The following was written by me on behalf of a candidate for Congress who sadly failed in his bid to represent his party. 

The Founders viewed service in Congress much like service on a jury: Both were the duties of citizens. They entrusted both duties to the intelligence and common sense of ordinary people. Uncommon education and experience were never considered prerequisites for either members of Congress or members of juries.

Some jobs can be mastered in a few days. Some take weeks and months. Others take years. Congress and juries alike function well with whatever knowledge their members bring with them despite the gravity of the decisions with which both are entrusted. Jurors make life and death decisions as well as decisions affecting the freedom and property of individuals, much like members of Congress make for the nation at large.

The following was written by me on behalf of a candidate for Congress who sadly failed in his bid to represent his party. 

It seems to be common wisdom, a cliché actually, that all politicians lie. Do you believe it?

Some argue that politicians lie because it's expected of them. It's as though they believe that, to paraphrase Colonel Jessups, played by Jack Nickolson in the movie A Few Good Men, We the People can't handle the truth.

I hope that isn't true. As a career military officer, I was trained to tell the truth, to admit my mistakes, own up to them, take corrective action, and “continue the march”. Lies and cover-ups have a nasty way of biting you at the most inopportune times when you go in harm's way. It's way too late in my life to take up lying now.

The following is re-posted from the Online Townhall Meeting hosted by Greg Raths, conservative Republican candidate to represent California's 45th Congressional District.

America's success did not come at the hands of its government. It grew to become the most successful nation in the world in all of history because of its lack of government. Those who argue with this premise are arguing with history. Once you understand this, you will realize that America's success cannot be restored until government is restored to its proper and limited role. Let's begin by examining the premise. We'll save the discussion of government's proper role for another time.

Although the first Europeans who arrived in the new world came to plunder it, America was founded by those who came later, the entrepreneurs. Does that sound strange? It's true. For example, Virginia was founded by entrepreneurs, the Virginia Company. Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth were also founded by profit-seeking corporations. Pennsylvania and Maryland were founded by proprietors, again entrepreneurs. The only thing restricting their efforts were the sovereigns who chartered their businesses. However, time and distance freed them from micromanagement and allowed them to grow and prosper while businesses back home struggled under stultifying government.

The following was written by me on behalf of a candidate for Congress who sadly failed in his bid to represent his party. 

You know it's true: You and I aren't equally wealthy. We don't have the same income. We never have and never will. You probably earn more than me, or less. That's called “income inequality”. I'm not losing any sleep over it, are you? Not to put too fine a point on it, but there are people in America who earn more than you and I combined. You could probably combine the incomes of everyone in your community and still not equal their income. Does this upset you or do you wish you were that person? It seems to have upset the Democrats, or has it? Although they produce a myriad of propaganda pieces decrying income inequality, most of it has grown during their administration of government and implementation of progressive programs to redistribute wealth.

The fact is that the ability to succeed beyond our wildest imaginings has always stood as an incentive for Americans to strive to better themselves. People have come to America from all over the world to achieve the same dream. Unless you are an American Native, your ancestors were among them. The success of their casinos tells me that some of their incomes also are a lot more equal than mine.

Trouble! No one appreciates an inventor's baby as much as the inventor. Be ready for anything. Also, entrepreneurs should have their own attorney, one expert in intellectual property. You can be the inventor will have their own, and having one attorney represent both sides while negotiating the license or purchase of intellectual property makes no more sense than having the same attorney represent both sides in a divorce.

The following was written by me on behalf of a candidate for Congress who sadly failed in his bid to represent his party. 

The primary ballots are in the mail and Mimi Walters fires her only salvo at her Republican opponent, me, Greg Raths. After months of vetting my record, my life, my family, my service, and my public statements, all that Mimi and her henchmen can come up with is a tepid complaint about my service as a United States Marine.

Mimi's mailer, illustrated above, doesn't say anything about my service as a Marine. In it she implies that I was a member of President Clinton's staff...

“While Greg Raths was working in the Clinton White House as Assistant Chief of Staff for 'military matters'...”

The truth is that I was on active duty as a United States Marine, posted to the White House as Assistant Chief of Staff in the Military Office.

The following is re-posted from the Online Townhall Meeting hosted by Greg Raths, conservative Republican candidate to represent California's 45th Congressional District.

I must admit that I spent a few sleepless nights after I made the commitment to run for office to represent California's 45th Congressional District. Anyone who wouldn't is either a fool or a career politician. All that politicians have to worry about is getting elected. Obviously, they don't think much about solving problems. If they did we wouldn't be in the position we are today, would we?

If you stop and think about the problems facing America, you may just bury your head in your hands and give up. Yes, it's really that bad, but it's not beyond hope. Nothing is beyond hope for Americans. Our hope and our confidence are defining characteristics of Americans and they allow me to sleep peacefully.

Luck doesn't appear the same to any two entrepreneurs. Most, especially the very successful ones, would prefer not to admit that luck played any role in their venture.

The following was written by me on behalf of a candidate for Congress who sadly failed in his bid to represent his party. 

Common Core is the piece de resistance of the progressive programs foisted on American students by the United States Department of Education. The elements that have been revealed to the public seem so outlandishly absurd that one might assume that the government is daring We the People to rebel and that any lack of response will be seen as encouragement for them to belabor us with even more repressive and costly programs.

The US Department of Education (DOE), also referred to as the Department of Educational Development (ED – probably to avoid confusion with the Department of Energy, also DOE), was established in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act. Republicans opposed the legislation on constitutional grounds. However, Democrats prevailed using the Commerce Clause as progressives frequently do to reinterpret the Constitution to their own purposes. It's no surprise that establishment of the DOE was vigorously supported by the National Education Association (the teachers union).