The Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce invited Congressman Kevin McCarthy to speak in Bakersfield, for a luncheon March 16 held at the Holiday Inn Select.
McCarthy is the 22nd Congressional District Representative of California. According to the biographical summary given, the 22nd district includes fertile agriculture, rich energy resources, strong military facilities and growing communities.
Registration for this event began at 11:30 a.m. GBCC Chairman of the Board of Lightspeed System Scott Garrison began the luncheon with a welcome and thanked the Chamber of Commerce, Vons and their other sponsors for taking part in the event. Garrison then asked Keith Brice, the GBCC chairman of the board of Mid State Development Corporation, to lead a prayer and U.S. Chamber of Commerce Dick Castner led the assembly into a flag salute.
The crowd began the talk to one another smiling and laughing as lunch was being served. Halfway through the meal Garrison asked the crowd to welcome McCarthy with a round of applause.
McCarthy thanked Bakersfield and began to speak on his report from Washington.
McCarthy began to give background information on what he has been doing as a freshman in office and how he has become part of the house administration, agriculture community, Homeland Security, (that includes dealing with security for airports,) boarders and all aspects of security.
McCarthy also gave insight on the Iraq war, “There are three things that I see in Washington debating about Iraq, we can currently stay or withdraw but then what would happen? Or change direction with a new plan. But the biggest mistake is to leave it messed up.”
McCarthy also stated, “It’s a different war that we have never fought before.”
He also talked about the presidential candidates that are currently running for office and said that all are unique but we need to clean up Washington, put politics aside and plan for the future.
He urged people to not just vote for somebody with money and name value.
Though McCarthy talked about serious issues he also joked and had the crowd laughing when he said, “I have lunch with Arnold Schwarzenegger and we talk about issues then later Schwarzenegger is constantly checking up on me like his lost son.”
“One place that should be named a country club is the Senate,” said McCarthy. “One day I go to the Senate for a meeting and I see Hilary Clinton. I walk down the hall and see Barack Obama. I then turn and look the other way, I then see John McCain and I say to myself ‘there isn’t one person here that isn’t running for president!'”
McCarthy ended his speech and received questions from the crowd.
Garrison then thanked McCarthy for taking time from his schedule to join them at the luncheon and adjourned the assembly.