Congressman looking for students' help

Congressman Mike Sodrel barely squeaked by in the last election, but he's hedging his bets this year by enlisting the help of IU students.\n"My 49 percent was bigger than his 49 percent," said Sodrel (R-New Albany), reflecting on the close election in 2004 that put him into political office for the first time. "I think it was by 1,487 votes."\nSodrel, a self-described truck driver turned politician, spoke with about 30 members of the IU College Republicans Monday night at the Indiana Memorial Union in hopes that the students will work for his re-election campaign in the fall. The campaign is already expected to be one of the closest congressional races in the country.\n"A lot of people talk about money in politics," Sodrel said in an interview before the meeting, "and it's important to raise money in politics, with television time or radio time to get your message out, but there's so much that needs to be done on a volunteer basis" that many campaigns enlist the help of college students.\nStudents who attended the meeting said they not only hoped to learn about Sodrel's political \nphilosophies but also to meet the man they plan on working for.\n"This is a huge election coming up in the fall," said IU College Republicans Chairman Shane Kennedy. "A lot of our members are new, and I wanted them to meet the man in person so when it's time to do the footwork ... they're going to be motivated to do (it) because they've met the congressman and seen the sincere gentleman that he is."\nSodrel spoke about his experience as a first-year \ncongressman. He talked about life in Washington, as well as his views on conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, taxes, social security and the economy.\nSodrel said he is a supporter of the "Fair Tax," an initiative that seeks to replace income taxes with substantial sales taxes on goods. Sodrel said the taxes would be about 23 percent and would be built into most products on the market.\nHe also commented on recent visits to Iraq and Afghanistan. Sodrel, an Army veteran, visited his former unit in Afghanistan earlier this year.\nSome of the students in attendance said they were at the meeting just to be a part of the political process.\n"There are (thousands of) people on this campus, and everyone should have a voice in what's going on politically," said freshman Kyle Glenn. "This gives us a better understanding of (Sodrel's) views and how he thinks he can help the students."\nAfter the meeting, IU College Republicans officers said they thought most, if not all, of the members in attendance would work for Sodrel's campaign in the fall.\n"People are excited to have the opportunity (to work for the congressman)," Kennedy said. "Every campaign, there are (college students working). It's huge"