The choice of Paul Ryan for Vice President by Romney was certainly an interesting pick. It also brings balance that will help this ticket win in November.

Ryan is a political figure whose career I have watched for quite some time. He is a compelling politician to me for several reasons.

First he is from Janesville, the neighboring town in Wisconsin to Whitewater, where my mother grew up, and where I visited almost every summer as a child and teenager. Read More»

Recently I touched on a number of foreign policy issues but did not go into great depth. This week I believe a closer look at our actions and policy in Afghanistan require a deeper examination.

This is a war that began for the right reason. We were attacked on 9/11 by an enemy that was given safe sanctuary by the government in Afghanistan. Many would say that the Taliban government and Al Qaida were partners in many respects. President Bush acted responsibly by sending troops into Afghanistan. Read More»

In the recently concluded Third District congressional race I was surprised by a number of things (not the least of which was the result, but that’s a story for another article).

One area that was surprising was the complete lack of questions from the press and public on foreign affairs issues. In the seven months I ran for office I was asked twice about Afghanistan, both times by radio station WKEU in Griffin. Considering what is going on in the world today, it is amazing. Let’s take a look at a few hot button issues around the world. Read More»

Have you noticed the recent rapid rise in gas prices at the pump? Today I saw prices at some stations above $3.40; are we headed back to the $4.00 a gallon range?

We all hope not, but without a national energy policy we are captive to international speculation and foreign governments. We all know what the problem is and frankly the solution isn’t that difficult. Why do we find ourselves where we are and what does it take to fix it? Read More»

“We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

We all recognize this as the preamble to the Constitution. With pivotal elections occurring this year, it is instructive to compare the ideals of the preamble with the performance of Congress and the President. Read More»

Throughout the history of this great nation there have times that “try men’s souls”. From the midnight ride of Paul Revere to the attack on Pearl Harbor Americans, have come to the aid of this nation in its time of need. We again face a time of great peril. As President Reagan once said “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction.” Let there be no mistake about it, our freedoms are being threatened. Our greatest threat comes not from without but from within. Read More»

On the same day the Supreme Court released their ill-advised opinion about Obamacare, another bad decision was released.

That decision was to find the Stolen Valor law unconstitutional due to First Amendment rights of free speech. Unbelievable!

We all know there are exceptions to the free speech part of the First Amendment. You can’t yell fire in a movie house is the classic example; but the Court finds that it is alright to claim the Medal of Honor when you haven’t served in the military. Unbelievable! Read More»

The ruling the Supreme Court handed down on ObamaCare is disappointing to the majority of Americans. The unprecedented ruling limits congressional authority by limiting the commerce clause, but on the flip side expands congressional ability to tax anything they want. As you know Congress rarely misses an opportunity to raise taxes, despite what they might say. In effect anything that they cannot enforce constitutionally can now be enforced with a tax. It seems like the Constitution is becoming less relevant every day. This is not a good outcome. Read More»

Running for office is an all-consuming job. That was put into perspective for me recently when my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. For me, family trumps everything; and reprioritizing my schedule to spend time with him during his last six weeks was a blessing I could not miss at any cost.

My dad lost his battle [June 16] and has gone on to be with my mom in heaven. I would like to take a brief break from politics and share some life lessons that I learned from my dad. Read More»

For months I have stressed the importance of debates between political candidates. History is replete with examples of the public’s will hinging on debates. I suggested and challenged Mr. Westmoreland to debate 13 times, once in each of the 13 counties in the Third Congressional District.

I am happy to report that Mr. Westmoreland has accepted three debate appearances as of today, June 15. That is a good start, but it isn’t nearly enough with the July 31st election just over six weeks away. Read More»