Dingell, Steele In Heated Race To Serve 15th Congressional District

After 55 years in congress, John Dingell is still as feisty as ever.

His challenger, Dr. Rob Steele, says the fact that he has no political experience is his strength.

"This is my first time being involved in politics in any way," Steele told FOX 2's Amy Lange. "Went to my first party, sort of, convention just a few months ago in August."

Steele, a 52-year old cardiologist and graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School, is trying to unseat Dingell, the longest-serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

"We're having a great race," Dingell said. "Our polls are good, our returns on our absentee ballots are great. Our response by our people is wonderful."

Recent polls have revealed a comfortable lead for Dingell.

Steele said he jumped into this race because of the outrageous federal deficit.

"I think, with the spending that's going on right now, it's absolutely out of control," Steele told Lange.

Health care reform is another important issue for the Ann Arbor cardiologist.

"We work off the Hippocratic Oath: Do no harm. And unfortunately, this bill does a lot of harm," Steele said, referring to President Barack Obama's new health care reform bill.

Steele said he'd work to repeal what has been dubbed "Obamacare" - and rebuild it.

"I would repeal what's there and start over with the targeted fixes that are required for the pre-existing conditions for the chronically uninsured, and these sorts of things. And there are many ways to do that, and we need to focus on the target fixes instead of blowing up the whole system."

But Steele has been accused in a political ad approved by Dingell of wanting to "blow up" Social Security - which he denies.

"I've never said that and that's not the way to go," Steele asserted. "I mean, give it to the local banks, the credit unions, who know exactly what's going on in the community, who know that they're going to invest in things they know they have control over."

Dingell stands by his ad: "I'm like Harry Truman. I tell the truth, and they think it's hell."

Steele's Web site:
www.robsteeleforcongress.com

Dingell's Web sites:
www.dingellforcongress.com
dingell.house.gov/