A New Day Has Come

Good afternoon:

With the close of the 2010 Midterm Elections less than 24 hours ago, I wanted to thank all of you who supported me and who voted for me. Having thousands of people vote for you, placing their belief and trust in you is very humbling. No matter who you may have voted for, I appreciate the time and the effort it took, to educate yourselves about the candidates and where they stood. As long as we hold on to the right to vote freely and independently, we are a free republic.

It was very encouraging to meet with you and shake our hand and talk with you face to face or over the phone. People are passionate about their freedoms, especially their life, liberty and property, and want to keep the government out of the way of growth. (Yes, you may hear more from me in the future.) Until then, you'll be in my thoughts and prayers. As each election cycle ends, we are given the blessing of hope. In this case - hope for our future, hope for our children, and hope for our Country.

Thank you, and may God Bless Maryland and the United States of America.

The Final Countdown

It's been a great campaign season, and we've met a lot of like-minded voters. I've spoken with a lot of people who love and care about this Country.

There really hasn't been anyone I've met who didn't think that the two major political parties in this County had shortcomings.

There was a forum in Carroll County a week and a half ago, along with a debate this past Wednesday at Frederick Community College.

You can definitely tell that the campaign has gone on quite long, when you have your opponents' opening statements just about memorized.

But just because Election Day is coming up soon doesn't mean that the work is done. Even if the socialist-type takeover of this Country slows down after a return to a Republican-controlled House of Representatives - this does not mean that the out-of- control spending will stop. We must keep a vigilant watch on the House, the Senate, the White House and the newly-constituted Supreme Court.

I will be in Hagerstown this coming Tuesday at a sign-wave with fellow Constitution Party Candidates. In the meanwhile, I hope to see you at the polls. I will be voting at Monocacy Middle School on November 2nd.

Natasha Pettigrew - Green Party candidate - US Senate (Maryland)

All of my thoughts, prayers and condolences go to US Senate Candidate Natasha Pettigrew’s family and friends during this time of tragedy. This is very sad news.

Ms. Pettigrew was struck and killed by an SUV yesterday. http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/news/state/article_f82158e8-c59e-11df-958a-001cc4c03286.html

I met Ms. Pettigrew and spoke with her at the Carroll Candidate Primary Forum held last month. She was a warm and well-spoken young woman, and I enjoyed meeting her. She will truly be missed.

Happy Constitution Day (Sept. 17, 1787)

And so the Country turns to the final chapter of the election season. Under fifty days are left until the General Election.

I congratulate Rep. Bartlett and Mr. Duck for their victories earlier this week in the primaries, and I look forward to facing them in the November election. I am disappointed, but not surprised that the "old guard" establishment were caught off guard and even reacted with initial hostility as they expected that the Movement going in in America was simply Anti-Democratic.

My hope is that politicians, especially those in Washington, realize that the voters in this Nation are sick of established career politicians - Republican or Democrat.

But - in the spirit and celebration of Constitution Day: here is the a portion of our Founding document, with perhaps one of the most relevant parts of the entire document, Article I Section 8 (I still can't find the part about Congress getting involved in healthcare):

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."

Thanks for your time,
Mike

THE "DECISION"

In addition to the promise that I made to Maryland voters during my candidacy announcement to serve no more than three two-year terms (should the voters wish me to serve that long) – I have made another Decision.

No, there is no ESPN™-like televised announcement a la' LeBron James. I will get right to the point:

I will not be accepting contributions, donations or any other funding from individuals, business corporations, labor unions, lobbying organizations, or political action committees (PACs).

AND

As your Congressman for the Sixth Congressional District of Maryland, I will not be accepting any funds from individuals, business corporations, labor unions, lobbying organizations, or political action committees (PACs).

Since day one, I have been incredibly flattered and humbled that people have contacted me and sent in donations (which I will be sending back). Others have called me and asked where to send contributions.

I will not be accepting any political donations or campaign contributions. I want the voters to save their money, because they will need it to survive the onslaught that our current and previous administrations have thrust upon us. Please use the money for college savings, investments, family vacations, or tithes and offerings.

I will finance this campaign on my own. I will not be subject to lobbyists and special interest groups direction. I will not be accepting PAC funds from defense and aerospace industries,* for example, or any other industry groups for that matter.

What I will accept, and will humbly request from those living in the Sixth Congressional District is your consideration and your vote which will enable me to serve you as your Congressman.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

I hope that you have had a great weekend, and I look forward to meeting you, if I have not done so already.

Institutional Arrogance

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it before. No one is above the law. And no one is more important than the people he or she serves.

When I was at a meeting for candidates at the Hagerstown Herald-Mail last month, I had realized something rather simple, but powerful. The editor had thanked everyone for coming and complimented us on our decision to run. As he emphasized the importance of those seeking political office, it really started to hit home. The office is what is important, not as much the person running for the office.

I would imagine there are those in Congress who somewhere along the way, have lost the appreciation for the importance of the office, and rather thought that they were more important than the office (and the people) they served.

It is arrogant for the government to think that it knows best. It is arrogant for the government to think that all of our problems may be solved by passing laws. It is arrogant for an elected official to think that only he or she could serve his or her constituents.

If you think about it – in your State or Congressional District, do you believe that there is only one person who would be able to serve? Obviously the person in office would want you to think that. The political party “in power” would want you to think that only it represents you. That is a load of “horse pucky”, as my Dad sometimes says.

Last week, just out of curiosity, I tried a Google search for the “number of laws passed in the United States.” I could not get an answer from the first two pages of search results. My guess is, that short of the Library of Congress, or someone who works directly with the Congressional Record, that no one really has an idea how many laws there are on the books.

One item I did find, on WikiAnswers, was a gentleman who stated (I’m paraphrasing), that “Congress hasn’t been as active this year because it hasn’t passed as many laws.”

Is that what we’ve come to – the number of laws equal activity and productivity? You have got to be kidding me. What if we could revise or repeal a law that is already on the books?

As Congressman Reed, serving the Sixth Congressional District of Maryland in the United States House of Representatives, repealing the healthcare legislation would be one of my first priorities.

As a sidenote, and I am sorry to say that this is not a joke, I am seriously considering playing a DVD of Schoolhouse Rock’s “I’m Just a Bill” in the House Chamber. I will allow no “deeming and passing” in the Congress that I serve.

A Warning to Republicans About the Tea Party Movement

A Warning to the Republican Party about the Tea Party Movement

Based on the Tea Party movement’s successes in driving Republicans, conservatives and otherwise) into trying to court their voters and win their approval, it would be easy to assume that the GOP will make huge gains this coming November riding the coattails of this extraordinary group of individuals.

However, the Republicans should not make the fatal assumption that the Tea Party Movement will file lock step into their polling places voting Republican across the board.

The Tea Party is about liberty.

The Tea Party is about adherence to the Constitution.

The Tea Party is about promoting conservatism, not socialism or extremism.

The Tea Party is not an extension of the Republican Party.

The Tea Party is not funded by the GOP or the Republican National Committee.

The Tea Party is not run and operated by the Republican Party.

I have read Tea Party members’ blogs, and posts and tweets and comments, and I find them highly educated and well-versed in how our Federal government has been run from one extreme to the other. They have witnessed the unconstitutional takeover of the healthcare industry, the automobile industry, the financial industry by the Democratic administration. Alternatively, they have also witnessed the astonishing encroachment on personal liberty by the previous Republican administration in passing the Patriot Act. The Tea Party Movement, it is safe to say, is more likely well-versed in the provisions of the U.S. Constitution, Declaration of Independence and Federalist Papers, than many members of Congress.

There is an anti-incumbency wave sweeping throughout the United States, not merely an anti-Democratic Party wave. The GOP should be wise to acknowledge this, or their anticipated victories in 2010 might be very short-lived.

The members of the Tea Party Movement are watchdogs of liberty, not lap dogs to the GOP.