The political process works to protect incumbents which creates career politicians. The people elect their Representatives to do just that - represent them in Congress, not try to rule over them.  To me, a job well done in Congress does not mean buying as many votes as possible with pork spending from the people's tax dollars. It means protecting our livelihoods, our businesses, our communities and our nation. Most of all it means protecting our freedom.

While my opponent has spent his 33-year career working for the special interests and his party bosses by expanding government control over our lives, the last two years has been particularly troubling. Norm Dicks has shown exactly how out of touch he is with Washingtonians with his support for least four terrible bills which:

- seek to force a government-run health plan on a public that doesn't want it

- blow money the government doesn't have on bailing out failing banks, debt-ridden state governments, and poorly managed corporations

- funnel money to political friends in the form of "Stimulus" projects that evidence shows has created few, if any, jobs while increasing the debt burden on our children

- attempt to impose massive new environmental regulations on American businesses, new rules  which would kill many jobs and force others to be sent overseas, cripple every sector of the economy, and create a new "carbon credit" scheme inviting even more corruption.

I would take a very different approach to these four issues:

Common-Sense Solutions to Fixing the Health Care System

The health care crisis looming before all Americans is caused by the drastically increased costs that are preventing access to medical care, reducing quality of coverage, and leading our nation to bankruptcy through the unfunded Medicare liabilities.  The attempted government takeover of 20% of our economy supported by Norm Dicks is not the solution.  It is a $2.5 trillion monstrosity that will be put on the backs of our children and grandchildren as part of our burgeoning national debt.  The government has no credibility in managing costs or improving quality.  Already, we see this new proposal robbing Medicare, penalizing our health care choices, and forcing us to select programs.

Here are 5 proposals I support that will lower health care costs, improve quality and increase access:

1. Root out the estimated $100 billion in Medicare fraud and abuse.

2. Enact common-sense tort reform that could save up to 35% in current costs.

3. Allow consumers to buy health insurance across state lines.

4. End all monopoly practices and cartels in the health care industry, and allow patients to pool their resources.

5. Foster support for health savings accounts that empower patient choice and lower taxes.

Lower health care costs will reduce the deficit, shore up Medicare, allow more people access to excellent health care, and protect the health plans that people like.

No Bailouts to Failed Corporations and Special Interests

The “bailouts” of various financial institutions by the Federal Reserve and the United States Treasury  shows emphatically that our current national leadership prefers inside deals and “crony capitalism” to the Constitution and the people.

Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, AIG  etc. were all bankrupt corporations whose shareholders should have been wiped out by the errors of company management.  Instead, the Government used our money to pay off the hundreds of billions of dollars of debts of these corporations.  Without exception, you can expect that some of the money given to these companies will filter back into the campaign war chests of its chief sponsors.   This is Corruption at the highest level of our Government.  Essentially, the Government has taken money from ordinary citizens to bail out inept gamblers who destroyed their companies in wild speculations. This massive corruption is what my campaign is fighting against.

End Wasteful and Misguided "Stimulus" Spending

The $749 Billion stimulus package enacted by Congress has been shown to be a failure.  Furthermore it has resulted in massive political payoffs to Wall Street insiders, the Union bosses, and the Political class.

Most of the stimulus - approximately 500 billion dollars of it - remains to be spent.  This money will judiciously be spent to buy votes for political incumbents as the 2010 elections approach.

The stimulus has not resulted in the 8.5% unemployment rate promised by it’s proponents.  Indeed the current official unemployment rate is 9.7% and the broader measures of unemployment are upwards of 20%.

Goldman Sachs, General Motors, Bank of America etc. were all bankrupt corporations whose shareholders should have been wiped out.  But instead the Government uses our money to pay off those in control of these companies.  Without exception you can expect that some of the Billions of dollars of “aid” given to these companies will filter back into the campaign war chests of its chief sponsors.   This is Corruption at the highest level of our Government.  It is what I am fighting against.

Block the Job-Killing "Cap-and-Trade" Tax Scheme

I agree with the columnist who stated that the "Cap and Tax" proposal supported by Norm Dicks is "all cost, no benefit" for America.  It is a significantly intrusive piece of legislation that would impose enormous costs on American households, including sharp rises in gasoline and electric costs.  Yet it would offer, at best, only a slight benefit in terms of CO2 emissions.

"Cap and Tax" would also send many, many more jobs to China and other economic rivals who will not be putting these same new regulations on their job creators.  Our political class today loves regulation and picking the losers and winners in the economy through corrupt back-room deals.  Politically favored big businesses such as GE, the world government crowd, and environmental extremists in America love this legislation.

Those who love the American way of life, prosperity, and family wage jobs should join me in opposing it.

My Commitment to You

As an outsider to politics, I will remain an independent conservative voice. My greatest concern will be to protect your interests, and the best way to do that is to keep as much power in your hands as possible. I will not serve the special interests that will ask me to take your hard-earned tax dollars and funnel it to them. I will be an strong voice in Congress there to represent you, not to do what the Washington D.C. insiders want.

Individual liberty is the bedrock of our society, and I am committed  to protecting yours. Every decision I make will be rooted in the understanding of the Constitutional limitations of the office, my principles of expanding individual liberty and prosperity, and my knowledge that the best way to do that is to make sure that enterprise is free and government limited.

As your congressman I will work to change the way things are done in Congress, and the way government responds to the people whom it is supposed represent. I am committed to cleaning up the culture of corruption in Congress. It's about time we clean house.