Friday, April 9, 2010

I Like Mike (Lee)

Here's the latest missive from Mike Lee, addressed to all the state delegates for the upcoming Utah State Republican Nominating Convention. 

You'll discern quickly why I support him -- he thinks and writes about exactly what's on the minds of all Americans as we approach this critical juncture in America's future.  (And oh, by the way, his message is filled with hope and is forward-leaning into the wind of opposing forces).

I predict Mike Lee will be the party's nominee this fall.  I encourage you to learn more about him by clicking on the links cited below:

Dear David,

We live in troubling times, with troubling problems and troubling trends, and yet because of our Constitution, we are not a nation in trouble. A biblical verse offers sound advice for each of us as we lean into the stiff wind of the prevailing economic, social and political challenges: “Cast not away therefore your confidence” (Hebrews 10:35).

If there were one message I could deliver to every Utahn (and indeed every American), it would be to live with confidence. No one need live in fear. And while the pundits of doom and gloom will have us believe that all is lost — that the economy is broken beyond repair and that people are powerless to change the status quo — they are wrong; unless, of course, we let the President, Congress and government bureaucrats run every aspect of our lives. Listening to the constant banter of negativity and conflict could leave even the most positive and confident among us wondering whether it is still worth getting out of bed every morning.

There are far too many in this country who have lost confidence in themselves, in the inherent goodness of the people and communities around them, in the free enterprise system, and in the greatness of America. While there are difficult days and trying times ahead, we cannot cast away our confidence.

To me, confidence is never arrogance. True confidence comes from having respect for the challenge, being ready for the task, having a solid plan to execute, and the patience to persevere. The type of confidence that is necessary to reform Congress also requires a keen understanding of, commitment to, and ability to apply the text and original understanding of the Constitution.

My confidence, and that of hundreds of campaign volunteers, isn’t based solely in the fact that we are working around the clock, criss-crossing the state, and calling delegates one-on-one every day. We have respect for the challenge, we are ready for the task, we have a plan to execute, we will persevere through anything, and we have the Constitution on our side. Combine all of this with our confidence in the people of Utah, and it adds up to unstoppable confidence.

I recently received an added dose of this kind of confidence while speaking at a campaign event in Lindon. Toward the end of the meeting (and after I had fielded questions from many of the nearly 100 delegates in attendance), we announced that we would have time for only two more questions. Shortly thereafter, my wife, Sharon, pointed out that a 12-year old girl — who had sat patiently raising her hand for about an hour, but had somehow gone unnoticed — should be permitted to ask the final question. Her inquiry was the best one of the night: “What will happen to our country if we don’t follow the Constitution?” The deep insight underlying that question reinforced my confidence in this cause, in the Constitution, and in our country.

As your future U.S. Senator, I am confident we can reject deficit spending and reverse the direction of our national debt. I am confident we can reform the tax system while reducing the size, cost and reach of government. I am confident we can re-energize the economy and repeal the horrible heath care bill. I am confident we can make hard decisions to ensure the confidence and future of our children and grandchildren. I am confident we can do what so desperately needs to be done.

We live at a time in our nation’s history that should inspire confidence — one in which all Americans should move forward in the direction of their goals and dreams. I have great confidence in the American people. As a country and as individuals we need not cower, but must stand as a confident example of all that is good and all that is right in America.

This is the source of my confidence — the type of confidence Ronald Reagan possessed as he declared that it is always “morning in America.” So I invite all Americans to “Cast not away your confidence.” Instead, I invite you to add your confidence, your voice and your vote to this cause. Working together we can, we must, and we will restore the constitutional debate to Congress and reclaim our future.

(signed) Mike Lee

P.S. We've got a full week of events coming up; be sure to connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube to keep up with the latest updates from our campaign!

2 comments:

  1. that message had absolutely no substance to it. Lee doesn't address issues. Remember the last candidate who spoke of optimism and hope and change. Everything this guy does is fluff. His is not a campaign of confidence he is truly arrogant and lacks substance.

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  2. It's always easier to throw hand grenades when you're hiding behind the bushes of anonymity isn't it? It's nice to know I've finally raised the ire of Bob Bennett's staffers on this page, whose jobs are now threatened by his pending defeat.

    The re-establishment of Constitutional prinicples in government IS the issue in this campaign cycle. Senator Bennett, while a wonderful Christian human being for whom I have great respect on a personal level, in my humble opinion has strayed from his Constitutional moorings, been swept up in the Washington establishment and sold his votes for a mess of pottage when you examine who his major campaign donors are. By the way, they happen to be the who's who list of financial institutions he bailed out under the TARP legislation he advocated.

    If ever there were arrogance in evidence it would have to be Senator Bennett's stupifying belief that he stands any chance for re-election based upon his reliable compromising voting record on the issues. He always defaults to the status quo, maintaining the corrupt Washington way of doing things, coupled with his arrogance that he is somehow entitled to a perpetual seat in the U.S. Senate.

    For example, his proposed supposedly "bi-partisan alternative" Obamacare package was little more than a watered down version of what we got.

    This time around, let's send a "Mr. Smith" to Washington who will take an unyielding principled position on issues and speak up in favor of the Constitution. Anybody can become "the great compromiser" in Washington to "get things done" and that's exactly what we have in Bob Bennett -- a reliable compromiser. His comment, "You just don't understand how things work in Washington" tells you all you need to know about Mr. Bennett. What Bob fails to realize is that precisely because he DOES know how things work in Washington is the reason he is vulnerable. I know it, you know it and the voters in increasing numbers know it. That's why Mike Lee's candidacy has legs, substance and gravitas.

    If there were no other issues in play (and there are many), the central issue for me is Bob Bennett's age. He's going to be 77 years old on election day (assuming he makes it that far, which I doubt he will). My father, who was once Bob's stake president, is now 88 years old, and his comment to me when Bob announced he was running again was, "He's just too old -- I can't vote for him one more time. He just needs to retire and get out of the way for younger folks." So true.

    But I digress. Thanks, "Anonymous," for your comments. Don't worry, you'll be able to find work elsewhere after the nominating convention. You'll have seven or eight months between now and the end of Senator Bennett's lame duck term expires, and we offer great out-placement resources at the LDS Employment Resource Centers. All you have to do is introduce yourself to me on a Monday morning at our networking meeting at the LDS Business College and we'll be certain you receive the help you need.

    In the meantime, I just couldn't respectfully disagree with you more strenuously.

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