Regular Guy Paul Endorses A Regular Guy For Congress

Melissa Bean. She voted for TARP. She voted for Obama's stimulus. She voted for Cap & Trade. She opposed the Stupak amendment, and then voted for the healthcare bill. She ran as a social moderate and a fiscal conservative, and voted like a down-the-line liberal. It's time for voters in northern Illinois to bring her home, and to make it up to the rest of the country by sending to Washington a Congressman who understands what makes America strong, and what makes Illinois unique.

I have someone in mind.

In the past few months, during my own campaigning for state representative, I've had the pleasure to meet a man who wants to be my Congressman, and in a field of six Republican primary contenders, I think he stands out.

His name is Joe Walsh.

No, no, not that Joe Walsh, this Joe Walsh.

Joe is a practicing Catholic, a son of a large family, and the father of a large family. He's pro-life without exception. He's a genuinely good guy. He's comfortable talking about his faith, and the importance of morality in politics. But that's just the beginning.

When Joe Walsh, asked why he is running for Congress, says, "because I feel like I'm losing my country," it strikes a chord with me. When asked what he will do as a Congressman when faced with a Democratic majority that wants to shove healthcare "reform" down our throats, he promises that the first thing he will do is "scream."

You may disagree, but I think America needs a few more Republican Congressman who refuse to sit by while the Democrats dismantle our government and our society.

I'll let Joe tell you himself:

My name is Joe Walsh, I’m a Barrington native, I’ve run for Congress before and I intend to beat Melissa Bean next year. Now, pardon me if I skip past any other background and small talk you typically get at the beginning of these things, but I really want to cut right to the chase. This is a very different time we’re living in right now, something profound is going on out there, we’ve seen strong hints of it at the town halls and Tea Party gatherings, and 2010 is going to be a very different election year. If Republicans want to do well next year we had better understand this.

The American people are angry. For a year now, they’ve seen all this spending coming out of Washington, they’ve seen the government gobble up one industry after another, bail out one company after another, pass one huge spending bill after another, and now they’re watching Congress try and rush through a big government health care bill that nobody -- nobody -- understands.

Voters are watching all this, they’re scratching their heads and saying "you know, this just doesn’t feel right", growing numbers of them are getting angry and doing something about it. They are organizing, they’re marching, they’re speaking out at town halls and, I’ll tell you what my Republican friends, it’s not just some fringe movement as the media likes to portray it, it’s a majority of voters and they are going to be voting next year. And they are going to be voting for candidates who understand this anger and can tap into it and help give voice to it.

And we Republicans will make a huge mistake if we don’t nominate candidates who get this. We will make a huge mistake if we don’t nominate candidates who run for office using this anger, and fear, and concern as badges of honor.

... I’ve always thought of myself as a pretty likable guy, but, having run for office before and sometimes, like all politicians, just saying things people want to hear, I’m not going to do that this time around. I’m not going to talk like a politician. This is too important. I’m going to call it like it is and challenge all of us who are angry and afraid to do something about it. Our campaign may be a bit too loud at times and we might not smile as much as some would like. But look, after what President Obama, Pelosi and Reid have done and are going to still try to do, I don’t care if we rub some noses wrong to try and stop it.

I am running because I’ve had enough! Like all of you, I am ticked off with how much money our government is spending and how quickly government is growing and we have to stop it. If Republicans can’t stand loud and clear at a minimum for “keeping our taxes low and our government small” than we don’t deserve to win.

I want to go to Washington for no more than six years and be a loud voice against this growth of government. Our party next year needs to elect a number of men and women who will do the same. That’s the first step toward turning this around. [Emphasis added.]

In many of his appearances, I've heard Joe admit that Republicans have been as much to blame for rising deficits and the growth of government as Democrats. Joe wants to be a different kind of Congressman. He wants to be the kind of Congressman I've been waiting for.

I am delighted to extend to Joe Walsh the official Thoughts of a Regular Guy endorsement for the United States Congress in the Illinois 8th District.

And I'm saying this not because Joe has endorsed my candidacy, but because I'm so excited about his.

Learn more about Joe and his campaign here.