I am running because -

I ran for Congress in 2006 because our country was in serious trouble.   President Bush and the Republican Congress  served only the short term financial interests of their rich benefactors.  They displayed a complete disregard for the welfare and the very survival of our country.  Starting with a budget surplus in 2001, they produced massive deficits and drove the national debt to a staggering $9 trillion.  They passed  a series of  tax cuts for the rich and giveaways to rich corporations including oil and pharmaceutical interests.  They used the resulting deficit as an excuse to pass massive cuts in social programs.  A group of Republicans led by Tom Delay promoted plans to make our financial peril worse. They planned to replace the Personal and Corporate Income, Social Security, Medicare, Excise, and Estate taxes with a 23 % (actually 30% of the cost of the item) national sales tax called FairTax.  If passed, it will increase the deficit by $1 Trillion and further shift the tax burden from the rich to the poor and middle class.

They have destroyed the good will which we enjoyed in the world by creating an unnecessary war in Iraq and refusing to cooperate with world environmental programs.  At the same time they have weakened us financially, making us subservient to our enemies. 

They have spread the nation thin militarily with the war in Iraq.  We do not have the capability to respond to other crises and our enemies know it and are taking advantage of it.  Bush (and others such as Guillani and McCain) promotes ridiculous arguments such as: "It is better to fight them over there than to fight them here."  and "If we leave Iraq, they will follow us home."  Obviously, our being over there does not prevent or discourage their attacking us here.  Actually, it gives them more incentive for attacking us here and uses resources (military and financial) overseas which could be more effectively used to defend our borders and detect terrorist cells here. 

The Republicans have arrogantly displayed a pattern of corruption in office at both the state and federal levels.  They have undercut the foundations of our democracy by subverting elections, denying basic freedoms to citizens, and intimidating the press.

Somehow, Bush and other Republican politicians, right wing radio entertainers, and self-serving fake evangelists convinced nearly half of the voters of this country that it was their duty as Americans and as Christians to support the continuation of these immoral and dangerous policies.  They have packaged this under their phony "family values" label.  More about Right Wing "family values"...

My opponent, David Hobson, has been a consistent supporter of the Bush Administration.  He has supported Bush's Iraq war and its corrupt prosecution while refusing to support the men and women fighting that war.  He has voted for tax breaks for the rich while voting for cuts for all education and welfare programs.  He takes large contributions from special interests such as the oil and pharmaceutical industries and votes for laws which they write for their own benefit.  He takes his relatives and friends on boondoggles at the expense of tax payers and government contractors.  See Hobson's record.

I am a Christian.  I won't sell my soul for any amount of money.  I have unbending integrity and the courage to stand up for that which is right.  In my 20 year military career, I put my career on the line many times over issues of integrity and ethics.  

In the Air Force, I was thrust into many highly charged political situations and was able to get everyone to agree to and support an effective solution which was usually group developed.  All of my methods are open and honest.  You don't build long lasting agreements on duplicity, deception and the "old soft shoe".

We now have a Democratic majority in Congress.  As a result, we have hope of improvements.  These hopes are tempered by the threat of Bush vetoes and the lack of the 60 votes in the Senate to cut off filibusters.  They are also tempered by the fact that other Democrats only realize part of what needs to be done.  They recognize that the Bush tax cuts for the rich should not be made permanent.  However, they don't realize that the Bush tax breaks for the rich should be rescinded now along with the Reagan tax breaks for the rich.  They don't realize that we can replace the budget deficit with a surplus in a single year and help not hurt the economy.  They are on board for only a few of my forty or more solutions.  I am using friendships which I made during the 2006 campaign with Sherrod Brown and Marcy Kaptur to push all of my solutions, but it is an uphill battle.  They certainly need to do better than the meaningless "Pay as you go." slogan as an economic policy.  That I didn't win in 2006 has hurt our effort.  We have to win in 2008. 

I will work in the interest of all of our people in an open, honest, forthright manner with no hidden agendas.  In this web site, I describe my plans to solve critical national problems and improve the lives of our people.  We can eliminate the budget deficit and produce a surplus in a single year.  This will allow us to implement universal health care. We can fix Social Security and Medicare.  We can have a single simple drug program for seniors and for the general population.  We must honestly solve the energy and environment problems. We can improve education without the expenditure of more tax dollars.  We can end pork barrel expenditures.  Blinded by greed, the Republicans have been working for the short term benefit of their rich benefactors and have placed our country in peril.  We Democrats will work for the long term benefit of all of the people and by sound practices will produce long term justice and prosperity.

Read all of this website. I will dodge no significant issues.  In all cases, I solicit your ideas.  I'm not driven by any desire to impose my ideas.  We need the best plans that we can put together as a nation of people working in the best interest of all of our people.

If our recent past is any indication, Hobson and his surrogates will try to divert us from these important issues affecting our survival to gay marriage and abortion.  If the campaign for election in November 2008 is fought on the ground of the real issues (Economic policy, national security, campaign and lobby reform, environment, ethics, etc.) we will deserve to win and we will win.

In 2006, I was out spent $2,060,000 to $14,000 (147 to 1).  In 2008, I don't need to spend more than a small fraction of what he spends to beat him, but I need to spend more than $14,000.  I also need more help with the work of the campaign in all eight counties.  This is not my battle.  It is our battle because it is our country.  Please help as much as you can.  Volunteer and Contribute !

From the standpoint of my personal pleasure and comfort, I would be best served by finishing out my remaining  years enjoying my work, my hobbies, and serving my church.  But, I have five grandchildren under the age of five years.  They deserve a chance at the American dream.  This campaign is for them and for your children and your grandchildren.

Sincerely,

Bill