Interview with Republican candidate for Congress, Tim Graney (Texas 14th).

Congressman Ron Paul (Texas - 14th congressional district) is a disgrace to Republicans, the Republican caucus, and Americans who care about protecting the land of the free and the home of the brave. While, some Republicans might be drawn to his economic views, you cannot compromise National defense to the level that he has, and claim to "uphold the Constitution".

Tim Graney has had enough. A strong Republican who believes in an even stronger National defense is challenging Paul in the upcoming congressional primaries, and this candidate has an added bonus, he has supported Republicans for President! Something, Ron Paul has no documented record of doing so, even as a Republican Congressman.

After reading this pleasant Interview, I just conducted with Mr.Graney, please visit his campaign website at http://www.graneyforcongress.com/ , and lets defeat the worst Republican Congressman in America, and replace him with a real Republican. This is number thirty-five in our interview series.

Tim Knight - Mr. Graney, you're a candidate for the Republican nomination in Texas 14th congressional district, please tell us your background, motivations for entering this race, and what your chances of success are?

Tim Graney - My motivations for entering this race are simple – I love our great country. I can no longer sit idly by while career politicians, who are out of touch with everyday Americans, continue to put forth rules, taxes, and regulations that cripple our free markets and entrepreneurial spirit. Our government is at its best when it is out of our way and off our backs so we can work hard and keep the fruits of our labor that we risk our livelihood and free time working to achieve. It is time for everyday ordinary Americans, who have a breadth of experience in the real working world, to step up and run for Congress. This is why I have chosen to take on this effort.

I’m a former small business owner; I am not a career politician. I came to Texas nearly 20 years ago with just what I could fit in my car and a few boxes shipped via UPS. I struggled and stumbled along the way, but eventually established a small consulting company that grew into a million dollar business and achieved the American dream. Most of my consulting work was helping divisions of large multi-national companies with improving their business operations through the use of technology. I was a problem-solver who provided solutions and now I want to take those same problem-solving skills to Washington for the betterment of our nation. This experience of running my own company, and at the same time being involved in the global issues of large multi-national companies, has given me the insight into how governmental policies on taxation and regulation impact business both large and small. These policies either stifle companies or force them to expend time and valuable resources on wasted tasks instead of investing in their own companies and their own R&D.

As with any candidate challenging a sitting incumbent in a primary, it is no doubt an uphill battle to success. However, even with the money advantage the incumbent has, I am the only candidate in the race who has given up their current working profession in order to campaign full-time for this Congressional seat. Even the 20-year incumbent I’m challenging wasn’t inclined to do that last election cycle when he sought higher office – yet another example of his failure to represent his District. He wanted to have his cake and eat it too. As I have been traveling the 14

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District these last few months, there is no doubt that many in the District have grown tired of the lack of representation they get from him as he continues to push his own agenda. He’s more concerned with his own ideology that is not representative of the majority of the District. Dr. Ron Paul has earned the nickname "Dr. NO" as he votes NO on virtually everything. The people of our District see through his grandstanding and "PR Politics" and understand that his voting NO all the time accomplishes nothing. For example, his vote against Coast Guard funding last October – a strange vote considering the district encompasses half the Texas coast and also given that the Coast Guard is part of the common defense of our homeland. For a man supposedly principled in the Constitution, voting against our common defense is at odds with his duties as a representative. Given his voting record and the discontent for him in this district along with my decision to campaign full-time, success is within my reach. Ron Paul maybe able to out fundraise me, but he will not be able to outwork me. If Ron Paul is man enough to debate me, my chances of success only improve.

Tim Knight - Mr. Graney, Congressman Ron Paul has been a poor excuse for a Republican, how would you differ from Congressman Paul?

Tim Graney - I will differ from Ron Paul in many ways, let’s first look at foreign policy. Ron Paul has not only been a poor excuse for a Republican, he has been a disgrace and embarrassment to the Republican Party. This clearly showed during the last Presidential election cycle when he basically blamed America for the attacks of 9/11. In another Republican debate, it was even suggested by the moderator that Paul was on the wrong stage. Paul’s views on foreign policy are a danger to the safety and security of America. I do not have a problem with our military bases throughout the world and Paul would prefer to bring them all home, stick his head in the sand and hope the problem we face with radical Islam would just go away. Paul often votes against Israel or in support of Hamas – depending on which way you want to view his votes. He is more aligned with Democrat Dennis Kucinich than Republicans when it comes to foreign policy. Last year he was the lone vote in refusing to condemn Hamas for using children in videos that were anti-Semitic and taught hatred of the Jews. When given a choice to stand with Israel or to stand with Hamas, the choice for me is simple – I’ll stand with Israel and against the terrorist thugs of Hamas every day of the week. Either Paul is choosing to stand with Hamas or is simply spouting his isolationist views – either viewpoint is a danger to the safety and security of America.

Unlike Ron Paul, I will be willing to work with others in Washington. Ron Paul has a "my way or the highway attitude" and this renders him ineffective at getting any positive legislation passed. Voting NO and not working with others will accomplish nothing and Dr. No has proven this as he is the single most ineffective member in all of Congress today. While Congress is passing terrible bills such as the stimulus, cash for clunkers, and healthcare, Paul is off pushing his own agenda, yelling about ending the FED, thus ignoring the damage occurring around him. As one voice out of 435, I will work with other conservatives in Washington to push forth reasonable ideas and legislation to begin to slowly peel back the layers of taxation and regulation that have been built up over decades. I will put forth reasonable solutions such as reduction in corporate taxation. While everyone would love to see the IRS go away, we first have to chip away at the current taxation issues that are stifling American companies, especially small business. As we reduce taxation – and cut spending, we can begin to see the renewing of jobs in America. Ending the FED will not help put Americans back to work.

I am a conservative, Ron Paul is a libertarian. I do not support the legalization of drugs as Paul advocates. We do not need corner cannabis stores in America. Paul will often equate the war on drugs with the prohibition era. There is a huge difference between having a beer with dinner and taking a snort of cocaine for dessert. We do not need rampant and cheap hardcore drugs in our society.

Tim Knight - Mr. Graney, Congressman Paul has called the United States "occupiers" when responding to a question about the recent failed terrorist attack in Detroit, what are your thoughts on this outrageous claim, and the terrorist attack?

Tim Graney - Ron Paul is dead wrong on this issue, as he once again spouts his blame America first mentality for the failed Christmas Day terror attack. Much in the same way Paul blamed America for the terror attacks of 9/11. We are not occupiers of any land nor have we taken any land in the wars we have fought since the 1900’s. The only land we have asked for is enough to bury the courageous men and women who gave their lives fighting for our freedom. That is not too much to ask. We maintain our bases throughout the world for the purpose of protecting our nation and our national security interests.

Radical Islam is at war with the America and the rest of the Western world, but Paul refuses to acknowledge this and instead prefers to stick his head in the sand and hope the problem goes away while continuing to blame America for standing up for what is right. America has beaten back Nazism and Fascism, and will also beat back Radical Islam. However, we will not be successful so long as people like Paul continue to blame America for this problem.

Paul claims this terrorist acted in response to our recent intervention in Yemen. This terrorist was radicalized long before the attempted attack and he became an enemy combatant long before he boarded that flight. It is for that reason that this person should be afforded absolutely no rights under our Constitution and should be treated and held as an enemy combatant. These terrorist thugs should not be entitled to the rights afforded by the very Constitution they are trying to destroy.

It is time to end this political correctness that cost the lives of 13 brave men and women at Fort Hood and almost caused the death of nearly 300 Americas on Christmas Day – one of the most celebrated days in our Judeo-Christian nation. All Muslims are not terrorists, but virtually every terrorist attacked perpetrated against the Western world over the last several decades have been carried out by Muslims fixated on their Radical Islamic agenda. Make no mistake, bringing every last one of our troops from around the world home will not solve this problem. Nor will rolling over or playing dead or sticking our head in the sand. This enemy must be confronted on all fronts and this enemy must be defeated – Radical Islam, and its terroristic followers, is the enemy who must be defeated. It is time for all Americans, including the moderate and reasonable Muslims in America, to step up and speak out against the terroristic agenda of Radical Islam.

Ron Paul’s ideas on foreign policy are a danger to the safety and security of America. As a Congressman, Paul took an oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic". Ron Paul has failed in his duty to uphold this oath and instead continues to speak out against America, while speaking in support of our enemies.

Tim Knight - Mr. Graney, Eric Dondero of the Libertarian Republican, who has long worked with Congressman Paul, has had enough of his Isolationist views, your thoughts?

Tim Graney - This is one of my major differences with Ron Paul and his isolationist/non-interventionist foreign policy ideas. Paul’s isolationist views are a danger to the safety and security of our great nation. There will always be a leader of the free world. Throw 12 people in a room and one will emerge as a leader – it will be the strong confident one who has the willingness and ability to back up and defend their ideals. I do not have a problem with American exceptionalism. America is the greatest county this world has ever known and we have done more to bring freedom to others in our short existence than any other nation ever has. We tried isolationism before and that lead us into a world war where millions of people died – both military personnel as well as innocent civilians. America is that shinning beacon of hope the world over, and it is Reagan’s belief in peace through strength that has enabled us to remain that beacon of hope for freedom loving people the world over. The European citizenry very much protested Reagan’s placement of Pershing II missiles in Europe, but that was one of many "peace through strength" actions that lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Berlin wall.

Tim Knight - Mr. Graney, have you ever supported a Republican candidate for President? Because I cannot find one record indicating Congressman Paul has ever done so.

Tim Graney - I’ve been supporting the Republican nominee for President ever since I first played the role of Ronald Reagan in a Reagan v. Carter debate in my 9

th grade social studies class. I can’t say John McCain was my first choice in 2008, but once he was the nominee, he had my support – and he got more than just that. Given that Texas was more or less safely in McCain’s corner, I could not just sit idly by in Texas while the most important election in our time was before us. Given that, I answered the call for volunteers to deploy to battleground states to campaign for McCain and thus I went to North Carolina – on my own time and dime. In three days, I and another fellow Republican from Georgia knocked on nearly 1,000 doors before spending all day on Election Day at a polling location that was in a battleground precinct as well. It was a great experience and I was very glad I did it. Paul did a disservice to all Republicans last year in Minnesota when he held his own convention, and he continues to do a disservice today to the constituents of the 14th District of Texas.

Tim Knight - Mr. Graney, how can the American people help your campaign, to restore real Republican representation in a district Ron Paul has long misrepresented?

Tim Graney - For those within the 14

th District of Texas, it is their vote and the vote of their family, friends and neighbors that I need most on March 2, 2010 in the Republican Primary. Campaigns take money to run and thus whatever financial support people can give will be greatly appreciated and used wisely. I am campaigning full-time and am knocking on doors throughout the District, but there are only so many doors we can reach by foot. For those we cannot reach by foot, we are reaching by mail and by phone – and that takes money – and lots of it. The more voters I can reach with my plan of common sense solutions from a common sense conservative the more likely we are to restore real Republican representation to a district that deserves much better than what it is getting today. Given today’s tough economic times, I recognize that not all are in a position to give money, but they can give of their time and of their voice. They can volunteer to host events or walk neighborhoods and they can simply get on my email list and forward my message to any and all of their contacts in and around the District. With the help of everyday Americans, just like I am, we can bring sound ideas and principles of the Republican Party to the people of the 14th District of Texas as well as all across America.

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