1 a gallon, the Oldsmobile Cutlass was the best selling car in America, and Daniel Webster was first elected to public office.

When my mother went on a date with Daniel Webster in the year 1971, before he was married (if he still remembers that), a lot of things were different.

He was an unmarried man with unbounded potential. His brightest days and greatest years were ahead of him. He could, in fact, still remember what he had for lunch the day before. Now, not so much. Reports say Webster has been spotted wearing a Life Alert necklace, and he has rarely showed up for work in D.C. on critical votes 90% of the time.

The aging Congressman rarely appears in public. When he does, his words are a few and his appearance frail. This endorsement isn't really an attack on Webster, it is an emergency alarm calling for help.

Along with his alleged cognitive decline, his political record in the Congress has been dismal.

He’s done nothing for his district in terms of transportation and infrastructure. He has fought projects to improve his constituents livelihoods and daily affairs every step of the way, and he has refused to fight for election integrity. He has publically signaled that he does not believe the 2020 presidential election was stolen, despite the sentiments of his constituents.

One of the most alarming facts about Webster's voting record is that he is one of the only Republicans who skipped the vote on the second impeachment of Donald Trump.

Representing voters' sentiments and interests, regardless of their validity or factuality, remains a cornerstone of democracy.

Our Republic depends upon a robust leadership in Washington, and strong representation here in the district. Daniel Webster once served as a great lion of politics in the Florida House of Representatives. He was the first Republican speaker since Reconstruction in Florida.

But now it’s time for a change. Every attempt to contact his office for any purpose has been met with no returned calls and few email responses.

Last year, when the publication intended to give him a Lifetime Achievement Award, he failed to show at our "Best of Central Florida" event.

Something is wrong with Daniel Webster, and the 2022 midterms is a time for choosing.

Now it’s time for the voters of Florida's 11th district, which includes, Orange, Lake, Sumter and portions of Polk County to decide what happens next.

Along with skipping the vote on the second impeachment of Donald Trump, passing on the vote of the politically contrived January 6th commission, and missing a bill to federalize elections, Webster also voted to give $40 billion of American taxpayer dollars to Ukranian defense (although laudatory project) without seeking the same support for homeless veterans and struggling seniors who are living on fixed incomes in his district.

Webster originally went to Washington to fight the establishment. Instead, he has joined them. As the first publication to endorse Webster in 1980, we, the Orlando Local News, now rescind that endorsement.

Over 90% of Webster's colleagues boast a greater attendance record than the absentee Congressman. Moreover, we must also ask what the Congressman accomplished during his forty years in public office other than a long line of nothing burgers. Zero bills. Zero major committee chairmanships. And one of the worst Congressional attendance records in American history.

Let's face the facts: the constituents of Florida's Eleventh Congressional District need a new, tough voice in Washington to oust the many creatures in the swamp that Webster has become a part of.

Laura Loomer is that voice. And in 2020, President Donald Trump agreed, endorsing and voting for the rising America First conservative star when she first ran for Congress.

Her strong conservative values, her successful career as an investigative journalist, coupled with her youth and vitality, all point to a future for Republican success in our soon-to-be new majority. She's serious about making progress in Congress, both for the district and those espousing traditional conservative values across the country.

Loomer stood up to her college in Florida when Islamic extremism reared its ugly head on campus. Loomer stood up to the radical left when they laughed about assassinating President Trump in New York City. Loomer stood up to the tech giants, even in the face of total expungement from social media.

Loomer's record as an undercover investigative journalist with Project Veritas speaks for itself. And while her tactics may be unconventional, she acts in the interest of preserving the United States Constitution and the American way of life.

She has the stamina and genuine passion to show up for work, fight for her constituents and advance the cause of freedom, which we are so close to losing.

We wholeheartedly endorse Laura Loomer for Congress in Florida's 11th Congressional District.

Marshall Swanson-Polston is the current Editor of The Orlando Local News. He previously served as a staffer in the US House of Representatives, and worked in the fields of campaign management and political activism. Swanson hosted a radio program on both the AM and FM dial from 2012 to 2016 as well. In addition, Swanson traveled to Iraq on numerous occasions for charity and research subsequently submitted to Members of Congress and the National Security Council at the White House. Swanson has also spent time in the Ukrainian theater supporting the war effort through journalism as a correspondent for Ukrainian Freedom News. A graduate of Rollins College, Swanson also attended the University of Florida. Editor Marshall Swanson is the grandson of founder Roger Swanson.