GOP Anoints a New Radio Messenger

Republican leaders wasted no time in putting a fresh face out front, tapping newly elected Greg Walden of Oregon to share messages on Saturday that he gathered from constituents while on the campaign trail.

“You told us you want a strong economy where your job is secure and you can plan for your family’s future,” Walden, elected this week to the House, said in the weekly GOP radio address. “You told us that you want a government that was more effective, more efficient, more affordable and more fair.”

Letting a congressman-elect give the weekly GOP address is unusual. Walden, a radio station owner, former state legislator and handpicked successor of retiring Rep. Robert F. Smith, was chosen by House Majority Leader Dick Armey of Texas to give the address.

“He’s a fresh new face before the nation,” Armey said.

Walden said the people he met stressed the need for financial security, paring down the national debt and saving Social Security. Making health care accessible to all and keeping a strong national defense also are important to Americans, Walden said.