From the diaries.

Two years ago, I was a regular citizen, a physician serving the people of my community, and raising my family in Northern Michigan.  Suddenly, I found myself answering the call to become a citizen-legislator.  It occurred at a time when many of us recognized how seriously at risk our country was after the liberals had taken control of all three branches of government after the November ‘08 election.

Under the new administration, this nation was flooded with czars, executive orders, regulations, and then there was the Stimulus package.  I could no longer stand-by and watch our children’s future be mortgaged.  So, I sought and won the Republican primary and then went on to be chosen by the people of MI-01 to represent them in Congress.  Many others across the nation heeded the same call.

MI-01 sent me to Washington, entrusted with the mission of stopping out-of-control spending, stopping Congress from passing laws against the peoples’ will, stopping the over-regulation of our small businesses and stopping the intrusion of government into our personal lives.  In other words, reform Washington.

I’ve been in DC a little over a year and a half and I must tell you it has been an enormous challenge.  While many of us thought we could undo the damage overnight, the reality is starker.  The same goals were there, but without control of the Senate and presidency, we’ve had to use stopgap measures instead of immediately restoring the principles of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution.

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This past weekend, progressive liberal groups gathered in Washington for the “One Nation” rally. It was the Democrats’ response to Glenn Beck’s “Restore Honor” rally held a month ago in DC. I watched both of them, and as I observed the supporters of the One Nation rally, their behavior and how they left the National Mall trashed, I realized what a clear choice America has this coming November.

The National Mall and surrounding monuments to great Americans and this nation’s honored war dead were left trashed. Yes, literally, and there are pictures proving the disregard and callous treatment of treasured American monuments. Seeing this made me realize that this is exactly how progressive Democrats and their Socialist/Communist supporters see America: They don’t see her. They don’t see her greatness, her beauty, her hand extended in friendship to all, and they are ignorant of, or completely dismissive of, her history. They do not value her leadership, her belief in liberty and freedom for the individual. Everything is about power and control, and the taking away of the freedom of the individual. Since the Democrats took over Congress in January 2007, our economic well-being has deteriorated. Once President Obama was elected, the pace accelerated for the Socialist agenda. Though the Democrats say they are not socialists, they are certainly in line with the socialist platform, the laws they have enacted and their goals are about government control, not individual freedom.

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I started this race back in January when I realized I couldn’t take it anymore. The previous year, the Democrats had passed an enormous Stimulus bill, spending nearly a trillion dollars, and they didn’t even read the bill! It was filled with payoffs and paybacks to special interest groups. This is not only typical behavior of the Democrats, but also of career establishment Republicans as well.

My family and friends encouraged me to run and we vowed to conduct a campaign based on integrity and principles. We were determined to always tell the truth and be able to walk away from this, win or lose, with our heads held high.

Now, in the final days of the campaign for Michigan’s 1st District, my opponent, Jason Allen, shows that he is a desperate man. He is a career politician, long beholden to special interests in Lansing and he is looking to continue a political career. He did not choose to run until incumbent Bart Stupak, who betrayed the people, decided to retire. Bart Stupak was a Democrat career politician, supported by special interest groups. Jason Allen comes from the same mold. Long known for his connections and special interests in Lansing, he represents the type of politician to whom the people refer when they say, “Enough is Enough!”

Mr. Allen’s last-minute entry into the race was encouraged by other establishment career politicians with whom he has close connections, and the decision was not made until it looked like an easy run – Bart Stupak was retiring. But, you the people have been speaking up everywhere, and, as grassroots activists, your choice is not a career politician, but someone who is one of you and will represent you, and not special interests and politics as usual.

Jason Allen, a Republican, is acting like a Democrat. Yes, like Bart Stupak, who betrayed this district, and who spent his political career catering to the special interest groups of his party. Based on the behavior that I have seen in his campaign, I have no reason to think he will behave otherwise if he goes to Washington.

Grassroots activism, which is strong and growing all across this country, represents an awakening of the American people, and certainly the people of Michigan’s 1st District. The people want, no require, integrity and honesty in their representatives. Candidates who try to smear other candidates with lies and distortions lack integrity, and demonstrate behavior typical of professional politicians; they don’t truly represent the people. You, the people, have said, “no more politics as usual.” Remember the support Jason Allen received from SEIU? SEIU and ACORN use similar tactics in smearing anyone who opposes them. They demonize their opponents, which is why they called us racist for supporting Arizona. Do you like the idea of Jason Allen, a Republican, taking cues from the SEIU? I just can’t believe it, nor will I accept it.

I have run my campaign with integrity and my commitment to you is to be your principled representative. If you nominate me and send me to Washington in November, I will be an activist Congressman. Seven months ago, I decided that “Enough was Enough”, now let’s seal the deal in the primary on Tuesday.

Help me take our government back. You have helped so much already, providing the necessary resources to get our message out. Now I am asking you to stand with me this weekend, and give of your time to help me respond to these negative smears. Would you be willing to call voters across the 1st District and refute these attacks and lies? This can be done from your own home; all you need is a phone and a computer with access to the Internet. If you have friends or family in Michigan’s 1st District would you call them and let them know about my campaign? Together, you and I can do this.

Thank you,
Dan Benishek

P.S. I would like to thank Mr. Herman Cain for the support he has given me as expressed in the video below.

This is it – the homestretch. Next week, our GOP primary is the first opportunity you, the people, will have to start taking back their government. MI-01 has long been represented by a career politician, Bart Stupak, who ultimately betrayed you. On Tuesday, August 3rd, a choice is to be made.

Let me speak briefly about the past several months that I have been out campaigning among you. My decision to run against then-incumbent Stupak was a result of the legislation being passed in Washington. Many of us had begun to see that this administration and Congress were enacting an agenda without fiscal responsibility, and when the people began to speak up, DC refused to listen. At that point, I had decided personally that Enough is Enough! Then came the HC bill, and again Congress turned a deaf ear. MI-01′s own career politician, Bart Stupak, betrayed the people of this district. He is now retiring, leaving the people with another choice – to continue with a career, establishment-supported candidate, Jason Allen, or to support me, a grassroots activist–who believes in listening to the people and not forgetting why representatives are sent to Washington.

Everywhere I went on the campaign trail, I heard the people express their anger and frustration with business as usual. They’ve realized the politicians do not care what they believe or want for legislation. They have seen the results of having entrenched representatives.

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We knew this would happen. We could see it coming. Yet we were unable to stop it–the Blue Dog Democrat betrayal of the unborn. Bart Stupak was the leader of a coalition that promised the people they would hold firm and stand for the unborn. Unfortunately, we know how that played out. Stupak and his coalition betrayed the people who had placed their trust in them. The result: A HC bill passed and was signed by President Obama that did not protect the unborn.

Yesterday, we learned from LifeNews.com that Pennsylvania will be the first state to receive federal funds, which their Medicaid program will be able to use for any abortion legal in Pennsylvania. The Democrats will be denying it, saying elective abortions are not covered nor allowed, but the definition of elective will be parsed so many ways and the result will be the same. Federal dollars will pay for abortions.

Tabitha Hale, here at RedState, wrote about this travesty as well. We are in agreement. Seemingly there are no pro-life Democrats in Washington. Bart Stupak spent 18 yrs. in Congress getting re-elected by the people of MI-01 for his pro-life stance on all legislation. Yet, when he and his coalition voted, it enabled the HC bill to pass without the all-important amendment to protect the unborn. He sold out his constituents, the nation, and most importantly, the unborn. Shortly after his infamous vote, Mr. Stupak decided against running for office again and will retire.

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Read It.  Reduce It.  Repeal It.  Reform It.

Later today my first Michigan 1st District TV Ad is going to debut.  In it I briefly explain my 4 R’s.  I’m glad to have the opportunity to further discuss it here.

We all remember the 3 R’s from grade school, and we still need them; but I am going to tell you about a different group of R’s – ones that can be easily acted upon and results measured.

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I am addressing this post to my fellow citizens of MI-01, fellow activists across the country, and especially to Congressional Democrats and candidates currently serving in Congress.

The word is out; Mike Allen at Politico.com had the story yesterday. This administration is going to push the Senate to pass a cap-and-trade bill this summer. Then, with the same arrogance we have seen before from this administration, they are planning on passing a final bill during the lame-duck session of Congress that follows November’s elections—elections where the people will have spoken and expressed their will regarding the type of government they want, elections that will show incumbents that the people will no longer accept irresponsible government. The writing is on the wall for incumbents from both parties: either listen to the people and only pass legislation with their consent, or suffer the consequences in November.

This president is going to try to use the lame-duck session to achieve his agenda–transformation of America into a big government juggernaut, in charge of every aspect of our lives. Passage of the cap-and-trade bill will be a blight and burden on this country. Instead of seeing economic recovery, we will sink into the morass that is Europe. Extreme green energy and climate change agendas can bankrupt nations. America does not want to go down this road; this a freight train that must be stopped.

We have to stop this administration from going forward with this plan and continuing its record of passing legislation against the will of the people through behind-closed-door tactics and political wheeling and dealing. Now is the time for everyone to stand up and say again, “Enough is Enough!”

I am setting up a Web site with a petition drive for all concerned Americans to urge the Democratic candidates to sign a pledge that says they will stand with you, the people, and not pass this cap-and-trade legislation in such an underhanded manner. This will be their opportunity to show the American people that they are truly on the side of the people, and not against them. If they do not sign this pledge and continue to pass bills against our will, then we must make it clear that the newly elected Congressional Activists who take office in January will work to repeal or refuse to fund these harmful economic monstrosities. We must do it with the health care bill, and if we have to we will do it with cap and trade. It is about time Washington understood that our activism is not going to stop. November will only be the beginning….

Join me and sign the petition at NoLameDuckTax.com. Express your concern as Americans and activists. Our government should be responsible and accountable, not arrogant and dismissive. Let’s take it back.

I remain your fellow activist, who would like to serve the people of Michigan’s 1st District as their Congressional Representative. I will be an activist Congressman, standing with this district and our great country, in espousing; “Enough is Enough!”

This past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day.  We honored those that have died so that we would remain free.  We can feel nothing but gratitude for the full price they paid in service to our country.  The men and women of our Armed Forces today continue to serve their country in the cause of freedom.  It occurred to me that our all-volunteer military today is an amazing frontline group of activists.  Perhaps not in the traditional or popular notion of activism, but nevertheless, those who choose the military are making an active choice to help preserve our country, because they care about freedom and liberty.  They do it for us, the American People.

In the political realm, we see activism of another type, but nevertheless just as important to the cause of preserving liberty and freedom.  Recently, I wrote about traveling throughout Michigan’s 1st District and listening to the people.  Americans are stepping up and speaking out across the nation. We’re called activists – you and me – and the Washington establishment is afraid of us.  We had an example of important activism in Michigan just last week.  State Senator Jason Allen, who is also a candidate for the GOP 1st District nomination, had provisions in his Senate bill that would have forced independent home care providers into unions.  This state of affairs has SEIU fingerprints all over it, and would have once again interfered with free enterprise and the right of people to be free to make their own choices.  I called upon Senator Allen to rethink his sponsorship of such a bill, a bill at odds with our fight to remain free and not beholden and enslaved to unions and big government.  It appears that Sen. Allen got the message and he did withdraw these provisions.  Again, it takes an outsider, someone not in debt to special interests groups, to make a difference.

I mentioned that Washington is afraid of you, the people.  They do not want to hear from the people who want to stop out-of-control spending, and limit the intrusion of government into our lives, or protect our borders.  Bluntly, Washington is afraid we will put them out of business.  Here is what we say to Washington – “Too bad, DC, the people are just getting started.  Phone calls helped elect a Republican in Massachusetts to a seat the Democrats thought they owned for eternity, and the recent House race in Hawaii’s 1st District was won by Republican Charles Djou in what had been a Democrat stronghold.

This is all activism, people from across the nation and locally who want to take back their government and control of their lives, and it’s happening at the grassroots level.  RedState has an amazing activist, ColdWarrior, who, one precinct committeeman at a time, will enable us to take back our party and our country.  Grassroots activism is being done by all of you via websites, phone calls, donations, GOTV and hands-on help in campaigns.   Michigan’s 1st District is part of this greater movement sweeping the country, and as one of them, I am proud to see us – we the people – doing the work.

Next week primaries are going to be held in a number of states.  Michigan’s primary is not until August.  In the meantime, you, the people, my fellow activists, can help candidates in other races by participating in phone bank calls, donations and contacting friends and relatives who may live in some of these states, to get out and vote.  Getting out the vote is critical in achieving our goal of taking back our government.  We all understand that Washington is broken; we need to decide who is going to fix it; this means sending the right people to Washington.   In August, I hope that you will allow me the honor and privilege to be the Republican nominee for the 1st District, and then in November, send me to Washington as your elected Representative.  This is activism at the grassroots level.  The people of Michigan’s 1st District can join with activists across the nation in telling Washington, “Enough is Enough.”

Dan Benishek for Congress; Michigan’s 1st District.

We’ve been traveling this week. We’ve logged hundreds of miles and gone from town to town, meeting people of Main Street, America.  I’ve talked to them in coffee shops, private homes, businesses, Republican dinners and Tea Party events.  Everywhere I’ve gone, the people are speaking out and I am listening.

I’ve been extremely impressed with how well-informed the people are.  The topics we’ve discussed, the questions that have been asked, all show that the citizenry of our 1st District is paying attention, educating themselves and tackling the concerns we have about our country’s direction, head on.  This renewed interest by regular Americans has been kindled by the negative impact that the current Democrat administration has had on their lives.  They see that they have been caught in the cross-hairs, and they are learning how government is meant to work, not just the politics involved. They’ve asked me about the 1st, 2nd, 10th and 17th Amendments.  My fellow citizens are reading for themselves, the Constitution, learning the how and why, what Washington should not be doing vs. what they have done.  Our current legislators and this administration do not want the populace to know or speak out, but we are not going to stop.  That is the message I am receiving from the people.

We are all concerned about this country’s current course. Policies have been set in place that will have disastrous economic consequences unless we stop and take corrective action.  This administration has brought even higher unemployment rates, which we are now all too familiar with here in the 1^st District.  President Obama and his administration’s efforts to intrude upon and control the individual citizen’s life cannot continue.  The only way we can stop this is by using the energy and common sense of the people themselves to set us on the right course.

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Leaving Behind 18 Years of Democratic Representation

This past weekend, Americans For Prosperity sponsored the “Defending the American Dream” Summit.  Hearing Sarah Palin, the keynote speaker for Conservatism, was of course the highlight.  It was a wonderful opportunity to be there, listen and participate in an event which is part of a broad effort to take back our country.

As I listened to the words that reflected conservative principles of limited government, fiscal responsibility, and above all, liberty, I couldn’t help but think how desperately we needed a return to this way of governing.

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