Douglass Scott Heckman (born September 17, 1959), is the 2008 Democratic candidate for United States Congress in Georgia's 7th congressional district (map) and a decorated veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Events 1176 - The Battle of Myriokephalon is fought 1462 - The Battle of Świecino (or Battle of Żarnowiec The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Democratic Party is one of two major Political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The United States Congress is the bicameral Legislature of the federal government of the United States of America, consisting of two houses Georgia's 7th congressional district includes all of Barrow and Walton Counties and portions of Forsyth, Gwinnett, and Newton The Iraq War, also known as the Second Gulf War, the Occupation of Iraq, or the War in Iraq, is an ongoing Military campaign The War in Afghanistan, which began on October 7 2001 as the U

Heckman family photo. Back: Danny. Middle: Doug (left), Pat. Front: Samantha (left), Tommy.
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Military biography

Doug Heckman was born and raised in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1981 and spent his Lieutenant years in Germany as an Infantry Officer. For several years, Heckman served as an A-Team Leader and Captain with the “Green Berets” at Fort Bragg in North Carolina. During the 1980s, he attended numerous U. S. Military schools, including the Airborne, Ranger, Jumpmaster and Special Forces Schools. ^[1] Heckman was an Honor Graduate from the Special Forces School in 1985. ^[2]

During the 1990s, Heckman served as a US Army Reservist, first as a Captain and then as a Major. He was attached to the Army Special Forces Command and served several tours in Central America. ^[1] In 1995, Heckman graduated from the Command and General Staff College. ^[2]

In 2001, Heckman went on Active Duty as a US Army Special Forces Lieutenant Colonel and was deployed to Afghanistan shortly after September 11. There, he served as a principal staff officer for Task Force Dagger, the unit that trained the Northern Alliance and expelled the Taliban from Afghanistan. Heckman then spent eight months as the Crisis Action Team Chief at the Army Special Operations Headquarters at Fort Bragg, where he earned a Bronze Star and a Meritorious Service Medal. ^[1]

From 2006-2007, Heckman went on Active Duty for 13 months. He lived and worked on an Iraqi base in Baghdad and served as a U. S. Army Colonel and Senior Advisor to the Iraqi Army. While in Iraq, Heckman earned several awards, including a Bronze Star and a Combat Action Badge. He completed his tour and returned to the United States in April 2007, at which time he joined the Army Reserve. ^[1]

Civilian biography

Doug Heckman married Pat Heckman in 1982, and their marriage continues to this day. They have three children: Dan (18), Tommy (16), and Samantha (13). ^[3]

In 1989, Heckman received his MBA from Duke University. ^[3] He has since held jobs at several financial services firms. He worked at Merrill Lynch from 1989-1996, eventually holding a Vice Presidency. From 1998-2001 Heckman served as a Director with Neuberger Berman. Most recently, Heckman worked as a Managing Director for WestAM (2001-2004) and Phoenix Investment Partners (2004-2008). ^[4]

Heckman currently serves on the advisory board of Operation One Voice, a not-for-profit that raises money for the sing funds and awareness for the financial needs of the children and families of wounded and fallen Special Operation Forces (SOF). Additionally, he served on Georgia’s Senatorial Academy Selection Committee—the body which determines admission to U. S. military academies from Georgia— from 2003-2008. Heckman also has served on the West Point Endowment Investment Committee since 2002. ^[3]

Heckman and his family are active at Simpsonwood United Methodist Church in Norcross, Georgia. Heckman has held several leadership positions at Simpsonwood; past offices include Chair of the Administrative Council, Chair of the Missions Committee, and Chair of the Finance Committee. Heckman is currently Chair of the Disaster Relief Committee. Since 1996, he has held various positions with the Boy Scouts of America, where his sons are members. ^[3]

2008 Congressional campaign

In March 2008, Heckman officially announced his candidacy for U. S. Congress in Georgia’s 7th District. ^[5] He faces no opposition in the Democratic Primary to be held on July 15, 2008. His General Election opponent will be John Linder (R-GA) who has held the Congressional seat for eight consecutive terms. John Elmer Linder (born September 9 1942) American politician has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives ^[6] Heckman has never before run for public office. ^[7]

Political positions

Heckman positions himself as a political moderate, calling for less partisanship and arguing that “too often, partisanship hinders progress. ” He insists that Congress lacks “collegiality and a spirit of compromise” that will permit it to address the “immense list of issues in need of pressing solutions”. ^[8]

Concerning government spending, Heckman states on his website that “Democrats and Republicans both shoulder blame for the national government’s lack of fiscal discipline. ” He calls for the national government to “Institute a Balanced Budget Amendment,” “Abolish earmarks,” “Attain total transparency,” and “force Congress to keep spending in line with revenue” except in emergencies. ^[9]

Regarding the Iraq war, Heckman argues that “The surge has been effective “and “The Iraqi Military and Police are doing their jobs to their standards,” but “the Iraqi Government is weak and unmotivated. ” He writes: “my experience tells me [that the Iraqi military and government] have the US military and government ‘gamed’. . . they know what we want, they know our agenda, and… their agendas are not always the same as ours. ” He argues that the U. S. government can force the Iraqi government to act if U. S. forces “move back into an Operational and Strategic overwatch and aid [Iraqi forces] where needed”. Heckman also calls for better health care for American war veterans. ^[10]

Concerning the American economy, Heckman argues that “Our economy is in bad shape” and “[our trade deficit] is now coming due. ” He calls for the U. S. government to “develop and apply new ideas from experts such as nonpartisan economists and business leaders” and thereby improve the economy. He also laments “dumping” in international trade and says he “will work to level the playing field as new trade agreements are written and old agreements reviewed”. ^[11]

Heckman advocates increasing spending on alternative energy technologies in both the public and private sectors. He writes that “We must work hard to develop comprehensive and sustainable energy solutions. These solutions should lower the cost and environmental impact of energy while creating an immense number of jobs in new technology industries”. Heckman opposes domestic drilling in ANWR, stating that “all the oil in ANWR can only support 5% of the U. S. daily oil consumption for 12 years before completely running out” and rhetorically asking if it “makes sense for us to permanently destroy vast stretches of Alaskan wilderness for a policy that would not help remedy our dependence on foreign oil”. ^[12]

Regarding taxes, Heckman sharply criticizes the Fair Tax plan (H. R. 25),^[13] the brainchild of John Linder, his opponent, and talk-radio show host Neal Boortz. Neal A Boortz Jr (born April 6 1945 is an American radio host, author and Libertarian Political commentator. ^[14] Heckman argues that the Fair Tax would be “extremely unfair to the vast majority of taxpayers” because “the FairTax would proportionally raise taxes on everyone earning less than $300,000 each year while proportionally lowering taxes for everyone earning more than that. ” He also dismisses the argument that the Fair Tax will cut enforcement costs, arguing that “The tax avoidance industry would shift [from existing taxes] to the new consumption tax. ” Heckman instead advocates “comprehensive income tax reform” that would include a national tax code “overhaul” and simplification alongside “a nominal national consumption tax. ” Heckman argues that less spending by the government will “allow taxes to be proportionally reduced across the board”. ^[13]

External links

• Official campaign site
• Project Vote Smart page

References