GRAND RAPIDS -- Democratic congressional candidate Pat Miles announced today at a press conference that he will not support Nancy Pelosi for Speaker if elected to the 112th Congress.
 
Pat Miles said, "I am running for Congress because we must end extreme partisanship and get things done together.  It's time to have a leader of the House of Representatives who can heal the partisan divide.  And although I greatly admire her achievement in being the first woman Speaker, Nancy Pelosi is not the person to do that. We need somebody to foster the spirit of cooperation."
 
Miles continued, "Over the past two years, with so many challenges facing our nation, the leadership of both parties has engaged in too much partisanship and bickering. On numerous occasions Members of Congress from both parties should have been able to come to an agreement. A good example of this was the process of passing the health care reform bill. Members of both political parties knew that the health care financing system was broken, but instead of focusing on the areas of agreement, such as reducing costs and providing coverage for those with preexisting conditions, we were left with a bill that contains many shortcomings that will have to be addressed in the future."
 
"When I am talking to the people of the 3rd District, they are telling me they want leaders who realize no one has a monopoly on good ideas, and it takes people who are willing to work with others to find solutions to these critical problems. That's the role of the Speaker. I will bring my two decades of proven history of bringing people together - in the meeting room, in the boardroom, and in the community - to Washington with me, and I will only support someone for Speaker in Washington who shares our West Michigan values."
 
"So when it comes time to cast a vote for Speaker of the House, I will not support Nancy Pelosi, because we need someone who will be able to bring people from both parties together to do the people's business and solve problems. Our nation can't afford to continue on this course of extreme partisanship."
 
Miles has previously not stated whether he would support Pelosi for Speaker. However, with Justin Amash's repeated negative television attacks tying Miles with Pelosi policies that Miles does not support, he feels compelled to announce his position publicly. Miles has never even met or spoken with the Speaker. This is not the first time Justin Amash has used this playbook. In the primary, the Club for Growth spent more than $133,000 on negative attack ads on Justin Amash's behalf, attacking Republican State Senator Bill Hardiman by tying him to Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
 
On previous occasions, Miles has disagreed with numerous policies of Speaker Pelosi. He is opposed to the Cap and Trade bill, which would place an enormous tax burden on businesses, and instead would work to develop legislation that would reduce emissions while allowing businesses to better be able to understand their cost structure. He opposes card check. He believes the process involved in the passage of the recent healthcare legislation was flawed, and while he does not support repeal of the bill, he would work in a bipartisan manner to make improvements to the bill.