Why Run against Granger?

There are some out there that feel that Granger is fairly conservative so why would I want to run against her? It's a fair question that deserves an answer. Let's talk about it.

Simply put, I believe our nation got in the mess it is in due to the lack of leadership from many of our elected Republican representatives. For too long, and on too many issues, these representatives have tried to lead from the middle of the road, sacrificing core principles. In my opinion, they believed the lie that leaning toward centrist views would attract more people to the GOP. In contrast to this myth, conservatives across Texas and America have made their voices clear - they want strong, fiscally astute leaders who will not sacrifice their conservative principles. Therefore, as Republicans, we need to return to our foundation of conservatism and show true leadership in Washington.

I believe the main reason we lost control of Congress in 2006 and the Presidential campaign in 2008 was due to this lack of leadership and most of the people I talk with out on the trail agree with me. I firmly believe that if the Republican Party returns to its roots of true conservatism we won't have to worry about having the votes on Election Day. People will follow.

OK, so what does this have to do with Kay Granger? Frankly, I feel like Granger is emblematic of this overly centrist view in the GOP. During her 13 years in office she has not led based on conservative principles. She has gotten along. Flown below the radar. She has not offered any conservative solutions to the problems facing our nation on most of the big issues. During her tenure, the vast majority of which saw the Republican Party controlling Congress and the White House:

• The size of the federal government ballooned
• The Medicare crisis deepened with more entitlement spending
• Bankruptcy continued to loom over Social Security
• Granger has not addressed the ever growing problem of illegal immigration and immigration reform

Thirteen years is plenty of time to offer solutions and leadership on any of these critical issues. Why didn't we see proposals from Granger on ANY of these issues?

In contrast to Kay, I believe the American people want leaders who will take the initiative and not just react to Democratic proposals. We must responsibly but diligently reduce the size and scope of the federal government. We need to address the real issues facing our nation today -- like national defense, immigration, Social Security, and Medicare - with conservative solutions. I have viable solutions for these issues that are based on true conservative values. I stand ready to craft these solutions into legislation and to propose that legislation during my first term in office.

Furthermore, if Granger is a true conservative, why does she currently have a 7% rating on pork according to the Club for Growth's 2009 "Re-Pork Card"? In addition, her "so-called" conservative record includes:

• Requests for over $17,000,000 in earmarks on 2009 Omnibus spending bill
• Sees NO NEED to end earmarks
• Is the 13th most prolific earmark spender in the Republican Party and ranked 33rd
• Voted FOR federal funding of embryonic stem cell research
• Endorsed by or a member of several Pro-Choice organizations such as "The Wish List"
• Voted FOR 2008 Bailout Bill (H.R. 1434)

These are the not the traits of a conservative legislator. Clearly, Granger does not support the North Texas majority who believe limited government is the foundational principle from which we can begin to solve the daunting problems facing our nation. I believe it is time we get back to the core Republican beliefs to develop solutions for our nation. If you will send me to Washington to be your representative in Congress, I will uphold the principles and values of conservatives in North Texas and help return the Republican Party to its roots.