Gary Trauner and the Preamble to the Constitution

Tomorrow is the big day. It is my sincerest belief that we need a U.S. House Representative that will represent everyone in Wyoming. As my final plug for Gary Trauner before the election, I offer this piece from Gary, regarding the Preamble to the Constitution.

Preamble to the Constitution

When I made the decision to run for Wyoming's lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, I went back to the document that set the foundation for our new country, the Constitution of the United States of America.

The founders of this great country clearly believed in the role, and the ability, of the federal government in ensuring the success of the new democratic experiment they were embarking upon. They also clearly believed that the federal government should have specific responsibilities. In fact, the founders laid out their views directly in the very first words of the Constitution, the Preamble. It states: We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I'd like to provide you with my thoughts on how the specific ideas set forth in the Preamble apply to Americans as we enter the 21st century.

We the People of the United States, in Order to:
* Form a more perfect Union
o Encourage voting and participation in the political process for all citizens, not just those of a certain party or race
o Remove discrimination against any identifiable group through legislation and, if need be, court enforcement
o Encourage tolerance of diversity and acceptance of differing views and lifestyles
o Ensure that all citizens have the ability to believe and worship in their own way, without forcing anyone to believe or worship in any specific way
* Establish Justice
o Ensure that we are a country that is respectful of the rule of law by setting up a system of public justice through courts and judges
o Fight corruption through reasonable regulatory oversight of our citizens and business enterprises, utilizing appropriate enforcement tools when necessary
* Insure domestic Tranquility and provide for the common defence
o Maintain a well-equipped, well-trained military that is superior in all aspects to the rest of the world
o Work with other countries
o Ensure that the National Guard is well-equipped and well trained and used primarily for domestic purposes, such as natural disasters and keeping the peace
o Protect and make secure our homeland
o Only go to war when it is absolutely necessary and as a last resort
o Ensure that all people are treated equally, regardless of race, creed, religion or lifestyle preference
* Promote the general Welfare, and
o Make policy based not solely on the narrow focus of corporate interests, but for the broader well-being of the people and our families
o Provide basic, quality health care for all citizens, irregardless of employment, age or economic status
o Provide quality educational opportunity for all children
o Ensure a level playing field for competitive enterprises through reasonable regulatory oversight and compliance
* Secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity
o Ensure individual freedoms and freedom from government intrusion in our private lives
o Act in a fiscally responsible manner, properly funding government so as not to unduly burden our children and future generations
o Preserve our natural heritage and outdoor recreational opportunities for all Americans and future generations
o Pursue an energy policy that is sustainable for future generations, works for our national security and is balanced with preserving our natural heritage
do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

I encourage you to join me in voting for Gary Trauner as our Wyoming choice for the U.S. House of Representatives.

Gary Trauner, a non-partisan choice for Wyoming

There is a good article appearing today in the Jackson Hole Star Tribune covering Gary Trauner on the campaign trail. Here's an excerpt:

Trauner said he connects with members of the GOP by helping them understand that he's fed up with partisan politics in Washington. He also acknowledges up front
that they may not agree on every issue."When they hear that I think the biggest
problem in Washington, D.C., is blind loyalty to party on both sides, that
loosens people up pretty fast," Trauner said.He also likes to tell people that
he's a "regular guy," not a career politician, and didn't even consider running
for Congress until a few years ago."I am just a regular guy with kids who got
fed up and decided to run for Congress," Trauner said to just about everybody he
met in Cheyenne.

If you watched the debate from Monday, you'll have noticed that Gary is on point regarding his non-partisan approach. He tackled Cynthia Lummis' question to him about voting for Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House by saying, and I'm paraphrasing here, if there was a better choice presented to him, he'd surely choose him or her. Gary Trauner is the candidate who is going to speak his mind. Cynthia Lummis keeps repeating that she is for "Wyoming Values", which I feel she thinks is equivocal to "Republican Values". They are not one in the same, I assure you. We have had years of voting along party lines. It's time to put in a Wyoming Congressman that thinks for himself. Gary Trauner is that candidate.

Full article: http://www.jacksonholestartrib.com/articles/2008/10/28/news/wyoming/e932de5d36bb3051872574f100061be0.txt

Why is Cynthia Lummis Running for Congress?

From the homepage of Cynthia Lummis' Website, I have taken the liberty to play the role of Gary Trauner in composing a rebuttal to Cynthia's interest in running for congress (my responses are in red):

Cynthia's Top 6 Reasons for Running for Congress
1. Because I love Wyoming; our state and its people represent a uniquely wonderful corner of the world. I completely agree, me too.

2. Because I am an idealist and an optimist; I think that public service can make a difference. Hey, so am I! I have great ideas about health care, green energy and especially taking care of our vets and soldiers. After all, haven't our military men and women provided the greatest service to our country? I 'm optimistic that I can help turn this country back around after having been under the Bush regime for eight years.

3. Because this is a challenging time, both here and abroad. Challenges, to me, are a call to service. Things have only become worse from the time I ran for congress in 2006. While Republican Barbara Cubin accumulated the worst voting record in congress, the last two years have brought us even more challenges. Challenges like the national debt, the further occupation in Iraq, the meager attempts to diminish our dependency on foreign oil. Gosh, where have those challenges come from? Oh, yeah. From the Republicans. Yeah, I am up for challenges, too.

4. Because the Federal government has always had, and continues to have, a big influence on the shape of Wyoming's future; Wyoming's voice in Congress needs to be strong and authentic. I'm pretty sure I act strong and authentic. For instance, I would never have a member of my election team call in to a question and answer session and pretend they are someone else to try and trip up my opponent. I would feel bad about doing something like that.

5. Because how we address the matters of energy, the environment, national security and the economy today, directly affects our children's future. Yeah, the Republicans have always been about the environment, haven't they. Alaskan wilderness. Spotted Owls. Global Warming. Nature freaks, that's what they are. Spending billions in Iraq, all the while creating more disdain for the United States globally, I agree are definitely affecting our children's future. In a bad way.

6 .Because I listen, and will continue to listen, to Wyoming people in order to most effectively represent their interests in Washington. I'm going to listen to all the people in Wyoming, including Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. Because I'm not about serving the party line. I'm about making a difference, and leaving this world a better place for the next generation.

With apologies to Mr. Trauner; who I'm sure would say these things more eloquently than me.

Gary Trauner on Health Care

Please take a look at Gary Trauner's stance on health care:

• Nearly 1 in every 5 of our fellow Wyomingites is without health care coverage
• The US system is the most expensive in the world
• Our system is inefficient - nearly double most other developed countries, per person
• The US is the only country that relies primarily on employer based plans for health care coverage

Gary's response to "What can we do?" is:

• Reduce the health care coverage burden on our businesses, especially small businesses
• Strive to cover every American with basic, quality coverage
• Take medical decisions away from insurance companies, medical product manufacturers and accountants and give those decisions back to patients and doctors
• Stop the fear talk about universal health care and start the hopeful work of solving this huge national problem

I think Gary Trauner hits the nail squarely on the head. This is the kind of leadership that Wyoming needs. We have a lot of issues to solve in the USA, the hottest topics being the War in Iraq, Energy and the Economy. But let's not forget about healthcare; it should be a priority too. Don't be so resigned to accept our current system as unfixable. Give this man a chance and vote for him on November 4th.

Gary Trauner 3rd Ad 2008