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October 20, 2008

Protecting Our Gun Rights

One of the most sacred duties of government is to protect our individual rights as guaranteed by the Constitution, including our Second Amendment. These rights are fundamental to our way of life as Americans. As I travel around the fifth district, people tell me that they want all of our rights to be protected—without politicians picking which Amendments deserve to be taken seriously.

October 13, 2008

We Need Workforce Development and Education

Getting our economy back on track won't be quick or easy. There's tough work ahead. Virginians are ready to do that work because they know we can't afford any more short-cut solutions in our politics. This time, we need to do what's right, not what's simple. I wrote last week about ways to deal with this economic meltdown in our financial institutions – ways to hold those accountable who got us into this mess. But while it is important to address the situation on Wall Street, it is essential that we remain focused on bringing jobs and economic revival back to Main Street in Southside and Central Virginia. Over the next few weeks, I will be discussing several aspects of my seven point economic REVIVAL plan to bring jobs and economic growth back the Fifth District. I want to start this week with workforce development and education. To compete in the global economy, America must have the best trained and most qualified workforce in the world.

October 6, 2008

The Proof is in the Bailout

What we have witnessed in this current economic crisis and the passage of a $700 billion bailout was the ultimate proof that Washington is broken. Both parties have looked the other way for ten years as these lending institutions put our retirements security on top of a house of cards, because they are both bought and paid for by the same special interests: the lobbyists who clamored for deregulation and then pleaded to be bailed out by the American taxpayer. What we saw in Washington was politics, not leadership.

September 29, 2008

Saying NO to Special Interests

Washington is broken. Why? One of the biggest reasons, in my opinion, is the incredible influence of special interests over our politicians. When our government is controlled by the powerful, the people lose out. I've worked in a lot of countries around the world and anywhere else, they would call our campaign financing system what it is: corruption. When private interests give money to public officials for personal and private gain, that is corruption. I have seen the faces of corruption in West Africa and Afghanistan, and also in our politicians in Washington—from both parties. The sad truth of our political system is that corporations can now get a better return on their investment by lobbying Congress than by putting those dollars into research and development. That's when middle class families pay the price for Washingon's corruption.

September 22, 2008

The Predatory Foxes Guard the Henhouse

Last week, Wall Street underwent a shock to the system that quickly rippled down to Main Street. And now Main Street is being asked to bail out Wall Street. Experts are calling it the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Let there be no mistake: this crisis is the direct result of politicians in Washington letting the foxes guard the henhouse. And now they want to solve the problem by throwing more chickens – our chickens! – at the most predatory foxes.

September 15, 2008

Real Solutions in Iraq

Last week, I wrote about my four-point plan for Afghanistan, where I worked in 2005 and 2007 to develop recommended strategies for defeating the resurgent Taliban. This week, I turn to Iraq where thousands of our troops put their lives on the line while politicians back in Washington offer no strategy for victory.

September 8, 2008

Getting National Security Right

I'm sure many of you agree with me that the best way we can honor those who lost their lives on 9/11 is with a national security policy that will actually make America and our allies safer—from terrorism and from the threat of dangerous countries, whether Iran or Russia. Unfortunately, what we've seen from current leaders in Washington is a dangerously short-sighted foreign policy, that's long on tough talk but short on planning, strategy, and results. As a national security analyst who has worked across the world to stop terrorism and warlords, I find this particularly troubling. Correcting these problems and getting our national security policy right is why I'm running for Congress.

September 1, 2008

Real Energy Solutions

Virginia's middle class families are getting squeezed by the rising cost of healthcare, the mortgage crisis, and higher food prices. But nowhere are people feeling more pinched than at the pump. Whether it's the laid-off worker in Martinsville who can no longer afford to commute 30-40 miles every day to seek work, or the small business owner in Appomattox who has to cut back on employee benefits because of crushing energy prices, the fifth district is hurting because both parties in Washington have dropped the ball.

August 25, 2008

Healthcare isn't just a public policy issue; it's a moral issue.

We often hear the tragic number of 47 million Americans without healthcare. But did you know that 9 million of those uninsured are children? That includes 157,000 children right here in Virginia. Think about it: 157,000 kids of Virginia's working families who do not get the proper vaccinations and preventative care all because the system is broken. Healthcare isn't just a public policy issue; it's a moral issue.

September 18, 2008

We Need Economic Revival

At the heart of a thriving Virginia is a thriving economy. But sadly, we all know too well that our economy is in trouble. More than 15,000 jobs have been lost in Southside over the past 12 years. While there are signs of hope here and there and great work being done on the local level, there's no silver bullet on the horizon. We need to do the tough work to make our economy competitive again. Last month, I launched an economic R.E.V.I.V.A.L. tour throughout all 22 counties and municipalities of the fifth district. I road-tested my seven-point plan and listened to folks' struggles and their ideas. Learning from that experience, here's what I think we need to do to turn our economy around.