After long consideration, I have decided to endorse former Congressman John N. Hostettler for the Indiana Senate seat vacated by Evan Bayh, and here’s the issues and a list of his accomplishments in the House that bring me to my decision:

The Issues:

1. Taxes and Spending: Mr. Hostettler believes that it is not that the federal government taxes too little, it is that it spends too much. As a member of the House, Hostettler consistently voted for tax cuts including the creation of the child tax credit, lowering of capital gains rates and dividend tax rates, accelerated depreciation schedules and the phase out and outright elimination of the estate tax, and that fundamental tax reform is necessary to grow the economy and create long term job growth. He voted to repeal the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which authorized the income tax. He also believes that if all taxpaying Americans were compelled to write a check to the federal government for the taxes that are currently withheld, those same Americans would demand that Congress reduce spending and stop taking so much of their hard-earned income. If elected, he will work in the Senate to make permanent the tax cuts passed in 2001 and scheduled to sunset in 2011.

2. Health Care: Mr. Hostettler opposes the government takeover of the US health care system recently passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama. He believes that Congress should allow for more competition and work to reduce health care costs by building on the success of Health Savings Accounts by making all health insurance premiums either deductible or a tax credit, creating Health Marts and Association Health Plans which allow individuals and families to negotiate collectively for health care services based on where they live and on their profession, religion, membership in an organization, etc., allowing health insurance plans to be purchased across state lines, and enacting tort reform, which will result in lower health care costs because medical professionals will not be compelled to practice “defensive medicine” which they do now for no other reason than to defend themselves in a potential lawsuit. If elected, Mr. Hostettler will work to repeal ObamaCare and work to bring our health care system out of the Federal Government’s grip.

3. Abortion: Mr. Hostettler is pro-life, period. He believes that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights, and that first and most important of these God-given rights is the right to life. In Congress, Hostettler has voted for the Partial Birth Abortion Ban, the Mexico City Policy which prohibited the use of US taxpayer dollars for abortion and abortion counseling in foreign countries, and the Right to Life Act which would give legal protection to the unborn under the Fourteenth Amendment. As a result of this record, Mr. Hostettler’s election to the House of Representatives was consistently endorsed by the National Right to Life and Indiana Right to Life. If elected, he will not give his consent to a judicial nominee if he concludes that the nominee in question believes the constitution allows the destruction of innocent, unborn human life.

4. Marriage: Mr. Hostettler believes that marriage is between one man and one woman. In Congress, he co-sponsored and voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, the utilization of Congress’ authority under Article IV of the United States Constitution to regulate full faith and credit relationships and protects states that do not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples from being compelled to recognize such licenses issued by states that do, and the Marriage Protection Act, the utilization of authority found in Article III to limit the appellate jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court. If elected, he will introduce DOMA and MPA and push for their passage so that Indiana is not compelled by a federal court to recognize same-sex marriage licenses issued by another state.

5. Guns: Mr. Hostettler is a staunch defender of our Second Amendment Rights. He is a gun owner and hunter. As a Congressman, he voted to repeal the Clinton Gun Ban on semi-automatic firearms and magazines, led the effort to defund the Smith & Wesson agreement between that manufacturer and the Clinton Administration that would have given preferences to Smith & Wesson after its previous corporate leadership arranged a deal in order to get out of legal proceedings against the gun industry, led the effort to allow civilian airline pilots to carry firearms on board after the 9/11 tragedy was perpetrated by terrorists who were able to overpower pilots and fly airplanes into buildings and a rural field, and sponsored legislation to allow national reciprocity for conceal and carry of firearms. As a result of this record, Mr. Hostettler’s election to the U.S. House of Representatives was consistently endorsed by the National Rifle Association and Gun Owners of America. He will build on the above if he is elected.

6. Illegal Immigration: Mr. Hostettler opposed to amnesty that would grant legal status for the millions of aliens illegally in the United States. As a Congressman, he led the efforts to stop House consideration of the amnesty bill passed by the US Senate in 2006 and voted to build the fence along the southern border and to authorize military personnel to aid in securing the border from the massive influx of illicit drugs and potential movement of terrorists attempting to enter the country from Mexico. As a senator, he will lead the effort to oppose any attempt at amnesty, he will work to further strengthen our borders and give immigration law enforcement the resources and support they need as they protect us, and he will press the Executive Branch to aggressively enforce employer sanctions – in place since 1986 – and turn off the “jobs magnet” that attracts wave after wave of illegal migrants into the United States.

His Accomplishments:

1. In 1995, Mr. Hostettler successfully amended the District of Columbia Appropriations Bill to eliminate the “Domestic Partnership” policy of Washington.

2. In 1995, Mr. Hostettler voted for reinstatement of former President Ronald Reagan’s Mexico City Policy which prohibited the use of US taxpayer dollars for abortion and abortion counseling in foreign countries.

3. In 1996, Mr. Hostettler voted for the Defense of Marriage Act, which utilizes Congress’ authority under Article IV of the United States Constitution to regulate full faith and credit relationships and protects states that do not issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples from being compelled to recognize such licenses issued by states that do.

4. In 1998, Mr. Hostettler traveled to Moscow as part of a Congressional delegation to discuss US deployment of a national missile defense system with members of the Russian Duma.

5. In 2002, Mr. Hostettler was one of six GOP Members of the United States House of Representatives and one of three Conservative GOP Members to vote against the House resolution authorizing President George W. Bush to preemptively engage in military conflict with the nation of Iraq. At the time, in October 2002, Hostettler said the intelligence supporting the claim of a program of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq was “tenuous at best”.

6. In 2003, as Chairperson of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims, Mr. Hostettler successfully amended the Department of State reauthorization bill to require the State Department to regulate the use of consular cards of foreign nations in the US.

7. In 2003, Mr. Hostettler successfully amended the Commerce, State and Justice appropriations bill to discontinue funding of the enforcement of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling which called for the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama State Supreme Court House placed there by Alabama State Chief Justice Roy Moore.

8. In 2003, Mr. Hostettler sponsored and voted for the Marriage Protection Act, which utilized authority found in Article III to limit the appellate jurisdiction of the United States Supreme Court.

9. In 2004, the House passed Mr. Hostettler’s Marriage Protection Act (MPA) which would make it illegal for federal courts from imposing Massachusetts same-sex marriage licenses on any other state.

10. In 2005, Mr. Hostettler voted against the unprecedented disaster relief package that Republicans pushed after Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast.

11. In 2006, Mr. Hostettler led the efforts to stop House consideration of the amnesty bill passed by the US Senate.

12. In 2006, the House passed Mr. Hostettler’s Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA) which would make forbidden federal courts from requiring defendants such as a Board of County Commissioners to pay a plaintiff’s lawyers, such as the ACLU, fees after the federal courts order the removal of a religious symbol such as the Ten Commandments from the County courthouse lawn.

And in 2008, he wrote a book titled “Nothing for the Nation: Who Got What Out of Iraq”, a book that has received positive reviews from Conservative minded people. What I just mentioned above makes him, IMO, the best qualified candidate for IN-SEN. However, this is just my opinion, and I’d like to hear yours in the comments.