My hope is that the income for this small business will quadruple by year’s end and they will have to add jobs to handle the extra business.

It is not often that opportunities to bring a community together crop up like this. It is also an opportunity to further divide our community…there is a choice here. If the political tide was turned and it was something a group like the “Rainbow Coalition” was against, they would show up to destroy this business instead of try to understand where they are coming from. They would impose a boycott and try to prevent patrons from entering with threats etc. Extortion is not the answer; I think we can do better as Oregonians. Just because other groups resort to negativity and destruction does not mean we have to follow suit. I stand against those who would make threats or harm the Red and Black Café, their owners, or their patrons. I also choose to peacefully resist acts of hate.

First off, I am glad to live in a country where someone like John Langley, one of the owners of the Red and Black Café can ask the Police to leave his establishment, and they leave peacefully. That’s great, and I hope citizens retain that right as we move forward. In this case however, it is too bad that he felt the need to ask the officer to leave based solely on his outward appearance.

Looking at the picture of the Police Officer, James Crooker, he does not appear to me to be a hostile threat to vegans, homeless, environmental or animal rights activists. He appears to me to be a guy I want protecting my family from people doing illegal things. He appears to be a guy who is out there willing to take a bullet for law abiding citizens and I believe that is true for 99% of the Portland Police. Unfortunately, there have been incidents that raise questions among certain communities who, whether right or wrong, feel threatened by the people who they should see as a security blanket. This is not good to have a segment of the population living in fear and apparent isolation. So, I propose we work together as a community to remedy that situation instead of fracture it even more. The Red and Black Café can choose to be an agent of change for good.

I see on the Red and Black Facebook site that “We strive to provide a community space that is safe and welcoming to all. We hope this space is used for local voices to bring awareness and education on the issues facing us today.” That seems great to me. To me, “a community space” means a place where people of all persuasions can come to feel welcome and able to meet folks who believe all kinds of things to enjoy and learn about each other. People of all colors, red, black, white, brown…even blue.

I have always been taught to look through the outer layers of a person and try to know what is in their heart. Sometimes a crazy haircut, uniform, tattoos, nose rings…etc, can set up a stereotype barrier to getting to know the person underneath it all. Having a place for people to come and talk and get together to understand each other is a great thing. When I drank coffee with a friend at the Red and Black about a month ago, I perceived this was such a place and felt welcomed. Why can’t the same feeling of welcome be extended to people like James, even when he is wearing his working clothes?

Sometimes, getting to know people who are different can be stressful, especially if you bring prejudice to the situation but it is usually a good thing because you get to see the world through different eyes when you talk to them. Sometimes you might find out that someone who you think is completely different from you is actually interesting, and/or educational.

I make no demands of the Red and Black Café but present some suggestions. I recognize they are well within their rights to kick out Peace Officers from their shop, however, on a human level, it just isn’t nice. Is it possible for the Red and Black to become a beacon of real hope and community enrichment? I think, yes, and here are some ideas:
1. John, start by recognizing that the discrimination that was shown toward James based on his appearance was a mistake and apologize publically. Welcome him back, get to know him, and maybe even introduce him to your vegan and other friends. Encourage John to bring his friends in the future too.
2. Post a sign which affirms what you say on facebook. Perhaps: “We love serving people coffee. This café is a place where all are welcome to enjoy the company of others. We serve people of all walks, persuasions and colors, including blue.”

When people are judged based on their appearance and treated in a hateful or humiliating way I can’t just stand by and let it happen. I have to say something. That goes for all people that exist in my little corner of the world. We all deserve to be treated equally and have the same opportunities as individuals. We all also deserve second chances, and this is a chance for the Red and Black Café to have a second chance.

Chances are, if the Red and Black stick to their line in the sand and continue to act in ways which divide the community and perpetuate dangerous stereotypes of our police force, they will continue on as is but that will sadden this resident of the Rose City. I can’t tell people what to do but as for me, I will never set foot within the establishment again. My reason is simple, and just like some places that won’t serve a person because of their orientation or race, I find them repugnant and not worth my money.

Instead, if the Red and Black reconsiders their position on this issue, I will make a point of bringing my friends to a place where our community can truly unite. A place which stands as a beacon of peace and community. A place I would be proud to show off to people who visit our city. I believe others would see the Red and Black in a similar way. Judging by the public outcry, my prediction of the community and your business success if this path is chosen would be a very conservative guess.

On Wednesday morning, I have some time in my schedule to enjoy a cup of coffee and enjoy a quaint Café in the heart of Portland. My hope is that by then, the people wearing blue are publically welcomed into the establishment and that an offer of reconciliation of some type is made to James and the rest of his friends in the Portland Police Department.

If I am unable to enter the shop due to the discriminatory policies, I will enjoy a cup of coffee on the sidewalk outside with a few friends…sadly, and peacefully, will not return until a true spirit of community returns where all are truly welcomed.

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

The ball is in your court! Please be a beacon of light in darkening times. See you on Wednesday morning.

Update:
Went down to stand on the sidewalk as promised. It was interesting to spend time in that part of Portland. Also, it is interesting to see the relationship between the hard core socialist/communists and the anarchists. I surmised that the anarchists are needed to overthrow the current system before replacing it with an even bigger government in control. At best, the anarchists usefulness to the socialist/communists will be short lived. Literally. Just like the Russian revolution, the anarchists, media types and artists who exercised their freedoms to overthrow what they thought was a repressive regime only to be “cleansed” by a much more violent replacement. Socialists/communists don’t like freedom of expression historically except when it serves their purposes. People talk about how many lives were lost for religious wars but all that pales in comparison to the over 100 million lives lost for the atheist cause that is socialism.

It also reminded me of a South Park episode where they took a look at the Goth crowd. In order to become one of those independent thinking, non-conformists…you have to dress, act and talk in a certain way in order to fit in. It was a funny highlight of the irony of having to conform in order to be a non-conformist.

While we were standing there with our signs, a guy from across the street offered to smash the windows and firebomb the place. I said no thanks, but it brought up an interesting question: What would the anarchist’s reaction be to anarchy? Would they call the police?

So, the bottom line is that I think the Red and Black has missed an opportunity to make a positive contribution to their community. I see no reason to set foot in the Red and Black café again as I can clearly see that they don’t live up to their own claims of being inclusive and open to all. A public apology to the policeman and a message of welcome that really applies to all is the only way I would spend money and put profits in their pockets.

I respect the choice voters have made. I also want it to be clear that I have no intention of running as a third party candidate. Instead, just as I stated during the campaign, I will put my full support behind the winner. I can not speak for my team, but I personally will offer whatever I can in order to see Congressman Wu’s political career as my representative come to a close. We can win Oregon’s CD #1 seat back for Republicans. It is not just possible, but I believe, likely, and I hope to continue on supporting that effort. I will encourage my team to do the same.

Stephen Brodhead, Rob Cornellis and John Kuzmanich have run excellent campaigns and excited all sides of the Republican Party. I believe that the four of us represented distinct options for voters to choose from, something Republicans in CD#1 have not had in years. I also believe that our teams can come together to defeat tough PAC’s and special interest groups and put a representative in place that represents instead, the people.

I am not disappointed tonight; I raise my glass to some tough competitors who beat me fair and square. One chapter has come to an end and tomorrow, another one begins. I love Oregon, and I want to work hard to see that Oregon is a better place, economically and environmentally, for future generations. I hope you feel that way too and will continue on resisting big government and higher taxes.

I want to give God any glory for this night and say thanks for giving the team and myself the strength and courage to carry on. Again, thanks to everyone who voted for me. God bless.

This week is unusual because I have a few points and different subjects to address. The first is to address a stereotype of career military folks. Of course, in every group of people there are people who don’t represent the group very well and do not represent the rank and file. The stereotype of people in the military being unthinking drones, following orders blindly creating unnecessary wanton destruction, is just plain wrong. If you have that stereotype and have never spent time with military personnel I would encourage you to test that stereotype and take a tour of an Air Force Base, meet troops at a National Guard Armory when they do a fundraiser or other event, visit a ship during the Rose Festival. Meet these guys, see who they are and how they view the world, and how they do their jobs. My bet is that the stereotype will be smashed. They don’t need to be encouraged to act with respect for human life with an award (as has been suggested).

For me personally, when we were blockading ships from entering the Gulf of Aqaba during Desert Shield we would fly up next to the pilot house of ships not respecting the UN resolution or radio warnings to turn around. We would point a door gun at the guy at the controls. It was tense, and thank goodness, we never had to do more than that to get the wayward ships turned around. The last thing we wanted was to take a life. I said two prayers before each flight, starting in flight school. The first I would say as I walked up to an aircraft was the old Chuck Yeager prayer, “Lord, please help me to not **** up.” The other prayer I kept on my desk was by St. Francis, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace…”(see below for the full version) I can’t speak for all of us that were or are in uniform, but I believe a better stereotype of the rank and file is an image of folks who see the United States as a liberator of people, not imperial occupiers. The rank and file respect human life and are independent thinkers who are trained to use only force that is required to achieve an objective. They execute duties while doing their best to represent the best of the people of the United States.

OK, now to topic #2. Here is an article that I received that I couldn’t say better myself. Giving people money or rewards that they didn’t earn is destructive to society despite even the greatest of intensions. This article by James Cook, CRIME OF THE CENTURY is right on the mark and sums up much of the message of our resistance.

CRIME OF THE CENTURY
By James Cook
We are in the grips of an evil system. Big government social planners claim their programs do good but they do more harm than good. In fact they do horrible things. For example, the black family has disintegrated under the auspices of the nanny state. The illegitimacy rate has soared to 70%. Drug addiction and alcoholism are epidemic among the subsidized. Among Native Americans the rate of alcoholism hovers around 90% and the reservations have become degrading repositories of dysfunction.
If you care about people don’t give them money they didn’t earn. The more you give them the worse off they are. The liberals and leftists with their fanatical devotion to social justice never bother to examine the damage they do or stop to pick up the pieces. They push for more behavioral poison blinded by their radical zealotry. They foster dependency. They consign little children to sexual predation. They promote criminality and misbehavior. They beat their breast in outrage over the social disaster they themselves have engineered casting blame on those who diagnose their damage. Whatever their motives, the modern leftist commits atrocities. They ruin people.
A wise man said, “The worst thing that can befall you is to have nothing to do.” Is it too much to ask the left to absorb some simple truths about human behavior? Do liberals know Proverbs? e.g. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Bad behavior emanates from boredom. Think of its opposite – stimulation. People will do bad things to escape boredom. That’s not all, runaway social sympathy obscures the crucial fact that human beings improve themselves through struggle. Adversity carries the seeds of wisdom and growth. The left is engineering a nation of wimps and ne’er-do-wells, who run to the government with every hangnail and eventually become permanent wards of the state. Taxpayers are creating and subsidizing villains who can rob and maim them.
This is the Achilles heel of liberalism. These are the facts that should be relentlessly publicized. To defeat the left attack their weakest point. Shine the spotlight on their atrocious handiwork. They can never defend what they have done. In it lies the seeds of their undoing. They will never own up; never acknowledge. The magnitude of their sins exceeds anything that came before. Expose these crimes of the liberal do-gooders. By reducing tens of millions of people to self-destructive behavior and outright helplessness they are guilty of the greatest wrongdoing in history.

Topic #3: How does a minority go about getting the majority to buy off on something they really don’t want to do? (Nowadays, I’m talking about our move to centralized government control away from individual freedom and liberty.) From the past however, there are some great case studies which, I believe, confirm my belief that not accepting the influence of PAC’s and special interests in my campaign is the right thing to do. I can attest that this is financially painful, but it is the right thing to do nonetheless. Here is an interesting case study:
The man who turned off the taps, by Daniel Okrent as published in the Smithsonian Magazine.

Viva la Resistance!

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The Prayer of St. Francis

For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

(If the mind set expressed in this prayer does not fit into your stereotype of our troops and sailors, I challenge you to throw it out and create a new one based on personal experience and exposure to the Armed Forces of the United States. Don’t take someone else’s word.)

Moms are all too often unsung heroes who quietly go about their daily routines without fanfare or recognition so I thought I’d take a few moments to recognize the moms out there. One of the best memories of my mom was when we lived on the farm in Canada. Our farm house was about a mile from our nearest neighbor and quite a distance from town. My dad worked during the day so for most of the three years there, my mom was pretty isolated. I didn’t realize how it must have been for her. For me it was just one big adventure after another. We did not have a water heater or even normal heat for the house. We had to keep a coal stove burning for heat and cooking. We also didn’t have an indoor bathroom. The two hole outhouse was nothing but fun for my brother and me to “enjoy nature” together. During the winter months…which seemed like most of the year up there, I look back now and don’t see how my mom did it.

I remember her milking the cows and making homemade ice cream on the front porch with the cream. It was good stuff, and we were not calorie conscious at the time either…double good. We took care of pigs and grew chickens to make some extra money. She also tended a vegetable garden which we ate from and enjoyed. We didn’t have much money so she made us clothes out of old curtains. Didn’t need shoes during warm weather and only had boots for winter. Although I could read going into first grade because she taught us to read on the farm, I remember her being embarrassed by a teacher because I couldn’t tie my shoes in the first grade. Why would I know how to tie shoes if I never really had to wear any before going to school?

I remember the snow coming down so hard that our front door was covered and we had to dig out. In order to have drinking water, she had to melt snow on the stove. Again, an adventure for us boys, but looking back, I’m amazed she was able to survive all that. Mom was a survivor, and we could not have made it to the United States without her ingenuity and resourcefulness. Once here, she started her own business and it is still in operation today.

I don’t know if Wendy really knew what she was signing on for by becoming a navy wife and mom either. Although our homes all had indoor plumbing, she too had to live through some tough times. Not long after we were married, I had to deploy for a six month cruise and she was left alone in a new house. On average, we moved about once every two years of my 20 year career. Each place she had to start over, get a new job, find new friends, figure out the local customs and schools, etc, often without my help.

I was fortunate to be home when Sydney was born but I was deployed when Nathan was born and she had to do all that alone. In many cases, Wendy had to be both mom and dad while I was off flying. I don’t think I really understood that kind of stress. For me, going off to sea to fly, even in hot spots, was exciting stuff and the time went quick. For her, not so much. Now, I am getting a better picture of the stress involved for families who have to send a member off on deployment or to a war zone. Given the choice, I’d rather go off to the war zone because at least then it feels like there is more control over things. I get to meet the moms of some of our deployed units and I can see in their eyes, the stress that they are under.

Over time, Wendy developed an organized sensibility and I think it was because of that, my dad called on her when he found out he was about to die. So, with me once again deployed, she helped him take care of his last wishes and got him organized. He passed away in 1996 from lung cancer, but was able to go peacefully in large part due to her efforts.

As I move around the district, I see and hear from moms all along the way. I get to see the impact of moms in the lives of the people around them. Often, their efforts are taken for granted or just seen as a constant in the lives around them but, I see them as the glue that holds us all together. A place to go to mend a wound, find a warm meal, or just a word of encouragement. Moms do it all.

So, this mother’s day, we will cease our resistance efforts for the day, and celebrate moms-the key influence in most of our lives.

When I first sat down with my team last summer we came up with a list of things that we don’t like about politics and politicians. We also came up with a list of things we would like to see from our Representative in Congress. Then, we took those lists and came up with a risky game plan. I say risky because it flies in the face of conventional wisdom. We didn’t know if it would work, but felt it was the right way to do business.

My vision for the United States and Oregon is clear:
- We will have long term prosperity because we will be fiscally responsible and balance the budget.
- We will create jobs, increase revenue and spur the economy by supporting the efforts of the private sector businesses, especially small business. We will cut tax and responsibly deregulate to set the private sector free to grow.
- We will not be dependent on foreign sources of energy within 10 years.
- Our environment will be responsibly cared for and improved along with the economy.
- The United States will continue to lead the free world and the people of Oregon will thrive.

Early on we had a visit from some political insiders. As I described some of the ideas we had to move forward we ran into criticism. One area that stands out was hiding behind double-talk and choosing not to make clear statements on issues. I said the people have the right to know what I think and how I came to my conclusions so I put my platform on my web site for all to see. “You can’t do that”, I was told, “because then you will be held accountable to it.” I said, yes, that’s the point, and sought counsel elsewhere. Also, I see now that because I was out early with my stand on things, special interests and PAC’s don’t have much of an ability to shape my words and stands on the issues, and that is a two edged sword for sure.

It has been interesting because in some cases, I support the beliefs of certain PAC’s better than their endorsed candidate who is receiving their money. When questioned about public statements that their candidate made on their issues, the PAC leader expressed that they would contact their candidate and straighten that out. It was an enlightening moment because I have heard that’s how it’s done but have never seen it up close before.

I said the people should have access to their Representative. So, each week I scheduled a meet and greet at local coffee shops. These meetings are not for me to speak, but instead to listen and answer questions. I plan to continue doing this when in town. Also, when in Congress, I’ll give a weekly wrap up of my actions, votes, and thoughts. I will not move from my home to DC, but will instead keep the majority of my staff here and commute to work, maintaining a minimal footprint outside of Oregon. My roots will remain firmly planted here in my home district.

So, how am I different? Here is a list:

1. I don’t accept PAC/special interest group money. Can you count PAC money as individual contributions? Some do, but I don’t because the leaders & lobbyists of these PAC’s who are signing these big checks appear to think of it as their money. That money is expected to give PAC leaders better access to a candidate than a regular person would have. I don’t turn my back on PAC interests with which I agree, but I won’t be on their payroll which gives them leverage. Instead, I want to be held accountable to my platform, which contains the positions that people supported me for.

2. I am open with my beliefs and try to spell out my stand clearly. I did that by putting the platform on line. Each week I also write a tidbit that expounds on platform issues. Sometimes, I thought, it is not only good to know how a candidate stands on an issue, but why they think that way.

3. We run a positive campaign. In your face, shrill mudslinging is distasteful to me. On the other hand, we will not shrink from honorably defending attacks or slights.

4. We have fun as we attempt to move our country back on the road to prosperity.

I made the decision to go with these principles because I felt it was the right path despite being the least travelled. If it fails, I am to blame. I’d rather fail honorably than win at all costs. This win at all costs, ends justifying the means, philosophy is something that needs to be changed. I know it is something that can only be changed one heart at a time, starting with mine. It can’t be legislated.

The strength of this strategy is that once I get to Washington DC, I will be unencumbered by PAC lobbyists or special interests who have bought their influence with other people’s money. Instead, I will be able to represent the platform I have run on, the same platform endorsed by the voters as they cast their ballots. This is a form of power that most in Congress don’t have. Instead, they are more like puppets who speak the words provided to them by the people holding their purse strings.

The weakness is that because I won’t accept PAC money, not even from the RNC, I have to campaign using funds provided by individual contributors donating individually. (I will never forget the look on the faces of one group of PAC leaders as I said I would accept their individual contributions but not their organization’s check. Those PAC leaders knew they would not shape my message any more than an individual, taking away their power and influence. So, they took their money somewhere else.)

As a result, you may notice that I do not have the same amount of signs, commercials, mailers, etc, as other candidates and that is a reality we have to overcome in order to get the message out. The team has done an outstanding job with lean funding. It has been critical that our signs, ads, internet site, Facebook page, etc, had to be high quality products, and I believe they are.

The signs in particular I am proud of because they really stand out. As it turns out, they are the only Red, White and Blue signs. I’m not sure what that tells you about the competition, but it is interesting. Also, I am proud of our internet site because it is definitely a quality product at a low price. But isn’t that what you want from government and your representative, just as every privately-owned business strives to achieve this same goal?

The greatest by-product of all this is that a world class team has formed around me. I have no paid staff (yet) but I’d put this team up against the best. We have experts on just about every subject from Economics and Nuclear Science to Constitutional Law. I know that I need to draw from these folks for their knowledge because this is not a one man show. I am merely the person honored to walk as the point man.

Voters have a choice in the next weeks. They can choose to go with the standard way of doing business or they can choose something radically different.

If you want something different, I ask for your vote. In addition to your vote, I want you on my team. I am already making plans on how to move forward, and I hope I can count on you to join me in sending your fresh voice to Congress.

Join the Resistance!

Do we need the government’s help to be innovative? No, in fact the government can stifle innovation despite the best of intentions. Unfortunately, good intentions don’t count for much in the real world but good deeds and actions do. Here are two examples.

Redistributing wealth, or “spreading the wealth” as you heard the President and Democrats say, from the “rich” to the “poor” seems like a good thing in a Robin Hood fairy-tale. The end result however, is that if there is no reward for taking a risk, or innovating, there is no encouragement for people to step out. Innovation is something that has made the United States a great country because people are rewarded for excellence and achievement. When the government comes in to take over your business or raise taxes to the point where there is no profit, there is no incentive for excellence, efficiency or innovation.

Not only does taking the rewards away from those who compete and innovate have a detrimental effect on them, but transferring those rewards to “the poor” also has a detrimental effect. No doubt, there are people in our society which we believe in caring for because they cannot care for themselves. On the other hand, there are many people out there who are receiving welfare from the government in the form of earned income tax credits, food stamps, Medicaid, etc, that are capable of caring for themselves. You don’t have to spend too much time in a tax preparer’s office or a grocery store to witness folks using these programs who don’t really need them. (If you can afford beer and cigarettes, I don’t feel I should be paying for your milk for example.)

My feeling is that “spreading the wealth” actually results in encouraging no work or innovative thinking. Why do work or innovate if you have a steady flow of support coming to you? Why work harder if it will only result in the loss of those benefits? People are not stupid, they know how to game the system to get the best benefit for themselves. They know how to innovate and instead of putting them in a position to spend their time figuring out how to maximize their welfare checks, why not encourage them to innovate and actually contribute to society by getting a job and paying their share?

Charles Evers once said, “Speaking as a black person, welfare is the worst thing that’s ever happened to us.” I believe he was exactly right, and it’s true for all individuals, and even businesses. It may sound a bit harsh, but scaling back programs and causing people to get up, innovate and excel is a much better solution than rewarding failure.

Failure is a healthy thing because it causes people to innovate and become better at what they do. This concept is true not just on the personal level, but on a larger scale as well. Bailing out big businesses when they are failing is the exact same thing. That is why I do not agree with the corporate bailouts that we saw last year. Specifically, look at the example of the big three car companies. GM and Chrysler drank the koolaid of a government welfare handout and look at what happened to their stock and value of their companies. Ford on the other hand, refused the hand out. In order to survive, they had to do some innovative thinking. Survive they did, and their stock price, value of their company, demonstrates that in spectacular fashion.

Ford was faced with the real possibility of failure and they fought to survive. They did, and now they should be rewarded for their excellence. Should Ford have to subsidize the failure of other companies? I don’t think so. I think they should be held up as an example of American excellence, ingenuity and innovation. They should be rewarded for their hard work, not punished.

Large and small scale, the government does not encourage innovation by stepping in to “save jobs” with hand outs. Yes, it sounds very caring and nice at first glance, but the best solution for long term success is an environment where innovation thrives and achievement is rewarded.

The government or Representative David Wu is not the “Nexus of Innovation” as I read in the newspaper a week ago. Instead, a free people, encouraged to be excellent with great rewards, and the possibility of real failure is where innovation thrives. Therefore, policies that expand government welfare and hand outs must be resisted.

Join the Resistance.

I saw a Gallup Poll which said that 45% of the people said they are taxed about right by the federal government, the highest in recent history. What the poll doesn’t say is that about half of Americans don’t pay taxes, also an all time high, so the recent tax satisfaction numbers make sense.

I have heard the saying, “If you rob Peter to pay Paul, Paul will be your friend.”

As the number of people receiving welfare (money, health care and support) they did not earn increases we are pushing the tax burden up the economic chain and creating many detrimental effects. By increasing the tax on upper wage earners (the people who create jobs) we are reducing their ability to create jobs. So, the result of this is less job creation with more people on welfare. With half the population not paying taxes and still receiving benefits, there is less and less motivation for fiscal responsibility. If you don’t have to pay for government, what do you care as long as your benefits keep coming? People should rely on themselves and put money away each month as a cushion against the unexpected job loss or surge in inflation. If people don’t do this we find ourselves more susceptible to a collapse similar to what happened a couple of years ago. When gasoline hit $4 a gallon, people began defaulting on their home loans. Personal responsibility and accountability is not being encouraged or rewarded and I believe this will lead to further breakdown of society and a downward spiral of the economy.

The politically expedient thing to do is to grow the number of people dependent on government hand-outs in order to secure a solid voter block that will vote to keep the benefits coming. Unfortunately, as the upper income population declines, tax revenue will not be able to keep up with the rising welfare demand. This is not sustainable.

The people at the Tax Enough Already (TEA) parties are very much in tune with this concept. They see what is happening with deficits and know our national debt is growing exponentially. They are so worried that they are doing everything in their power to voice their concerns. These are not hired crowds or radicals; these are regular citizens who are afraid for their country. These are people who love their country. These are people who are not all traditional conservative Republicans. 43% of the people at the TEA Parties are Independents and Democrats. Some TEA Parties are being led by Democrats…so the liberal, new progressive or leftists that are painting this group as radicals are getting it wrong (along with their big government and higher tax policies). Also, Republicans who think this is a homogeneous conservative Republican-supporting crowd also are getting it wrong.

As a conservative candidate, I am right there with the TEA Party ideals and want to participate, support, and join in as much as possible. I believe in the causes of fiscal responsibility and limited government as core values. And, I also believe in the rest of my platform which is not addressed by the TEA Party’s message.

The TEA Party, from my experience, is truly a cross section of the political spectrum which is galvanized around this critical issue. But, if the TEA Party formally endorsed one party or one candidate, they would splinter the group into factions and this would severely weaken the movement. I don’t want that to happen so I am not actively pressing for endorsement. Churches are similar. I don’t avoid them, but I am very sensitive to the fact that it isn’t separation of Church and State that is the problem, it is the separation of the Church. The Church is united under one belief, but not in total agreement with me on every issue.

Although aligned with the TEA Party movement, and a participant, I am not “the TEA Party” candidate. Out of respect and in an effort to maintain a strong movement with great ideals, my hope is to be a candidate that most TEA Party folks will vote for.

For those of you who are Democrats at the TEA Party I have some words for you. The days of the Democrat Party with the hard-working, individual-responsibility, working-class ideals are gone. The ideals that were personified by John Fitzgerald Kennedy are over for that party. No Democrat would support a tax cut and many of the other ideals spoken by Democrat leadership back then. And yet, many of you good people from that era or with those ideals are still Democrats.

I challenge you to rethink your party affiliation. The big-government, high-tax supporting crowd has taken over the Democrat Party. This same belief, some call themselves “liberal Republicans” or “Progressives”, is also seeping into the Republican Party, but I believe the Party is salvageable. My vision for the future is for the TEA Party crowd to join, energize and invigorate the Republican Party while bringing the party forward to embody the values and beliefs that are not only responsible for the greatness of the United States in the past, but also the path to a bright future.

Out of control government growth and high taxes spell the end to the liberty and freedom that Americans thrive on. We must band together and move in a better direction.

Am I the “TEA Party” candidate? No, I’m a Republican but I align very well with the movement and I will stand with them. I see the direction the country is headed, and I think this kind of “change” is not what people wanted or voted for. We can turn this around.

Join the Resistance!

I’m glad we have a country and a Constitution set up so that we are able to have a peaceful revolution from time to time. It is critical that we uphold that mechanism which is the Constitution. Just like a relief valve on a pressure cooker, the steam needs to be let off to prevent damage. By marginalizing or preventing the relief valve from working we are putting the country at risk of falling from its position of leadership in the world.

Some may say that is not a bad thing. I disagree. The United States to me, must remain the leader of the free world in order to continue to project the power of good to people around the earth. In my travels and interaction with people, I see our capability for doing good is primarily due to the abundance of resources created by our free market system. We respond to things like natural disasters in Haiti and come to the aid of allies when they’re attacked. We also contribute to making the world better for people around the world. Things like building infrastructure in Iraq for people who have never before had clean water or electricity, eradicating black flies in Africa, promoting women’s rights in places like Afghanistan…the list goes on and on and on. We are not perfect, but we are a great country of people who are both caring and generous.

It takes great national power to be able to be able to project the goodness of Americans around the world. I believe we are on a course now that weakens our national power and threatens our leadership role in the world. I believe the policies of the current administration and ideas of people like President Obama, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Rep. David Wu are weakening the United States.

Our ability to project power as a country comes from four basic pillars: Diplomatic, Information, Military and Economic (DIME). If you want a strong and effective United States, you must ensure the strength of each of these pillars. If you want to weaken a country, you only have to destroy one of these pillars. Our leaders now are perpetrating policies now which weaken each of these pillars.

Diplomatic: We have a President and Secretary of State travelling around the world apologizing for the United States and making statements in support of Marxist dictators like Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez. At the same time, we are routinely snubbing our staunchest allies starting with Great Britain and just last week, Israel. Snubbed allies equates to less support in the future. Cowing to countries like Iran, Venezuela, Russia, and Cuba does not earn respect. Like playground bullies, they only respect leadership from a position of strength. This pillar is under attack.

The first illustrative example that comes to mind is the hostage crises in Iran in the 70’s. President Carter was apologetic and weak in the face of international terrorism. His diplomacy was not respected because, like this administration, it was all just words. Then President Reagan steps in, and with only words, the hostages were freed. His words meant something, and because of that, he was respected. He won the cold war in the same way, not one shot fired. That is diplomacy done right. Words from a position of strength are respected and mean something.

Information: We are allowing entities like CNN Europe and Al Jezeera to paint a picture of the United States in the worst possible light. Our leaders should champion the positive role of the United States in the world and counterbalance the liberal view point that is projected in the media. This should be a concerted effort by our political leadership to portray the United States in a positive and honest light.

We did not lose a single military battle of significance in the Vietnam War, but we ended up losing to the Communists because we lost the battle of information. This precipitated millions of lost lives there as the communist regime took power. We lost to the propaganda machine of the communists and celebrity spokespeople in theater and also in our own media.

This pillar is weakened now because there is no counterweight to the mantra of dictators like Castro and Chavez or even terrorists like Osama bin Laden. Even worse, when their ideas are echoed here as credible, we lose.

Military: The military is the “teeth” behind the credible bark of diplomacy. Without a strong defense, there is no respect. By unilaterally disarming or making statements confirming we are not prepared to use all the military tools at our disposal as we see fit, we are displaying weakness. This weakness will be challenged at the diplomacy table or even worse, on the battle field.

We need representatives who will vote on principle when it comes to the use of military power. In a time of war, we need statesmen, not politicians. By that I mean we can’t have people who vote for or against war based on the political wind at the time. If a war is wrong under one administration, it is wrong under the next and vice versa. Supporting a war effort should not be based on political expedience.

Economic: In order to project power, we need a strong economy. The military, the government and all the things we do as a nation are paid for by the private sector. Government does not create wealth. In order for the United States to remain strong our economy must remain strong. Soaring budget deficits and national debt, much of it loaned from foreign countries like China, puts us at an ever-increasing economic disadvantage.

Policies that make it harder for our private sector, especially small businesses, to operate weaken our country. Expensive and inefficient government run health care, increasing tax burdens, increasing regulations, and Cap and Trade (an energy tax), etc, will all serve to burden businesses, reducing their ability to grow and create new jobs. Our economy is under attack.

This administration, with the help of Rep. David Wu, is systematically weakening the United States in every single area. Whether this is intentionally or not, we cannot allow this to continue. We must resist by not allowing our ambassadors to project a message of apology or weakness. We must resist by countering the negative messages about our country. The truth is, we are a great country that has and will continue to do great things by upholding free markets, individualism, freedom and liberty. To resist, we must maintain a strong defense. Most importantly, we must resist the ongoing attack on the private sector through higher taxes or outright government takeovers. Instead, we must champion competition in the market place, reduce regulations and minimize tax burdens. Increasing taxes is not a good long-term solution for raising revenues while increasing the number of people with jobs surely is.

Join the Resistance!

It is clear, especially over the last year, that the current administration sees government control of large sectors of the economy as the best solution. Truly, we are in a battle between free market believers and big government believers. Despite the success of a free market system and watching the economic collapse of an all powerful government in the Soviet Union at the end of the last century, we continue to move down a similar path toward a point where we will no longer have enough private sector money to support the government.

Today, I want to focus on how the other side is operating and warn you about being fooled by it. It is after all, April fools season as I write this. The best analogy I can think of is hammering nails into a coffin.

The nail feels a little tapping. It says, yeah, I don’t agree with what you are doing but I can live with it.
Election.
The hammer pulls back. All is well, democrats will govern from the center and include all sides in debate.
Inauguration.
The nail suddenly feels the blow, ouch that hurt.
Stimulus passed overnight without debate.
Then the hammer pulls back.
Let’s talk now about fiscal responsibility.
As the hammer pulls back, the nail thinks that all will be better.
Maybe democrats will govern from the center and include all sides in the debate.
The hammer is actually good and doing good things for me, right?
Wrong, unemployment continues to worsen, the stimulus appears to have had the opposite effect.

Smash, it hits again.
Healthcare passes the Senate during the Christmas season.
Ouch!
Votes are bought with 300 million to LA, Nebraska gets a kick back…and more…including the possibility of one sixth of the economy under government control.

Hammer pulls back.
“Health care is dead, people are against it; we need to focus on jobs like a laser beam…”

Smash!
Health care passes in the House, despite a wide public outcry against it.
Hammer pulls back…
not to worry, we will “fix the bill”.
Smash!
The bill is now law and companies announce layoffs and cuts in benefits.
Ouch.

So, you get the pattern. It isn’t by accident, this is an effective way to operate and get your way. As long as the nail just stands there believing each time that the hammer pulling back is good for us, we will continue to lose on issue after issue.

Now we hear about increasing oil exploration. Don’t be fooled, the hammer is only once again pulling back. Cap and trade, Amnesty, you name the liberal agenda of issues, they are all nails in this coffin.
This tactic is nothing new. This analogy is not new either.

No matter how you dress up every left wing move, the results will continue to be destruction of the economy and the freedom and well-being of citizens. We must not be fooled into thinking that the last hit will be the last. As long as we allow it, the hits will keep coming. Smash after smash. Tax after tax. Lost job after lost job. More government control in our lives, less liberty…and less prosperity. We must resist.

Join the Resistance.

Here’s the bottom line: People want to come to the United States because there is a chance to have a good life if you are willing to work. Despite the recent growth of our government, we still remain a beacon of freedom and opportunity in the world. We are a great country, and I know why people would want to come here.

So, I ask, what do you think about illegal aliens? More than any other group, this is the question that really strikes home and elicits an emotional response. They tell me, and I feel it myself, it isn’t right that some people can just walk across the border and get the same rights and opportunities as someone who waits the years and jumps through all the bureaucratic hoops in order to come here legally. I don’t think you can find a group more galvanized against illegal immigration than those who have come here and become citizens legally. I know, from my personal experience, the road to get here was long and involved sacrifice.

Illegal aliens are putting stress on our economy as they generally do not contribute for the services that they are receiving such as roads, food stamps, medical care, prisons, education and more. As these numbers of people not “paying their fair share” increase, those of us paying the tab will have to pick up the slack.

There are other human rights issues to consider. Will an illegal alien complain about unsafe working conditions? Probably not. Will an illegal alien work under the table for less than minimum wage? Probably. Are illegal aliens potential victims of abuse of any kind because they are not likely to report the abuse? Yes. These are human beings who are generally here to make a better life for themselves and their kids but can easily find themselves in position where they are treated as less than human beings should be treated.

Unfortunately, we are not just talking about a few people here. We are talking about 12 to 20 million people. We are talking, in some cases, about fellow neighbors, church members, students, and employees. If we are to take steps to solve this problem, we have to realize the human element here so draconian measures will not work. Americans need a solution which is just and fair.

So, what do we do? First off, do we just “deem” all the people here illegally suddenly legal, granting them amnesty as folks like Rep. David Wu, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and President Obama would like to do? Absolutely not. In my view, as a naturalized citizen, to do that would send the wrong message to all of us who took the trouble and did the work to come here legally. It would send the wrong message to everyone else. Which laws are ok to break? Selective enforcement of the law is problematic because it weakens the whole system. Also, the word will get out and we would see an even greater influx of people coming to get the free pass of amnesty. Amnesty just doesn’t make sense and it sends people the wrong message.

On the other hand, rigidly enforcing laws that have not really been enforced for years would create a level of suffering that I believe most Americans would not support. We must find a just and humane solution and we must follow the rule of law. It is a complex problem and I think one which needs to be addressed from a few angles.

I propose the following solutions:
Reform the immigration process and laws so that the process of immigration is streamlined with ambiguity removed. By that, I mean, once the process of immigrating has started, people should know where they stand from day to day and can plan appropriately. Waiting for years on a list and not knowing where you stand creates unnecessary stress. There needs to be transparency in the process. If someone has to wait two, three or ten years, it isn’t great, but at least they can plan their lives and are less likely to take shortcuts that would ruin their chances. We can do better than we are doing now.

Create/strengthen a work visa program similar to past policies where, if a company wants a particular worker from a foreign country, they can write a formal letter requesting that person. After a quick background check we should provide a work visa for that individual for that specific job. The worker can then come and work, pay taxes where required, and once complete, return home. In the process of working, that person should get preference and be able to apply for a permanent visa and eventually, citizenship. After all, we want people who have shown a good work ethic and willingness to play by the rules to be lifted up and embraced. There is much more detail to fill in, but that is the gist. Companies will then have to treat these workers with the same care for safety and wages as they would other American citizens. Companies, however, would have to give American citizens preference for these jobs over foreign nationals.

Set a date, say, January 1st of the coming year. Make it clear, that as of that future date, all immigration laws will be fully enforced and all illegal aliens will be deported without the chance of being granted a visa to return. Also, as of that date, people hiring workers will have to ensure that their employees are legal by use of electronic background checks. Impose stiff penalties for companies who hire illegal aliens and step up all efforts to secure our borders.

Illegal aliens now enjoy health care provided for free in our hospital emergency rooms. For emergency care, and for humane reasons, I would continue to treat anyone who needs emergency care in our hospitals. I would however, perform an electronic check of any individual who does not have health insurance and if that person is identified as an illegal alien, have them immediately deported once medically stable.

During this grace period, from now until that January 1st cutoff date, I would provide the opportunity for illegal aliens to make personal arrangements for return to their country of origin. I support programs to provide assistance for their return trip, e.g. bus tickets. In this process, there will be time for companies to write letters and begin the process of allowing for workers to return legally.

Families split with one or more members that are citizens will have to choose, just as legal immigrants now do. While the immigration process is underway, families may have to live apart until all members are allowed into the United States or they can choose to live together in the country of their origin. This is the norm for legal immigrants. It is a sacrifice, and it is a hardship, but it is legal.

If a child is born in the United States to two people who are here illegally, I personally consider that child here illegally as well and that child has the same nationality of the parents. This is not how the Constitution is currently being interpreted by the government but there have been no rulings on this aspect. So, I would support putting a case forward for the Supreme Court to decide and resolve. Until then, I would deport all illegal aliens and their children. If one parent is legal, and one is not, the child would be considered legal. However, the illegal parent would be deported and it would be up to the family to determine whether they want to reside together in the country of origin or separate.

As I see it, this solution follows the rule of law, is just, and allows for a grace period so that people have the opportunity to leave the country with dignity. They are allowed to legally return and go through the process of becoming naturalized citizens without any disadvantage or stigma. If they have to be deported after the cutoff date, then they will not be afforded the same advantage.

This is not any easy road, no matter what decision we come to with this issue. To me however, it is clear that the current situation is growing out of control and putting undue stress on our society.

This is a great country, and we need to keep it that way.

Join the Resistance.