I am not a Lawyer or someone schooled in Big Business. I have no money to speak of. I do not own a big house or drive a fancy car. I do not have important friends. The people that I know get up, go to work each morning, and struggle to provide a home and food for their family. I am Mr. Everybody. I am in the same position as you.

For over twenty years, I have given thought to running for pubic office. As I have watched both Political Parties take us down the road that we are now on, I wanted to step up and say, “No, this is not right for America.” The truth can be hard to say but by not knowing how to become involved in the political process, I was afraid to try.

Today the only fear that I have is the fear of not trying. Like a gunslinger in an old western stepping into the street to clean up a corrupt town I offer myself to you. I stand fearlessly on the beliefs and principles that this country was built on. These are principles that cannot be bought with lobbyist money or sold for a vote.

In my heart I am a Republican but I have to listen to my mind when it tells me “They have failed us too.” Our Constitution says that this is a country Of the People, By the People and For the People. This country should not be controlled by Political Parties.

I believe in the Founding Principles that shaped our Constitution.
I believe that a Limited Government serves Liberty best.
I believe in the Free Market, where we the people create business competition.
I believe that it is the right of each Individual to be in charge of their lives.
I believe that Illegal Immigration must be stopped before the American culture is lost.

As I said, I have no money or political backing. This is a completely grassroots campaign.There are no PR firms, no fundraising committees or special interest groups. There is only me, my family and you. You must decide for yourself what direction you want our country to go.

E-mail alanpeppersforcongress.yahoo.com

Love and Service
Alan Peppers

http://cnsnews.com/news/article/58672

In 2007, while working with Joe Lieberman and Ted Kennedy on a bill to grant amnesty to illegal aliens, Graham spoke at a meeting of La Raza (the Race). A Hispanic group who wants to reclaim the Southwestern part of the United States for Mexico. Graham made the statement that “No group owns being an American.” When asked how he would address those opposed to amnesty his reply was “We are going to tell the bigots to shut up.” From the senate floor, he referred to opponents of the bill as loud mouths.

My thoughts on this are both simple and straightforward; I view speaking at a group that supports using force to overthrow parts America as pandering to the enemy. It is not acceptable, nor should it be to speak to the KKK, Skinheads, Neo-Nazi’s or any other hate group. Just because this group is acceptable to your liberal friends, does not make it acceptable to people who have principles. In addition, Lindsay, a group does own “being an American.” It is not limited by race, religion or ethnicity. It is made up of the millions of people who love this country, people who are proud to live here and strive to keep it strong and prosperous. This group owns that title and regardless of how you try to hurt these people, nothing that you can say can ever take that title away. It is strange that this is the same group that you are calling bigots and loud mouths. All I can say is that playing the race card will out a true liberal before anything. This is standard for the liberal left. It is sad that an elected official would use these terms when referring to people who simply believe in the rule of law and our countries sovereign borders.

I have said many times that if a bill is constitutional, if there is an actual need for it and it will not add to the deficit that I would be glad to work with any democrat to help get it passed. Lindsay Graham on the other hand seems to pick the worst bills to join the democrats on. Voting in favor of the bank bailouts hurt his standing among republicans. Now he is working with liberal Senator John Kerry on the Cap and Trade bill and co-writing op-ed pieces with him and this seems to be the straw that has broke the camels back.

In November, the Charleston County Republican Party Executive Committee voted to censure Senator Graham for statements and actions detrimental to the Republican Party. The Berkley County GOP followed but agreed to hold their vote until January, so that Grahams Chief of Staff could come and talk to the committee. Censure is a procedure that I would like to see repeated by each county GOP committee in the state and by the State GOP Committee next year.

One of the unfortunate results of having a Lindsay Graham is the people that he drags down with him. When people try to defend the indefensible, I feel that they are actually stooping lower than the person who committed the act. Here are some examples and how I feel about them.

At the Berkley County GOP meeting State Sen. Paul Campbell, R-Goose Creek, said he disagrees with Graham on the energy bill but urged the committee to give him a chance to speak for himself.
“I just think it sends the wrong message to censure him when we’re trying to work with him on a grant to get 600 jobs,” Campbell said. “To act tonight is premature without giving him a chance to speak.”

Excuse me senator but I believe that after an op-ed piece penned by Graham and numerous interviews that he has spoken for himself. He is clear on where he stands and unfortunately so are you. By your statement, you seem to feel that we should treat Graham as if he can do no wrong as long as we can get something from him. Senator, that kind of thinking is what is wrong with this country today. You are the problem and should be voted out at the first opportunity.

Next comes former South Carolina State GOP Chairman Katon Dawson. While his “its just Lindsay being Lindsay” statement shows luke warm support, he followed that up by saying “People need to look at the big picture. At the end of the day, what we are looking for is offshore drilling for natural gas and Lindsey got that in the bill.”

Mr. Dawson knows that drilling is the least of the problems with Cap and Trade. This is throwing a red herring out so that people will think that Graham had accomplished a great feat, when in fact it gave us nothing. Like I said, Katon knows the damage that Cap and Trade would cause but he is still willing to provide cover for Graham. At this time Mr. Dawson holds no position in the GOP and we should be sure to keep it this way.

Now we come to our new faux hero, Joe Wilson. Wilson was an obscure Congressman from South Carolina until the State of the Union Address when Wilson decided to shout, “You lie” to the president. Many people applaud Wilson for this but I believe that he is more of an embarrassment to South Carolina than Mark Sanford could ever be. I have no problem with him calling the president a liar but I am tired of our elected weasels acting like children for their own political advantage. His lack of decorum is inexcusable. It is not surprising that he would come to Graham’s defense. Wilson released a statement saying, “Lindsey Graham has been a great leader for our state and party. I appreciate everything he has done for me and his tireless work in helping Republicans at all levels of government. He’s a team player. Ronald Reagan always said that people who agree with you 80 percent of the time should be considered a good friend…”

What happens congressman when the 20% that you disagree on is over your core values? What if it is over policy that will hurt the people of this country? Are they still your friend to where you help them get their bills passed? Perhaps you have no core values or care about the people. Perhaps all you care about congressman is you. If Cap and trade is so great let us hear you come out in support of it. You will not do that because you know that you will lose all of your newfound money. When your own wife refers to you as a nut that should tell you something. Joe Wilson needs to go in 2010.

In one of the articles on Wilson’s statement, the blogger and Graham supporter Adam Fogle added this, “Graham has come under fire by some Republicans for working with Democrats to include in a climate change bill measures that would expand offshore drilling as well as nuclear energy, clean coal and natural gas — something the GOP has ironically wanted for years.
Wilson’s reference to Reagan, a conservative icon, couldn’t be more appropriate.
On a previous post on The Palmetto Scoop, one commenter left a particularly poignant passage from the former president that knee-jerk Republicans would be wise to heed.
“When I began entering into the give and take of legislative bargaining in Sacramento, a lot of the most radical conservatives who had supported me during the election didn’t like it,” Reagan wrote in his autobiography, An American Life. “‘Compromise’ was a dirty word to them and they wouldn’t face the fact that we couldn’t get all of what we wanted today. They wanted all or nothing and they wanted it all at once. If you don’t get it all, some said, don’t take anything.”
Added Reagan, “If you got 75 or 80 percent of what you were asking for, I say, you take it and fight for the rest later, and that’s what I told these radical conservatives who never got used to it.”

Once again I have to agree with the premise of accepting 75 or 80 percent, but once again I have to point out that in Grahams case he is only getting about .1% and giving away 99.9%. This is not called compromise; this is called giving away the store. This is not acceptable.

Now it is time to get to the point of this article. The time has come not only to censure Senator Graham but also to ask for his resignation. While I understand that this is only symbolic in nature, that it holds no weight of law and that the senator probably really does not care what the people say, the reason that he joined on the Cap and Trade is the worst insult of all. Here are three statements describing the problem;

“We also need legislation to provide regulatory certainty to our state’s business community. If Congress does not act, unelected bureaucrats at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will issue regulations controlling carbon emissions. In the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2007 decision Massachusetts v. EPA, the Court ruled carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases should be regulated as pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
EPA regulation of carbon is the worst possible scenario. The EPA will destroy jobs and contain no new provisions for expanded nuclear energy or offshore drilling.
Regardless of whether you view climate change as a real threat or some grand hoax, carbon will eventually be regulated – either through congressional action or by the EPA.”

“Failure to act comes with another cost. If Congress does not pass legislation dealing with climate change, the administration will use the Environmental Protection Agency to impose new regulations. Imposed regulations are likely to be tougher and they certainly will not include the job protections and investment incentives we are proposing.
The message to those who have stalled for years is clear: killing a Senate bill is not success; indeed, given the threat of agency regulation, those who have been content to make the legislative process grind to a halt would later come running to Congress in a panic to secure the kinds of incentives and investments we can pass today. Industry needs the certainty that comes with Congressional action.”

“Graham has tried to woo other Republicans with warnings that the Environmental Protection Agency will impose draconian regulations if Congress fails to act.”

So here it is. If Cap and Trade is not passed, the EPA is going to step in and regulate carbon anyway. How did this happen? Our elected weasels are the ones who has set this monster loose on the people. They have allowed an unelected bureaucracy to grow to the point that it has more power then congress.

While I have been picking on Lindsay Graham, I am now going to bring in the other 434 elected weasels. No one is standing up for the people. The first order of business TODAY is to come together and strip this type of power from the EPA. Have you heard anyone speaking out? They have all failed us. Lindsay seems to feel that if this bill passes, then we will be safe from the EPA. I say NO. Picking the lesser of two evils is no longer an option for this country. If you refuse to do what is right, the time has come for you to get out of the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsaTudYjMLU&feature=related

http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2009/11/12/wilson-cites-reagan-in-defense-of-graham/comment-page-1/#comment-469252

http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/11/sen-graham-in-hot-water-at-home-over-global-warming.html

http://www.palmettoscoop.com/2009/11/12/dawson-defends-graham/

http://www.thestate.com/breaking/story/1031552.html?RSS=breaking

I have never met Mark Sanford and have no knowledge of him other than what has been reported in the media. I feel that his fiscally conservative programs would have been beneficial to the state if our general assembly did not have a spend money mentality and therefore fought him over these programs. In other words, I like him as Governor.

I guess the question being asked is should Governor Sanford be impeached at this time? My answer is that at this time,” I don’t know.” While resolutions for impeachment have already been submitted to the legislature, the findings of the ethics probe have not been released. If we find that Governor Sanford blatantly and intentionally committed violations or that there was criminal activity, all I can say is “Goodbye Governor.” I will not be a part of trying to defend the indefensible. I will lead the charge for impeachment. On the other hand, if all that they find amounts to small infractions of the ethics code, I do not believe that this rises to the level of impeachment. This can be handled through censure or reprimand in the general assembly.

Now, I can hear everyone saying; wait, wait what about his affair and his leaving the state? I strongly disapprove of both but I look at these through the eyes of one human being looking at another. I cannot condone adultery but I can see a difference between someone having an affair just to have sex and someone who happens to fall in love while married to someone else. Hindsight is said to be 20/20, it is always clearer. If someone had told Sanford before his first trip, that he was going to meet a woman, fall in love, destroy his marriage, destroy his reputation and be held up to ridicule, he may well have said “ Let’s change these plans. That is not acceptable.” That is not the way life works. Some things you only find out about after the fact and then you have to live with the consequences. Should the consequences of this affair be impeachment? We may disagree but I do not think that it should.

I remember the morning that I heard that Sanford had gone missing and I thought to myself “Good, he needs a break to unwind.” The general assembly was overriding his budget veto’s on a daily basis, steadily increasing the deficit and he had just lost in the state supreme court and was forced to appropriate the stimulus money that he felt, as do I, would hurt our state for years to come. I found myself much more concerned by the actions of our other elected officials in this matter. House Leader Bobby Harrell, Senate Leader Hugh Leatherman and Lt. Governor Andre Bauer may be in the same political party as Governor Sanford but they are a different breed of cat entirely. While Sanford is the type that says, “We should not spend money that we do not have.” The others would prefer to go ahead and spend the money and hope for a miracle. They are opponents of the Governor more often then supporters. The thing that really ticked me off was when the three of them went to the media and was asking who was in charge of the state. They acted as if they had no idea of what to do as far as delegated authority went. Within a couple of minutes of hearing this, I had found “…In the event of the temporary absence of the Governor from the State, the Lieutenant Governor shall have full authority to act in an emergency.” (Article IV Section 11) If I could find it, so could they. It was all a political act to stir the people of this state up against the Governor. Creating false crises is the type of thing we see from our democratic federal government. We should demand better from our republican state government. I have to say that one good thing came out of this dog and pony show. We were able to take a look at our Lt. Governor before next years election.

In my business career there have been times when like in the Sanford situation the boss was not available. At those times, I would step up and let my co-workers know that if they had any problems to come see me. Did I do this because I just wanted to be boss? No, I did that because I trusted in my abilities and I was willing to accept the responsibility that comes with decision-making. This is a thing that is not seen often in today’s life, it is called Leadership. Andre Bauer had the opportunity to show the state his leadership ability but through inaction and the help of his friends, all we saw was that leadership is a quality that he is lacking.

I have saw comments written that Sanford should be impeached because he ran on a family values platform and had this affair. Well, I for one, am not sure what “family values” are exactly. I have never seen a list of them but I am sure that if there is a list that I would agree with it. I am also pretty sure that at some point in my life I will fail at some of them. Does this mean that any one who is not perfect cannot hold office? If it does, we will only have Barrack “The Anointed One” Obama on the left and Mitt “Politicians Should Be Held to a Higher Standard” Romney on the right. My view is that in this life there is no higher standard we can reach past human. We will all fail at some point. If I knew when I was going to fail or knew what my failing would be, maybe I could take steps to prevent it. However, life does not happen that way. The failing will come unexpectedly and at the most inopportune time. My job is to learn from it so as not to repeat it and to be an example of what not to do as much as on example of what to do. I leave the rest up to God.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Addendum – Before I could get the previous posted, I looked at the news and saw that the findings had been released. Of the 37 ethics violations that Sanford is now charged with, it appears that 18 of them are the result of upgrading from coach to business class on international flights, 9 counts of improper use of the state plane and out of over $1.5 million dollars in campaign cash, they say that he misused around three thousand dollars. This included $864.90 to attend a GOP Governors meeting in Miami.

The ethics code is in place to protect the citizens from corrupt politicians and must be taken seriously. The maximum penalty for all charges combined is a fine of 74 thousand dollars. Unless more major violations come to light, I say that he should be fined, the senate can reprimand him and all of the little boys wanting to play politics at the state house should be told to shut up and go back to work. This does not add up to an impeachible offence.

Alan Peppers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVh75ylAUXY

Rogue – An elephant that has separated from a herd and roams about alone, in which state it is very savage. (Webster 1913)

“Going Rogue” The title of Sarah Palin’s book really struck a chord with me. It hit me because I find myself in the same situation. For thirty years l have stood as a solid republican. I have supported this party, not because of the party but because of the principles that it was founded on. Today I watch in dismay as my chosen Political Party’s focus has drifted from its founding principles. Instead of standing for our beliefs, its focus seems to be only in perpetuating itself. Without moving even one inch in my beliefs, I now find myself on the outside of the party looking in. In the view of the world, I too have gone rogue. To show my point, I will give you two examples:

Let us look at the Health Care Bill. Where are the voices that simply say, I have to vote no because this bill exceeds the powers granted to congress by the constitution? What we hear about on a daily basis is abortion, illegal aliens, the public option and death panels (As much as I like Sarah Palin, there are no death panels). Here is how the game is played out. The left can galvanize their base by fighting to include abortion, illegal aliens and the public option, while the right galvanizes their base by fighting against them. Every one is happy with the way that their Reps are standing up for them. The truth is that this still leaves 99.9% of this bill intact. Both sides want the power that this administrations bills will give the government. The republicans are not fighting to stop these bills. They are working in negotiations with the democrats and writing their own bills. We the people do not seem to be in their plans.

In an Oct. 16 opinion piece http://news.yahoo.com/s/uc/20091016/cm_uc_crmmax/op_1911654 Michelle Malken had this to say about GOP backed “moderate” republican Dede Scozzafava who is running in the special election for New York’s 23rd Congressional District.
“Scozzafava is an abortion rights advocate who favors gay marriage. It would be one thing if Scozzafava balanced that social liberalism with fiscal conservatism. But as a state assemblywoman, she voted for massive tax increases, Democratic budgets and a $180 million state bank bailout. She also supported the trillion-dollar federal stimulus package — which every House Republican voted against.

More troubling, Scozzafava in past elections has embraced the ballot line of the Working Families Party — a socialist outfit whose political DNA is intertwined with scandal-ridden ACORN. ACORN and the WFP have shared office space in New York City, Arkansas and Illinois. ACORN head Bertha Lewis, a close Scozzafava friend and political supporter, wears a second hat as vice chairman of the WFP. The WFP has been listed in ACORN documents dating back to 2000 as an “affiliate.”

Scozzafava’s husband is a leading upstate New York union organizer. She supports the federal “card-check” legislation that would massively boost union rolls — and Democratic voting rolls — at the expense of rank-and-file workers’ free choice. And for that matter, at the expense of Republican electoral prospects. Card check is the key to a Democratic majority in perpetuity. Big Labor bosses have said as much.”

What reason can the GOP give for backing this person? Even Newt Gingrich has come out to support her. Here is a republican candidate who is much more liberal than the democrat is. Could this support be as simple as Party over Policy? Could it be that they do not care where she stands on the issues as long as there is an R beside her name. This is not an isolated incident. This is happening across the country.

In the afore mentioned New York congressional race, conservatives such as Fred Thompson, Sarah Palin and Mark Levin have come out in support of Doug Hoffman. Hoffman, the nominee for the Conservative Party, has a strong grassroots following and along with these three big name conservatives is taking a stand against the GOP candidate. Nationwide more people are taking this stance.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091011/pl_politico/28157

http://news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20091011/pl_politico/28157

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2325442/doug_hoffman_surges_in_new_york_race.html?cat=9

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28760.html

So far, it may seem as though this has been a hit piece against the Republican Party but that is not my intention. I am still a member and supporter of the party but I will not follow along blindly. I will not drink the kool-aide. I am willing to say the things that need to be said, and do the things that need to be done. I have reported these as examples of where we are today. Now I want to talk about where we need to be tomorrow.

Every thing that is being said about Barack Obama and where his policies are taking this country is the exact same things that I heard for eight years under Bill Clinton. Lo and behold, we are still here and we will still be here after 4 or even eight years of Obama. We may end up battered but we will never be broken.

As Obama sits in his lofty perch, all he sees are ordinary people. He talks about the ordinary people every chance he has. People that he thinks needs the government to guide their lives. This mistaken view of the people will be his downfall. The extraordinary people that I see every day are to ones whose drive will lead this country back to the road to prosperity. It is going to be by the work and sweat of these extraordinary people that liberty and freedom will shine in this country, and it will be the voice of these people that rise up to remind this country of the principles on which it was founded.

I was recently taken to task for running as an independent. This person liked where I stood and the things that I said but then added, “All you will do is pull votes from the republican and insure the democrats a win.”

The purpose of this completely rambling piece has been to lead up to my response to that statement and my reasons behind it. Therefore, here is my response.

SO WHAT!

As strange as that might sound, that is it, so what. I am as guilty as anyone for voting for a party. The only thing that I have accomplished in thirty years of voting straight republican is nothing. I will not be afraid to stand up any longer. I will say it again, so what. I keep saying repeatedly that this administration will not do irreparable damage to this country but we conservatives may, if we act in haste. Everyone is rushing to put republicans in office without any thought of what they will do when they get there. Have we forgotten our own dislike of the last republican congress? Remember, the ones that were just kicked out of the majority in 2006? These are the ones who will assume leadership positions again. Oh, I know, since the last election, the elected republicans say that they have remembered their conservative roots. Well I remember the old saying “Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

I am all for a republican/conservative retaking of congress but before that happens we are going to have to cultivate leaders. Where are the young lions coming in to office chomping at the bit, ready to stand up for the people? Where is the plan of action to lead this country? Who can rally the people? We have no Statesmen on the right; all we have are a bunch of dime a dozen politicians. I want to hear a loud voice, a clear voice calling out for the 2010 election. Even if the republicans can retake the house, what will we have. Without leaders and without plans all we will have is two years of failure again. What about the 2012 Presidential Election? Can you name even one republican today whom you want to be president? Think about this for a while. Any one? The country that we want will not just appear because we vote republican. We must make it happen.

I have written before about the mandate that the Republican Party received from their nomination of John McCain for President. They are not listening. If this country is going to return to its rightful place in the world, we must use our hearts to guide us rather than our brains to trick us. We must cast our votes for the best person and policy, not just for the one that will win. I refuse to feel forced to vote for the lesser of two evils ever again. Patience will prevail. The time will be right for a move but we must be prepared to act. If we only look at D’s and R’s we will always maintain the status quo. To me this is unacceptable.

You know, on thinking about it, I have to say that I have not gone rogue. I am just me being me. So I will keep on saying what I’m saying and doing what I’m doing. It is up to you to leave your fears behind. I will be waiting for you when you do. Agree or not, please keep me in your prayers and God bless you.

Yours in Service
Alan Peppers

NOTE – After this was written Newt Gingrich has came out and said the same old thing. Support for Hoffman is a mistake. He gives his support to Scozzafava because he trusts the party leaders. Sounds like he’s drinking Kool-Ade.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1009/28730.html

No, no surprises here but there is a lot of confusion. WHY. The nominating process ended less than two weeks after he took office, so he was nominated for doing nothing.

Saturday Night Live, a decidedly leftist comedy show recently did a skit on Obama as a “do nothing president.” This drove the left wild. CNN went so far as to “fact check” this comedy spoof.

 http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/clips/obama-address/1163263/

 http://newsbusters.org/blogs/kathleen-mckinley/2009/10/06/cnn-fact-checks-snl

Obama says that he will accept this award as a “call to action.” EXCUSE ME!  If he see’s this as a call to action, what did he see being elected president of the United States as? Has he already forgotten about his so-called mandate?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091009/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_nobel

I proudly stand as a polar opposite to the president. I stand for the people, for the constitution and for the country. President Obama stands for… I don’t really know what he stands for. I am plain spoken and he talks in circles. I accept the responability that comes with leadership and he places blame. I see the greatness in this country, he see’s it’s weakness. My glass is half full, his is half empty.

While the world seems to be enthralled with our president, join with me in the truth. The emperor has no clothes.