The people of the Massachusetts 5th District need a representative in Congress who understands what it is like to run a family business. We need someone who will be an independent voice for the district, not a tool of union interests and a stagnant, one-party political culture. We need someone who is clear-eyed on the threats we face to our national security and interests.

We need Jim Ogonowski as our representative in Congress.

Ogonowski, a Republican, is a lifelong resident of the Merrimack Valley. He grew up on family farms in Dracut and still runs the family business today. He served for 28 years in the Air Force and Air National Guard.

His principal opponent, Democrat Niki Tsongas, says her experience as the wife of the late Sen. Paul Tsongas, gives her an insider's insight into the ways of Washington. We prefer someone with the military and business experience of Ogonowski, someone who knows how the world works for the rest of us.

Ogonowski understands what happens to ordinary people when Washington politicians try to "fix" things. He's rightly wary of government intrusion into private affairs...

...Ogonowski, whose brother was a pilot on one of the hijacked planes flown into the World Trade Center, understands the threat posed to our nation by terrorism. Ogonowski has said he would have opposed the current war in Iraq. But he recognizes that we are now committed to that nation. A rapid withdrawal on an announced timetable would mean chaos for the region and be damaging to American interests.

The contrast with his opponent could not be more clear. Tsongas wants U.S. military personnel withdrawn from Iraq within 270 days. But she seems to have little understanding of who or what would fill the power vacuum thus created.

Tsongas' nonstop television ad campaign leads voters to believe a vote for her is a vote to end the war. Yet Tsongas has no such power. This is not a campaign for president but a race to replace Congressman Marty Meehan, who also supported a withdrawal. Tsongas would have one vote among 435 congressmen, just as Meehan did. All 435 congressmen and 100 senators could vote to "end the war in Iraq" and President Bush, the commander-in-chief, could simply refuse - unless Congress votes to cut off funding for the conflict. That's something Tsongas has said she'll never do.

More startlingly, Tsongas said at Tuesday's final debate in Lowell that she would "never vote to advance the surge or send additional troops to Iraq." Really? Not even if there were solid evidence of progress in Iraq? Not if Iran were to intervene more blatantly on behalf of its Shiite allies? Not if our generals urgently requested reinforcements? Never?

We live in a dangerous, chaotic world. We can't afford a congressman who would handcuff our ability to react to changing circumstances.

Finally, Tsongas' supporters have made much of the fact that the state could use a woman in an otherwise male delegation. Indeed, that would be welcome. But do we need another Massachusetts Democrat to go along with the nine congressmen and two senators - the entire delegation - already seated?...