2006年VOA标准英语-California Congressman Announces 2008 President

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
31 October 2006
 
As Americans prepare to vote in next week's legislative¹ election to determine control of Congress, the likely field of candidates for the 2008 presidential contest has grown again. A new name on the list is Duncan Hunter, a Republican from California, who is the first member of the House of Representatives to announce intentions to run for the White House two years from now.

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Rep. Duncan Hunter speaks at news conference in San Diego, Oct. 30, 2006  
  
At 58, Duncan Hunter has been in Congress since 1980 when he was elected as part of a Republican electoral wave that brought former President Ronald Reagan to power.

Hunter is best known as perhaps the strongest supporter in the House of Representatives of President Bush on Iraq, Afghanistan and the war on terrorism, and has a son who has served two tours of duty in Iraq.

With 13 terms in the House, he is a Vietnam war veteran, who has chaired the House Armed Services Committee since 2003, a position he would have to relinquish² if Democrats⁴ take control of the House of Representatives in the November 7th congressional election.

His announcement [Monday] at a news conference in San Diego, took many political observers by surprise.

"As I finish my final two years as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, and serve you, I am also going to be preparing to run for President of the United States in 2008," he said.

In the course of congressional career, Hunter has built a reputation as a hardliner on military matters and such issues as legislation, recently signed by President Bush, establishing guidelines for the treatment of suspected terrorists.
 

Rep. Duncan Hunter, Oct. 30, 2006  
  
"In time of war, it is not practical to apply the same rules of evidence that we do in civilian⁵ trials or court martials for our troops," he said.

Hunter also took strong positions on legislation reorganizing the U.S. intelligence system and creating a national intelligence director, arguing that bureaucratic⁶ changes should not make the job of U.S. personnel more difficult.

Recently, Congressman⁷ Hunter was at the center of a dispute with CNN after the television network broadcast video showing insurgents⁸ shooting at U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

He called the video enemy propaganda and asked the Pentagon to ban CNN journalists from being embedded⁹ with U.S. military units.

Hunter coupled his announcement with criticism of what he called political liberals, a reference to opposition¹⁰ Democrats, he asserts are hurting U.S. efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"One, two, three: stand up the free government, we have done that," he said. "Stand up the military that can protect it, we are doing that in Iraq and Afghanistan. And number three, the Americans leave. Now which is it, the one, the two or the three that the liberals don't understand?"

Hunter has also taken a hard line on illegal immigration, and backed legislation, signed recently by President Bush, to add about 1,100 kilometers of fencing to the U.S. border with Mexico.

The announcement of a possible White House run puts Hunter on a list of at least 20 names of potential Democrat³ and Republican competitors in 2008.

The list of lawmakers from the House of Representatives who have run for president is shorter, and includes Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich in 2004 and Missouri Democrat Dick Gephardt the same year and in 1996.

1 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

2 relinquish   

v.放弃，撤回，让与，放手

参考例句：

• He was forced to relinquish control of the company.他被迫放弃公司的掌控权。
• They will never voluntarily relinquish their independence.他们绝对不会自动放弃独立。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 bureaucratic   

adj.官僚的，繁文缛节的

参考例句：

• The sweat of labour washed away his bureaucratic airs.劳动的汗水冲掉了他身上的官气。
• In this company you have to go through complex bureaucratic procedures just to get a new pencil.在这个公司里即使是领一支新铅笔，也必须通过繁琐的手续。

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

9 embedded   

a.扎牢的

参考例句：

• an operation to remove glass that was embedded in his leg 取出扎入他腿部玻璃的手术
• He has embedded his name in the minds of millions of people. 他的名字铭刻在数百万人民心中。

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。