Maybe I'm missing it, but what does a Mike Padgett have to do with this race?

Lamar Alexander has been both a two-term governor and United States senator for the state of Tennessee. He has also served as United States Secretary of Education, the president of the University of Tennessee, and a professor at the Harvard School of Government.

When running for governor, he walked 1,000 miles across Tennessee, gaining support along the way. His impressive devotion is evident in other causes, as well, especially education. As governor of Tennessee, Alexander pushed for better teachers to get paid more. Tennessee was the first state to establish such a policy.

He supports a literal interpretation of the Constitution rather than a subjective analysis of its merits. He opposes parole for armed robbers, was given an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, and received a 0% rating from the AFL-CIO, the nation's largest labor union. He is a supporter of higher defense spending as well as the line-item veto, which would allow a president to veto individual pork barrel projects but pass an otherwise good bill.

While Bob Conley has a number of conservative views, including his "sanctity of life" position and opposition to same-sex marriage (both presumably inspired by his Roman Catholic faith), in May 2008 he said that American foreign policy is comparable to the building up of the Roman Empire. This puts into question his comprehension of our foreign policy, which is meant to help other nations without making them our properties, whereas the Roman Empire took control of other sovereignties and burdened them with taxes.

Lindsey Graham is also pro-life and opposed to same-sex marriage, but he also supports American foreign policy; he does not consider our nation imperialistic. He received a 0% rating from the American Civil Liberties Union and an 83% rating from the US Chamber of Commerce. His rating from the National Rifle Association is "A," and in March 2007 he called for Washington, DC, to end various components of its gun ban, which was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court in June 2008.

Steve Sauerberg is up against Dick Durbin, an incumbent of almost twelve years, who is now the Majority Whip of the United States Senate. A FOX/Opinion Dynamics Poll from August 19-20, 2008, puts the approval rating of Congress at 20 percent. As one of the majority leaders in Congress and a prominent and powerful voice in the Senate, Dick Durbin is partially responsible for the ups and downs of congressional approval.

Dick Durbin was noted in 2005 to have said of Guantánamo Bay, "If I read this to you and did not tell you that it was an FBI agent describing what Americans had done to prisoners in their control, you would most certainly believe this must have been done by Nazis, Soviets in their gulags, or some mad regime--Pol Pot or others--that had no concern for human beings. Sadly, that is not the case. This was the action of Americans in the treatment of their prisoners." This comment brought great embarrassment to him from a variety of sources who felt that, whether pro-Gitmo or anti-Gitmo, it is inexcusable to compare American foreign policy to genocide and totalitarianism.

Steve Sauerberg is also a long-time physician and small business owner who attended public school and sent his two children to public schools. He supports a common-sense balance between environmental protection and pro-industry measures that allow us to achieve energy independence. He is a new figure in politics, which seems particularly useful for a state that is known for its political machinery.

On values, Edward Tinsley says, "Strong families are the backbone of our society here in New Mexico and throughout America. Our families, first, and our communities, second, lay the basis for the next generation's value structure, their sense of civic duty, and personal responsibility." Tinsley has shown excellence in adhering to the very principles that made America great. He has received an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association, showing his unequivocal support for the Second Amendment. As a small business owner, he also understands that low taxes benefit families in a huge way, and he supports keeping taxes low for businesses as well as individuals and families. He believes that low corporate taxes can ensure that businesses hire more, invest more, and ultimately benefit their communities more. He supports the principles of America, and has a record and lifestyle to prove it.

Michigan faces an economic crisis unlike that of any other state in the Union, and it doesn't seem to be going away on its own. While the incumbent, Joe Knollenberg, has a 100% rating from the US Chamber of Commerce (indicating a very pro-business position), his opponent, Gary Peters, has received endorsements from many influential labor unions, including the Michigan AFL-CIO and the United Auto Workers. His web site claims endorsements from nineteen labor unions. Various economists blame the poor Michigan economy on the lack of the American automobile industry to compete with foreign companies. This is in large part due to the high cost of producing cars in the United States because the labor unions have hiked up the pay and benefits for comparatively unskilled positions. Economically speaking, Michigan needs businesses to invest more in American products, and labor union special interests seeping into government make for an undesirable environment for such investors.

Congresswomen Shelley Moore Capito is an incumbent representative known for her frequent appeals for bipartisanship. About energy solutions, she said on July 24, 2008, "Whether it’s Republican solutions or Democratic solutions, most West Virginians simply want to see real action." On August 15, 2008, Congresswoman Capito gave a radio address in her home state of West Virginia telling her constituents that she will work towards clean coal, more American oil, and conservation. She added, "There is no single solution to these challenges. Only through an all-of-the-above energy policy can we hope to decrease our dependence on foreign energy." West Virginians in the 2nd District should vote for Congresswoman Capito because she has an open mind to the energy crisis facing our nation; she just wants us to explore all the possibilities instead of insisting on a single idea.

The fact that you think Cuba is honest in how it reports statistics is sad commentary on your comprehension of communism.

Capitalism. Socialism is an invention of the devil to enslave men.