Changes

==Former leftist==

==Former leftist==

Born in [[New York City]], Beren was raised in a non-religious, secular [[Jewish]] home and later became an [[atheist]]. From 1968 to 1990 he was an activist for the [[Socialist Workers Party]], a party inspired by [[Leon Trotsky]] and a defender of [[Fidel Castro]]. Steve Beren was a [[socialist]] and [[Vietnam War]] protester in the 1960s and '70s. By 1990 he quit the SWP. After settling in Seattle and marrying, he became a Democrat, voting twice for [[Bill Clinton]] and once for [[Al Gore]]; Seattle's "two dailies" newspapers have described him as a former [[Democrat]] and [[liberal]].<ref name=rams09/>.  

Born in [[New York City]], Beren was raised in a non-religious, secular [[Jewish]] home and later became an [[atheist]]. From 1968 to 1990 he was an activist for the [[Socialist Workers Party]], a party inspired by [[Leon Trotsky]] and a defender of [[Fidel Castro]]. Steve Beren was a [[socialist]] and [[Vietnam War]] protester in the 1960s and '70s. After settling in Seattle in 1987, he quit the SWP in 1990 and became a Democrat in 1992, voting twice for [[Bill Clinton]] and once for [[Al Gore]].  Seattle's two daily newspapers described him as a former [[Democrat]] and former [[liberal]].<ref name=rams09/>.  

In 1995, Steve Beren converted from [[atheism]] to [[Christianity]]. He became a Republican at age 52, during the 2004 Bush-Kerry campaign. The [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] was influential in his turn toward the [[Republican Party]].<ref name=rams09>Bruce Ramsey. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003184531_rams09.html McDermott challenger knows a little something about the left], ''The Seattle Times'',August 9, 2006.</ref> After the [[9/11|Sept. 11, 2001]], [[terrorist]] attacks, he said, "[I] came to see that the Republican Party was far superior on foreign policy."<ref>Emily Heffter. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008112747_mcdermott14m.html McDermott faces 5 challengers but no real re-election challenge], ''The Seattle Times'', August 14, 2008.</ref> Since then he has become an evangelical Christian, a patriot, and a [[conservative]] Republican.  

In 1995, Steve Beren converted from [[atheism]] to [[Christianity]]. He became a Republican at age 52, during the 2004 Bush-Kerry campaign. The [[September 11, 2001 attacks]] were influential in his turn toward the [[Republican Party]].<ref name=rams09>Bruce Ramsey. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/2003184531_rams09.html McDermott challenger knows a little something about the left], ''The Seattle Times'',August 9, 2006.</ref> After the [[9/11|Sept. 11, 2001]], [[terrorist]] attacks, he said, "[I] came to see that the Republican Party was far superior on foreign policy."<ref>Emily Heffter. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008112747_mcdermott14m.html McDermott faces 5 challengers but no real re-election challenge], ''The Seattle Times'', August 14, 2008.</ref> Since then he has become an evangelical Christian, a patriot, and a [[conservative]] Republican.  

==Campaign for Congress==

==Campaign for Congress==

===Iraq War===

===Iraq War===

Beren is an outspoken defender and advocate of the [[United States military|U.S. military]] commitment in [[Iraq]], as a strong supporter of the Iraq war, the [[Patriot Act]] and the [[Bush administration|Bush administration's]] wiretapping effort.<ref name=postmanpolitics02>David Postman. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003034269_postmanpolitics02.html Sacrificial lamb or GOP star?], ''The Seattle Times'', June 2, 2006.</ref>  His campaigns emphasized the issues of foreign policy, immigration, the economy, and social conservatism.  His goal is to start rebuilding the Republican Party in Seattle, and to get dialogue going on major issues.<ref>Joel Connelly. [http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattlepolitics/archives/121513.asp Beren for Congress], ''seattlepi'', September 10, 2007.</ref>  

Beren is an outspoken defender and advocate of the [[United States military|U.S. military]] commitment in [[Iraq]], as a strong supporter of the Iraq war, the [[Patriot Act]] and the [[Bush administration|Bush administration's]] use of wiretapping to disrupt terrost networks and activities.<ref name=postmanpolitics02>David Postman. [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003034269_postmanpolitics02.html Sacrificial lamb or GOP star?], ''The Seattle Times'', June 2, 2006.</ref>  His campaigns emphasized the issues of foreign policy, immigration, the economy, and social conservatism.  His goal is to start rebuilding the Republican Party in Seattle, and to get dialogue going on major issues.<ref>Joel Connelly. [http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/seattlepolitics/archives/121513.asp Beren for Congress], ''seattlepi'', September 10, 2007.</ref>  

===2006 elections===

===2006 elections===