Our country is facing serious challenges on many fronts. Our national debt has surpassed 100% of GDP, and our deficit in February set another record - $229 billion of new debt in one month. Despite stealing this money from our future, the unemployment rate remains persistently high at 8.3%.
In addition to losing our financial freedom, we also continue to see our individual liberties erode. Amazingly, our current administration now claims that it has the right to kill American citizens without any trial. While I suspect Anwar al-Awlaki was guilty of treason, he still deserved a trial, as the Constitution prescribes:
No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.
These are serious times, and our country needs statesmen who are willing to address these and other issues. Unlike my primary opponent, I have offered to participate in debates all over Virginia’s 11th congressional district so that the public can choose which candidate to support based on where our positions and beliefs differ.
Without these discussions, we are left with piecemeal quotes. Last week, while campaigning outside an election location in Oak Marr, the asked me to distinguish myself from my opponent. My response focused only on issues for which I had direct quotes from my opponent to substantiate my statements.
Rather than joining the discussion, my opponent’s campaign directly challenged my character by accusing me of peddling “blatant lies” and launching “the first negative attacks.” Nothing could be further from the truth, but a challenge to my character requires an official, fact-based response. To that end, I offer the exact quotes from which my statements were derived.
My Position My Characterization of Opponent Opponent's Quote Pro-life Pro-choice "I believe this decision should ultimately be left up to the woman, her family, and her doctor." Support the Second Amendment: "the right of the people ... shall not be infringed" is a statement that is all-encompassing; it applies to federal, state and local governments. Local jurisdictions should be able to violate the second Amendment "the individual states are well suited to determine their own policies regarding firearms, and that the federal government should allow them to do so." The payroll tax cut, which added $100 billion to the debt, was an immoral act The payroll tax cut was a small victory "We may have won a small battle with this tax cut, but we're a long way from winning the war." [2]; Lorton Patch, Jan. 12.
[2] "What 'Holiday'?"; Chris Perkins for Congress, Feb. 24.
Rather than resorting to unfounded personal attacks, I am interested in keeping the focus on the issues. I launched this campaign because I believe America is facing a serious crisis. We will only be able to avert this crisis by finding statesmen who are willing to move beyond the political bickering and are willing to work towards practical solutions for our country. I look forward to your support.
-Ken Vaughn
Ken Vaughn is a candidate for the Republican nomination for Virginia’s 11th Congressional District.
Sorry, I will take even the current economic and job growth over yet another Republican induced economic crisis any day of the week!!
Anything less is just lip service. Connolly is just one of Pelosi’s Rubber Stamps!
Tax cuts are good. Matter of fact, I think that a cut in anything except for defense is good and the only reason for defense spending is that that is the primary role of the federal government. There are even handful of entire agencies that we can cut instead of raising taxes. So it's not like Vaughn doesn't have any other options but to raise taxes.
Money from the payroll tax is used to pay social security benefits. Not collecting those taxes doesn't mean the benefits are magically paid out of thin air. Not collecting the taxes DOES mean we're increasing our long-term debts. We need Republicans in Congress who understand that current policies are mortgaging our future for the sake of politically-friendly gimmicks. It needs to stop. Ken Vaughn GETS IT, and that's why he deserves support. The point he's making isn't simple, and it isn't pretty, but it's *necessary*.
Vaughn is out of touch with the real issues and real solutions ailing this nation.
I was wondering why there is so much hateful talk, distortions and even outright lies being hurled by Republicans these days. But several of us at a dinner party the other night figured it out. That's all the GOP has left right now, because they've been totally discredited on every other major front recently. They claimed to be the economically responsible party, and then Bush and his administration left the U.S. losing 750,000 jobs PER MONTH, and left us a collapsing banking industry that we were left to "bail out"... signed into law by Bush! They claimed to have "family values" but many have been caught in sex scandal after sex scandal. Quite a few prominent GOPers have three or more ex-wives, but still boast of their "values"! What a crock. Then there's the claims of some sort of religious superiority. But at the same time, Republicans have been exchanging racist emails, questioning whether Obama is a citizen. The President got on the ballot in all 50 states... so... did they all mis-read his records? No. That's preposterous. (Oh, and there is the phony "intelligence" they used to lead us into a second war.)