On September 14th, the first step of a two-part “national hiring process” will take place. Voters will go to the polls in our statewide primary to select the candidates that will represent them in the general election. On September 14th, you will choose the candidate to champion the things you believe are vital to our nation’s future.
At a time when we are at war, when the legislative process is broken, when spending and taxation are rising at unsustainable levels, our country needs people in Congress who will make the tough calls on wasteful, needless and harmful legislation and spending. The best way to determine whether someone can make those calls is with a proven record of performance that is consistent with the things we believe. I am the only candidate in this race with that record.
At a recent speech, I asked the crowd, “Which candidates do you want managing your finances, laying requirements on the operation of your business, and determining the future for your family? Because they will.”
It is said that “Truth is the first casualty of war.”
America is on the brink of economic ruin, and her fundamental principles are under a concerted assault by this administration and Congress. America’s Strategic National Priorities – Fiscal Policy, Energy Policy, Foreign Policy and Congressional Ethics Reform – are not being addressed.
Here’s why I call these four areas “Strategic National Priorities.”
The interest on our national debt (a debt which will grow by 1.4 TRILLION dollars next year) is piling up at A BILLION DOLLARS EVERY DAY.
Our dependency on foreign oil delivers A BILLION DOLLARS EVERY DAY to OPEC.
Our war efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq ring up at HALF A BILLION DOLLARS EVERY DAY, not including the cost of thousands killed, wounded and maimed in unimaginably terrible ways. I know about our casualties. I have visited Walter Reed and wept with these incredible heroes – men and women shattered in the service of our country.
Payoffs, kickbacks, bribery, coercion, and intimidation – with ObamaCare as the penultimate example – are normal tactics in the conduct of business in Congress. The atmosphere of corruption has destroyed the trust of the American people in government.
There seems to be some confusion regarding my position on Obama-care. Let me clear the air.
As I have stated in writing and in numerous speeches, Obama-care is one of the worst pieces of legislation ever passed in our nation’s history. I will support any repeal effort if elected to the US House.
Repeal for repeal’s sake, however, gets us nowhere. We need a longer-term strategy to ensure we actually accomplish something. The fact is, we simply do not have the votes in the US House and Senate to make a repeal effort successful and will not have the votes in 2011.
This week, the resignation of Gen. McChrystal as the Commander, Allied Forces in Afghanistan rocked the nation and the world. Though some believe that his departure was too high a price to pay for being politically incorrect, we must remember that the military operates by law under a very different set of rules than the civilian world. Whether or not the current occupant of the White House is deserving of ridicule or disrespect, the Office of the Presidency is not. The rules governing our military were established to ensure that the civilian branch of government remains in complete control of the military. There are many examples of why our Founding Fathers established this hierarchy, both historically and in our present day world as well.
That said, the question must be asked, “Why did a 4-star General with a distinguished career knowingly allow a left-wing paper to observe and publish an exchange that cost him his career?”
I visited Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. It is a beautiful place – solemn, silent and inspiring. Every visit brings an incredible sense of humility, respect and awe for the individuals buried here, and renewed inspiration to honor their gift to us. Every grave is a solemn reminder of our eternal debt to those who gave the last full measure of devotion to preserve our opportunity to be free. Every marker is also a reminder of our duty to preserve that opportunity.
The opportunity to remain free is ours to squander. The Oath taken by our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines contains near-identical language to the Oath taken by every elected official at every level of government: to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic…”
I visited Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. It is a beautiful place – solemn, silent and inspiring. Every visit brings an incredible sense of humility, respect and awe for the individuals buried here, and renewed inspiration to honor their gift to us. Every grave is a solemn reminder of our eternal debt to those who gave the last full measure of devotion to preserve our opportunity to be free. Every marker is also a reminder of our duty to preserve that opportunity.