Sam Brownback

I will be running a piece on every single candidate running this election. I want to state the pro's and cons of each one as well as their Wiki profile. I'm biased and will not attempt to hide that I dislike things about certain candidates and like them about others. Its a free country and you are free to be wrong about your opinion regarding my opinions! LOL

Sam Brownback, born September 12, 1956, in Kansas, senior Senator from that state. In April 2005, the Associated Press reported that Brownback, who is little known outside his home state, "is using a network of social conservatives and Christian activists to raise his profile" in such battleground states as Iowa and New Hampshire. He is well known for his social and fiscal conservative record, such as opposing abortion and instituting a flat tax alternative to the current IRS Code. He was also instrumental in Congress' bestowing the Congressional Medal upon Mother Teresa. In his own words, "The core of my being is to rebuild the family and renew the culture." On December 4, 2006, Brownback announced that he would form an exploratory committee.^[21] On January 20, 2007 Brownback officially announced his candidacy.^[22] Of his campaign, Brownback has said, "I'm a son of a farmer from Kansas ... I still think anybody can be president. I don't think you have to show up with $100 million to do it. ... I'm the tortoise in the race. And I don't like how the race starts; I like how it ends up."

The Good

Mr. Brownback is against taxes. He has signed the Americans for tax reform pledge to oppose all tax increases. As part of middle America, I like that. Its not feasible, but I like it. You can be rest assured that he will not allow mindless spending of your tax money on new government programs.

As a Republican, its good to see him standing for energy reform in our country. He recognizes our reliance on foreign oil and understands that will only get worse. For that reason, he wants to increase research and production of non-oil products to work towards energy interdependence. It may be all talk, but hey, most politicians excel in blowing out hot air, so you get what you get.

The Bad

Sam Brownback is for a pointless and un-winnable war in Iraq. He will continue the same old schtick for years to come, ensuring the ten year mark gets reached. He is politics as usual and walks the party line on Iraq very well. He will follow it because he and Bush think very much alike.

Brownback is for human rights, so he says, but he is for torture in some cases. Since when did it become a republican, or christian value to torture someone? It doesn't work and we know that. As well, we have signed an agreement not to torture people and we have intervene militarily to stop people from torturing others in their own countries. This is completely hypocritical of someone of Mr. Brownbacks stature and beliefs to accept torture in any form.

Brown back has consistently support laws that give the government power to restrict free speech that he deems inappropriate. He says he is protecting our kids, but what is really happening is the government determining what is good and what is bad for our kids. He talks about parents rights, but then passes laws that assume the parents will make the wrong decision. Republicans used to be for small government, its shameful to call yourself a republican then fight for laws that give the government more power. Hello, this is a free country, you don't have the right to decide what is okay for my children to watch on tv Mr. Brownback.

The Ugly

Sam Brownback is one that I would call a religious extremist in politics. He doesn't believe in evolution despite the evidence. He doesn't believe in global warming, despite the evidence. He would restrict the ACLU's ability to recieve money from religious lawsuits. In other words, he wants to tie the hands of those who protect our freedom to not have religion in our lives. What Mr. Brownback doesn't realize is that there have been many people that the ACLU has won cases for, defending their religious rights. The most recent was a case in which a girl won the right in court to wear her gold cross to school. Its sad that most christians do not do their research to see what the ACLU really does. You can't oppose something on the grounds that it does not allow your religion to do what ever it wants, including impose itself on others.

But that is the ugly part of the Sam Brownback campaign. He blatantly allows his faith to interfere with common sense. Its his belief in the bible that allows him to agree with Bush, since Bush says god told him to go to Iraq. He won't believe in evolution or global warming because of his religious convictions. He won't agree with anything that the ACLU does because of his beliefs. And he is for religious "liberties" as long as it is for people who believe like him. For all the others, he has laws to enforce his biblical view of morality. I am not a christian, but I have morals, and the right to decide whats best for me and my family. Its not the governments, or Mr. Brownbacks job to tell me how to raise my kids, what to watch on TV, or how I should view the world from a moral stand point. Our forefathers would role over in their grave if they knew there were a significant amount of people pushing for the government to step in and enforce religion. What he wants is a state enforced religion, as long as its his religion.

http://www.brownback.com/s/Issues/tabid/60/Default.aspx