By Rachel Lippmann, St. Louis Public Radio
St. Louis – Third-party candidates running for Congress in the St. Louis area say they expect frustration with Washington will help them in November.
Steve Mosbacher, a libertarian running for the Second Congressional District seat currently held by Republican Todd Akin, said major party candidates have become more interested in scoring political points.
"I think there's a unique opportunity for a third-party candidate to come in now and get our point across that it's not about whether you're a Democrat, or it's not about whether you're a Republican, we're all Americans," Mosbacher said.
Fellow libertarian Julie Stone, a challenger to Democrat William Lacy Clay called the anger "palpable," and the Constitution party candidate for the seat currently held by Democrat Russ Carnahan, Nick Ivanovich, said the money involved in elections turns politicians to bigger government or big business rather than the people.
All three said they would support a repeal of the health care overhaul signed in March. Ivanovich called it an overreach of government authority.
"The founders never intended for government to manage the lives of the people. In fact it was just the opposite, they were to serve the people. So health care run by the government, and expanding the IRS to implement is I believe totally unconstitutional," he said.
Stone said the changes only address the symptoms. Mosbacher said he would replace it with measures to directly help businesses.
The economy, Mosbacher said, will turn around when those same businesses realize that it's easier to manufacture goods and supplies in the United States. Ivanovich blamed free trade for the economic malaise.
The solution is actually much simpler, Stone said. The government needs to remove excess regulation that makes it hard to start a business.
"I would rather see a business be able to start up without fear of not filling out the correct bureaucratic form and be able to provide jobs for five people in the community," she said, adding that she has no problem with statutes intended to prevent fraud or corruption.