More Second Tier Candidates

As promised, here is another post on some lesser-known presidential candidates.

Sam Brownback - Brownback is a Republican Senator from Kansas. Here is his stand on some key issues. On taxes, he feels the tax code is too complex and puts an unnecessary burden on the average tax payer who has to hire someone to sift through the rules for them. He would like to see a flat tax with simplified tax preparation. On energy, Brownback co-sponsored a bill that would call for, among other things, an expansion of renewable fuels. His stand on Iraq is somewhat wishy-washy. He says there needs to be a plan to turn the country back over to its people, but he doesn't say how that would impact our military involvement and he offers no details on how to achieve this.

Christopher Dodd - Dodd is a Democratic Senator from Connecticut. On Energy, Dodd has 3 goals to reduce emissions, reduce dependence on middle-eastern oil and even improve the economy by increasing jobs. His plan has 14 points, and all, in my uneducated opinion, seem to be realistic and achievable. I especially like that he points out that our national security would be improved if we were less dependent on middle-eastern oil. Congressional leadership doesn't want the average American to know that our involvement in international disputes is largely to protect our interest in oil. On health care, Dodd plans to mirror the FEHBP. Individuals and businesses will contribute and coverage will follow people and not their jobs. It's a little complex to summarize in a few sentences, but it also seems quite well thought out. And on Iraq, he supports the Feingold-Reid proposal that calls for an end to US involvement in Iraq next March.

Tom Tancredo - Tancredo is a Republican member of Congress from Colorado. He is strongly anti-immigrant (funny, he doesn't look terribly native to me, which makes him, in my opinion, a colossal hypocrite). He blames immigrants for increased health care costs. He links homeland security to immigration. He doesn't support immigrant amnesty. I wonder if he plans on planting his own fruits and vegetables, because I don't envision him heading to the fields during the summer recess to help farmers pick their crops before they rot. This guy scares me. I beg you not to vote for him.

There are more candidates to profile. I will address a few more in coming weeks. Please remember to bid farewell to Tommy Thompson who dropped out of the race this week, following a poor showing in the Iowa straw poll. This election will end up costing tax payers ridiculous sums of money. Perhaps some of the 2nd and 3rd tier candidates need to assess the reality of their campaigns. They should consider not their massive egos, but the greater good of our country and gracefully bow out.