Dem lawmaker: Silicon Valley should back Obama

Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) argued in a op-ed on Tuesday that President Obama is better for Silicon Valley than GOP challenger Mitt Romney because he's committed to investing in green energy and improving math and science education, saying those policies "will keep us at the forefront of all things tech."

In a opinion piece published on the San Jose Mercury News's tech blog SiliconBeat, Honda said Obama's plans to invest in green energy present a key business opportunity for Silicon Valley to transform into "this country's foremost green tech valley." 

Romney, on the other hand, "wants to stick with an energy plan dependent heavily on fossil fuels, an old and dirty industry that will only take us backward instead of forward in terms of healthier air, cleaner water and more a renewable and sustainable energy mix," Honda said.

Honda's district is home to many high-tech powerhouses. Apple, Applied Materials and Intel all have their headquarters based in the district.

Honda, a former science teacher, also stressed the importance of improving education in the so-called STEM fields — science, math, engineering and technology — and said Obama "is a leader who sees what the future holds" in this area.

The California Democrat took a hit at Romney for choosing Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) as his running mate, arguing this pick shows "how uncommitted he is on educating America's workforce." Honda said under Ryan's budget plan, the "workforce of tomorrow must make do with nearly half the federal funding that we currently devote to education."

California appears to be a safe win again for Obama going in this election, as the president holds a 14-point lead over Romney among likely voters in a recent USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll.