If you know anything about the history of St. Louis, you know that St. Louis has been one of the most famous cities in the world. Before it was founded by French fur traders during Colonial Times, this area was the site of one of the largest North American Indian Civilizations ever discovered (The Cahokians or Mound Builders). Some believe there may have been as many as one million Indians living just north and east of this location making this the probable center of Indian life in the Midwest region of the country. In 1764, Pierre Laclede said upon finding this region, "I HAVE FOUND A SITUATION WHERE I AM GOING TO FORM A SETTLEMENT WHICH MIGHT BECOME, HEREAFTER, ONE OF THE FINEST CITIES IN AMERICA --SO MANY ADVANTAGES ARE EMBRACED IN ITS SITE, BY ITS LOCALITY AND CENTRAL POSITION, FOR FORMING SETTLEMENTS." And so he did. While St. Genevieve and St. Louis rivaled one another for awhile with St. Genevieve being the larger of the two, St. Louis finally won out as the largest city.

The growth of St. Louis continued throughout the development of the country through westward expansion and beyond. During the westward expansion, St. Louis became the “gateway” through which almost all travelers west would leave behind civilization. Going through our great city are both the Lewis and Clark Trail (as they departed from St. Louis to scout the Louisiana Territory for Thomas Jefferson) and the Katie Trail. St. Louis soon became legendary around the world. Hardly a movie, book or play has not mentioned the famous city of St. Louis.

In 1904, we may have reached our grandest time of all. Through the work of former Governor and Mayor Roland Francis, the dream of a World’s Fair was realized. There was no grander place to be in 1904 than St. Louis. Here at this most remarkable fair were invented the ice cream cone and the hot dog. Some say that iced tea also made its debut here. But whatever the true history of those treats, it is certain that the fair was a treat. Forest Park was turned from swampland into a glorious tribute to the world and to technology. The Ferris Wheel or Observation Wheel (or just the great wheel) was brought from the Chicago World’s Fair and set up at the very center of the fair. This was not like any Ferris Wheel you have ever seen as this one had a 75 ton center axle and the wheel had cars, each as large as a street car and each capable of holding 61 people. A grand total of over 2,000 people could ride on the wheel at once. In addition to this spectacular fair, we hosted the world Olympics at the same time. They were held at Francis Field on the campus of Washington University.

St. Louis continued its spiraling growth right up to modern times when it became one of the largest cities in the nation at number 8 in population. Sadly, that was the peak for St. Louis. While we have had many great years since then, the population of St. Louis began to decline over the years and industry left along with that. Typical urban problems helped with the decline and we have now become the 52nd largest city in the United States. It is sad that we have declined in these areas, but the worst thing is that we have lost the industry and jobs that are necessary to make St. Louis a good place to make a living. We know that this is a good place to raise a family, but not true if you cannot make a good living.

With our rich history in mind, I pledge to make the return to our glory days a priority in my administration. Not just jobs, but good jobs; not just growth, but positive and purposeful growth. As I have already stated, it would be inappropriate for me to take all of my Congressional salary when so many people in this district and across the country are now hurting financially, losing jobs and losing homes. While I did not cause these problems, Congress and Washington did. But I am going there to correct those problems. If it is not possible to do that, I am coming back home and I will tell you why.

I believe that we will be greater than before. But we must put an end to the “good ole boy” politicians that go to Washington and elsewhere to enhance their own pocketbooks and power. We must have representatives who are like you, real people with real values.

Please vote for John Wayne Tucker on August 3rd and we will begin work on the restoration of all that we have known as America.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

As a candidate for Congress, I am constantly asked to sign pledges for a variety of things. While I don’t sign all of them, I have signed a fair share. These are some of the most important ones.

The Freshman 50 asks people of all parties to pledge fiscal responsibility. Since fiscal responsibility is one of the priority issues that I have listed for my campaign, this seems like a good place to start. This pledge calls for Congressmen to Apply the Law Equally, meaning that we will not make a law for you that we are not willing to accept for ourselves. That should take some of the arrogance out of Congress. It asks Congressmen to limit their term of office. I have no interest in being in Washington the rest of my life. It calls for reading the bills before voting. Little wonder that this is included when a congressman was arrogant enough to say, “What? Do you think we read these bills?” It also calls for revising the tax code and providing a balanced budget. It boggles the mind that Congress does not realize the importance of a balanced budget.

Another is The Contract from America which includes 10 common sense conservative pledges including following the Constitution (I thought those guys took an oath to do that?), balance the budget (There they go with that radical concept again.), get rid of many of the legislative packages passed by the current administration such as Cap and Trade and the Health Care Bill, and modify the tax code and reduce taxes. Are we seeing a trend in thinking here yet?

In addition, I have signed the pledge at DefundIt.org which calls for refusing to fund Obamacare as well as the pledge at National Referendum which calls for a repeal of Obamacare. Wow! Looks like another trend here. The President and your Congressmen said, "Here, we are giving you this bill whether you want it or not." You went to protest meeting after protest meeting and they didn’t listen. You went to town hall meeting after town hall meeting and told your elected representatives that you did not want this bill and they gave you the same rhetoric. You called and emailed them so much they stopped answering the phones and the email. They crammed it down our throats and now the people are saying we will send you home. It is time for us to make good on that promise.

In addition I have signed pledges for the protection of gun rights, states’ rights and academic freedom or freedom of choice to send your children to whatever school you want as well as to home school them. I did not write any of those pledges. Those were written by angry groups of Americans who want their government to listen to them. But I have signed a pledge that I wrote which I call My Pledge to the 3rd District and America which includes 17 points. In this pledge, I support The Constitution, reading the bills, Life, states’ rights, limited government, full and total protection of our borders, marriage values, personal integrity where I refuse to sell my values to anyone, to return half my salary to the district and most importantly to resign if I fail to follow the rules I have set for myself.

So what does all this pledge signing mean? It depends on who is signing the pledge, don’t you think? Politicians have always made promises and signed pledges, but the American people have not made them stay true to their pledges. Politicians have signed pledges to get your vote knowing that they would go on with politics as usual or they have bowed to the pressure of money and political power.

And that is the great difference here. I am not a politician. I owe nothing to any political person or group. I only owe loyalty to the voters and to the country. And, of course, I must be true to myself. Since I am giving back half my salary, I am not going there for financial gain. I have no desire to be President or anything else in Washington, so I am not going for political gain. There is nothing they have to offer me that could cause me to waiver from my commitment to my values that I have held all my life. A pledge is only as good as the person that signs it. Therefore, you must send people to Washington who really believe something. You must send people who are like you. You must send people who were born and raised among you as it was done originally.

I am that man. I was born and raised in the 3rd District. I have always worked in the 3rd District. I know the 3rd District and I have a commitment to its success.

Please vote for John Wayne Tucker on August 3rd. I am the only Conservative running in the 3rd District.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

Your taxes are going up and they are going up big time. For some strange reason, no Republican candidate is talking about this pending disaster to the American people. And, of course, the Democratic Party is not going to be talking about the increases after Obama’s promise that no person making less than $250,000 would see any increase in taxes. But it is certain that you and everyone else will be raging angry in about six months when the 2001 and 2003 Republican tax cuts sunset on January 1st. This will be one of the biggest tax increases we have seen and it will be virtually across the board. Your income is going to be melting away. And all of this will come during the massively depressed economy and jobless rate that we already have. In case no one has noticed, small businesses are closing in record numbers and this tax increase will hurt those remaining small business directly and indirectly.

First, every income tax bracket will increase significantly. Even the 10% bracket will increase to 15%. And every other bracket will increase by similar amounts. That is 5%, not $5.00. This is a huge amount of increase for anyone’s income bracket. Counting on being married to help out? Well, there will be an increase in taxes for married people (the so called “marriage penalty”), a reduction of child tax credits by half and no more doubling of the child standard deduction for married couples. Counting on an inheritance? Sorry, the “Death Tax” will return. There will be as much as 55% on estates of One Million Dollars or more (and don’t think there are not a whole lot more of those than there have ever been). Work hard, be successful, save up something to leave your kids and give it to the government. Of course if you are going to be in a nursing home and use Medicaid, the government can just tear up your deed and make one with their name on it anyway. Getting an inheritance in America is practically impossible. So, you have been saving and investing your money. Sorry, Capital Gains tax is going up from 15 to 20%. Perhaps we would be better off to just enjoy our money when we get it. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011, and another 3.8 percent in 2013. And don’t forget that Obamacare is not free. There are over twenty new taxes associated with that program that will also go into effect on Jan. 1, 2011.

The final wave of taxes slated for this coming January includes the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and Employer Tax Hikes. According to the Tax Policy Center, failure to index the AMT will cause the number of families forced to pay at a higher rate to increase from 4 million to 28.5 million families. The ability of small businesses to expense rather than depreciate equipment will reduce from $250,000 to $25,000. Large businesses can expense half of their equipment, but in January, 2011, no expensing will be allowed at all. Everything will have to be depreciated. In addition, there will be a large host of other business taxes that will increase. This along with the sagging economy will lead to lost jobs and a more depressed economy.

Furthermore, deductions for tuition will be eliminated, teachers will not be able to deduct personal moneys spent for classroom purposes, employers will be limited in the educational assistance they can provide (one of the best benefits provided by employers these days) and student loan interest will not be deductible. And finally, charitable donations will not be allowed by retired people from their IRA.

All of this means that the economy will get worse, personal wealth will decline, jobs will be lost and the economy will continue to sink. So why is no politician talking about this? I have no idea. But this non-politician says, “I will work to extend these tax cuts until we can find a way to improve the tax system so that the government does not make it impossible for us to enjoy the benefits of our hard work.” I have signed many pledges, including the No Death Tax pledge, but the most important pledge I have signed is the one that I created for myself. You can find it on my web site http://johnwaynetucker.com/pledge.html. No politician would sign such a pledge, but then, I am not a politician. Not only do I recognize the dangers inherent in the tax increases, but I am committed to prevent that disaster. Nobody else is even talking about it. I am promising to work to fix it.

But to do that, I need you to select John Wayne Tucker in the primary on August 3rd. Please donate, spread the word and most importantly vote on August 3rd.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

There is a hilarious, but also sad video circulating on YouTube that shows people unable to recognize the meaning for the 4th of July celebrations. So, while I am sure that you know, let’s look into what led to this important document and what it means.

First, we need to travel back a little bit to get the gist of what led to this great document. But let’s suffice it to say that the British Colonists or Americans were angry with their parent country Great Britain after Great Britain cracked down on enforcing laws against the colonists who had, for the most part, been self-governing and ignoring the laws. You probably learned that the reason for the unhappiness was the Stamp Act which brought about the cry of “no taxation without representation”. While this is simple jargon for school children, the real reason behind rebellion was not taxes, although it may be the reason for the next rebellion. The reason was in fact that the Colonists wanted to remain self-governing and Sam Adams and John Hancock (leaders of the violent protest group, The Son’s of Liberty) were at the heart of urging rebellion and anger by the Colonists.

The whole thing came to a resolution on April 19, 1775 when the British sent their world renowned army, known as “regulars” to march from Boston to Concord where the Colonists had stored munitions in the event of trouble with England. They were to capture the munitions and Adams and Hancock, thus squelching the resistance. What the British leaders had not counted on was the problem of Lexington. Paul Revere had already warned the countryside that the British were coming and when the huge army of regulars (about 1,000) got to Lexington, the local men and boys stood on their “green” or common area in the center of the town, armed with their weapons to make a stand and statement. The outcome of that event, of course was the massacre of that small local militia and the so called “shot heard round the world”. Word spread quickly to every small village and farm and the men and boys of all those places came out with their guns to defend against the British assault on their neighbors. While the British made it to Concord, they did not find the munitions as they had been moved, nor did they find Adams and Hancock. Their trip home was a disaster. They were pelted all the way to Boston by a warfare they did not know how to fight. The Colonial Militia fired at them from behind rocks, trees and other cover while the British blindly marched into the face of their fire. Scarcely half of them were left by the time they got back to Boston. So, the war for Independence had begun before Independence was declared.

Formal independence was declared on July 2, 1776, but on July 4th, 1776, the brilliant document, The Declaration of Independence (written by Thomas Jefferson), was signed. John Hancock signed the document directly in the center with large letters (not so King George could read it without his glasses) so that he could say, Hah, in the face of the King who failed with all his power to capture the rebellious Hancock. The document was like nothing before as it proclaimed that God gave rights and freedoms to man that no King or government on earth could take away. It proclaimed our right to life (and as the Preamble to The Constitution) should forever solidify the nation behind the right to life as a law of God and a law of The Constitution. It proclaimed our right to liberty declaring that God gave us freedom and no man can take that away and finally it proclaimed our right to pursue happiness (originally written as property, but changed by the rest of the five man committee charged with writing the document).

So, this is the reason we celebrate this day. We celebrate the day that Americans declared themselves to be free men. Not just free from Britain, but by the power of God vested with the innate right and heritage to life, freedom and the pursuit of happiness.

May we never forget it, nor let anyone else forget it either.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

The problem with politics is; well, it is politics. And many people running for office like to play funny games. There have been plenty of funny games played on me so far, but the most frustrating is the inability to pin Ed Martin down to a meeting with me. A Tea Party group had scheduled a meet and greet with Martin and myself almost a year ago and after agreeing to attend, flyers being printed and publicity paid for, he suddenly could not find time in his schedule. Today, I was at the Freedom Fights event in St. Charles where both Ed Martin and Roy Blunt were scheduled to appear. When I was able to finally be a part of this event ($295.00 to be a part of the event), Martin suddenly had another engagement. After Tweeting and Facebooking the standup, it was up in the air as to whether he would show. Finally, we were told that he would be there. He was in fact there. He worked the crowd, greeted his campaign workers and ten minutes before he was to climb in the ring with me and other candidates, he was missing again. Yes, he ducked out of the event!

Twice now, Martin has declined to meet me in a public forum. Once, it cost Tea Party members money. This time, it cost me campaign money. And still no public meeting with Martin. Frankly, it is difficult to see how a candidate who has no issues written on his website or anywhere in print that I have seen can expect the support of anyone. And now, he refuses to answer a few simple questions in a public forum where he expected his people to give up their Sunday and work for him. People paid money to come to the event to see him and we still do not know where he stands on issues. He has not completed the Abigail Adams Project survey or the Gun Rights Examiner survey. It took Martin 300 days to simply complete his FEC disclosure paperwork. What is taking up so much of his time? Is this transparency? Is he going to have time to return your calls or talk to you if he were to become a U. S. Congressman? The pattern here seems to suggest no.

Oh yes, Roy Blunt didn’t show up either. Perhaps he and Martin were sipping a latte somewhere discussing their personal plans for fame and distasteful voting for the American people. There is not much time left in this primary. You can’t ignore me for the entire campaign Ed. I am passing you in success. You need to meet me in a public forum so we can find out just what the people are going to be voting for. Oh, but the people already know what I stand for. I have it clearly stated on my site, on all of the surveys I have received, and in my Pledge to America (a pledge so demanding that no politician in the world would sign it.). Come on Ed, you can’t hide forever.

Please support my campaign financially and in the primary election on August 3rd.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

One of the most notable differences of the citizenship in America when compared to that of other countries has been the right to own property; specifically, the right to own real property (real estate, land). Today we still lead most of the world in this right and in actual practice. The American dream is to own land or a home. In our history, the ownership of property has been a symbol and a fact of real and genuine wealth. After the Louisiana Purchase, the government owned massive amounts of western land which they surveyed and sold to the citizens of America for a dollar an acre. While the land was divided into one square mile sections inside a 36 square mile area known as a Township, these divisions were much too expensive for individuals to purchase. The final division that became common was 40 acres which became the typical property ownership for the wealthy. Further subdivisions were later made for the poor so that they could purchase just a few acres at $5.00 per acre and pay for that over an extended period of time. All of this land that was available made our westward expansion a reality and our ultimate realization of what came to be known as Manifest Destiny.

It is certainly not a reality that everyone will own land or a home, but in America, it is more possible than anywhere else. I know the excitement of fulfilling that dream. It took me many years to be able to afford my first very modest home, but it was very meaningful to actually own a piece of land. Eventually, I was able to move into a new home which is the ultimate dream and goal of many Americans. Of course, property ownership comes with great expense and responsibility. And property ownership also means the ability to own land on which you can operate a business. Here again, we have the greatest of advantages in America where this happens all across our country.

However land ownership comes with a concern too. The problem is that the property may be taken by the government if it is necessary for public use. This is known as Eminent Domain and is provided for in The United States Constitution as well in most state laws. Under The Constitution, the government must provide proper compensation and the use must be something that is required for public use; most commonly being used for roads, railroads, airports, government buildings, etc. However, more recently, the use of Eminent Domain has come to be more liberally interpreted and comes closer than ever to living up to the meaning of the words; specifically the word eminent which means of high or distinguished rank or standing above someone else. Thus, various government bodies have sought to take a person’s property through condemnation of the property and for purposes that would include such things as urban redevelopment or in some cases to just replace one business with a business belonging to a very wealthy chain of businesses, etc.

While, historically, the governments of the world and even of Colonial America seized property for whatever reason and without compensation, the states refused to accept membership into the United States until The Constitution included a Bill-of Rights which protected property rights with the terms proper compensation and for public use.

So, it is reasonable to assume that the government would not be able to build an interstate highway system without the ability to require people to move from their homes with proper compensation. I remember growing up in South St. Louis as a boy when they built highway 55 just two blocks from my home (a four family flat). I remember that there was great excitement as homes were auctioned off and torn down. And then there was the excitement of watching the highway being built. The most exciting thing, however, was watching them move houses down the street. People who wanted to keep their homes actually found new lots (one just next door to my home), and moved their houses to a new location. Well, the excitement of all that for a boy growing up in the neighborhood at that time was obviously not shared by all those who were forced to relocate. There is no doubt in my mind that many people were not happy about having to move. What I did not know as a boy is very clear to me as an adult.

As painful an experience as that was for so many, I think that most of us can agree that this was indeed an important public use of the property and one that could never have been accomplished without Eminent Domain. The problem for us today, of course, is the abuse of Eminent Domain. The government does not have the right to take your property unless it is for public use. Governments have begun the obvious abuse of Eminent Domain to the point that it is an unconstitutional abuse of power. Businesses losing their land because the community government wants to put in a big retail chain, or condemning a person’s land because they want to build a strip mall are not proper uses of Eminent Domain. While there are obviously many more examples of the abuse, we can all easily see that the government has found a way to control development of areas by abusing power illegally.

Of all of the powers that our forefathers set aside for the government, this particular power is one of the most easily abused and the abuse of it is one of the most heinous of crimes against the citizens of the land. Our forefathers tried to create a country that made it possible for people to not only own land, but to own it perpetually without fear of anyone taking it away from them. No other country ever provided such safeguards for the perpetual ownership of land than America and we cannot allow the selective abuse of a realistic and worthy exception. To take away the security of ownership is to put us into the very dangers of ancient times when no man could be certain of the ownership of anything including his own life.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

There is not a lot of consensus on anything in the world, but we come really close to consensus when we talk about the concept that Congress is broken. Almost everyone realizes that Congress is in shambles and that it is a mere shell of what it once was. There is consensus almost across the board that Congress spends too much money and that it is driving us completely bankrupt. We soon face the real possibility of full financial breakdown and the Congress just doesn’t get it. They continue on with the backroom deals, cramming legislation down our throats, ignoring our will and telling us anything they think will get them re-elected. The real concern of both parties and politicians is getting re-elected. It's not about America anymore when it comes to Congress.

What everyone in the country needs to realize now is that there will have to be a major rethinking of the people to take back our country. The people must stop thinking about “the party” and really search out and find those people who are willing to put their lives on the line to make America great again. For me to win in Missouri’s 3rd District, I need Conservatives, Libertarians, Constitutionalists, Independents, Democrats and Independent thinking Republicans to gather together in support of my campaign. All of these groups must realize that my campaign is only about bringing back the strength of America. This election is not about me. This election is not about a party. This election is about all the issues that I have listed on this website. This election is about saving our country from Socialism, from financial disaster, from ethical ruin, from social destruction. The values that I have presented on my site are the values that most of you in the 3rd District and across the country hold to. You must look beyond a party affiliation this time and give me your trust and your vote.

Please remember that St. Louis has been in major decline since 1949. We have seen St. Louis fall from 8th in size to 52nd in size during that timeframe. We have seen jobs lost, companies leave, population decline, tax base erode and a general loss of growth and the decimation of manufacturing. There is much that we can do to restore St. Louis, but I need your help to get to Washington where I can work on the problems.

Allow me to be very clear. The Constitution of the United States is the basis for anything that a Congressman does. Well, it is supposed to be and that is my position. I refuse to allow us to cast aside the very cement that made us. I support States’ Rights completely. The Bill-of-Rights is a treasure that cannot be exploited or allowed to be diminished by anyone. We all want a country that is strong, profitable for all of us, with strong businesses, a strong middle class and the opportunity to succeed. The people of the 3rd District are people like me. I know this because unlike my opponent who was born and raised in New Jersey, I have always lived and worked in the 3rd District. No other candidate has as much time and effort invested in this community as I do.

Remember too, that being in Congress is not about money, fame, or power for me. I am giving back half my Congressional salary to the District and I have absolutely no aspirations to achieve higher office. The lobbyists, the money people, the other Congressmen have absolutely nothing they can offer me that would cause me to give up my values. What I claim on my site is exactly what I will do. If it is not possible, I will come back home and I will tell you why it is not possible. But if it is not possible, then the country is gone already. I ask you to stand for decency, credibility, honesty, non-scandalous government by crossing over from every group and standing beside me as I stand beside you to bring back the America we all loved and respected. We will never fix Congress by electing the political “good ole boys”. Congress is broken, but together we can fix it by breaking away from the mold and supporting a non-politician.

Please support my campaign financially and in the primary election on August 3rd.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

The John Wayne Tucker Campaign is working very hard to meet the people of the district. We are locked out of the press and so we are actively on the road meeting thousands of people each week to spread the word about the only real conservative running in this race. This is hard work and requires a lot of volunteers, but we don’t mind hard work.

Of course, I have lived with the people of this district every day of my life. I was born and raised here and have always worked here with you.

Since my opponent is a lawyer from New Jersey, he obviously does not know the district and its history like I do. This is the reason that wherever we go, conservatives are jumping on board in large numbers to support a real person (not a politician) who has a life-time history in the district and a life-time history of service with no political history and no political scandal. As a lifetime St. Louis native, I can answer your natural St. Louis question, “Where’d you go to high school”. It is no wonder that conservatives in St. Louis are quickly recognizing the real person who can represent the district the way it needs to be represented.

The important thing is that we continue to get the word out to as many people as possible. We are swamped with requests for yard signs, bumper stickers, banners, etc. and the volunteer staff is having a difficult time keeping up with the requests. While all of these are good and positive things, we face the usual difficulty of keeping the supply of signs and other materials coming. Please remember that we need the donations to keep coming in so that we can continue to fill the orders for materials.

One thing is certain. The people I talk to in the district do not want to be represented by a lawyer from New Jersey. They want a real person with real values that will not be compromised. They want a real person who is somewhat removed from the party leaders. Removed enough that he can do what the party is supposed to do. They want someone with genuine interest in the district. And they are always positive about the fact that I am giving back half of my congressional salary to the district. This is a new time for Washington: a time that can only be siezed by a real person with no personal agenda. I am this real person: a non-politician, a real conservative, and a person with real beliefs and values. The people are appalled as they learn about the dirty political tricks that have been used to try to delete me from the ballot. The people are angry about the same old politics as usual. A new time is here and with your continued help and support and the fabulous help of my staff and volunteers, a huge victory is going to occur for the John Wayne Tucker Campaign on August 3rd. Let’s stir things up here and in Washington. It can only happen with your support.

Thanks to all of you who have already pledged your support and I look forward to meeting new people every day. We'll be at an event near you soon.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

This article is in loving memory of those who gave themselves for us and our freedoms. Not all died in wars, but all came back different people than they were when they left. In some measure each man and woman that served our country in military service gave a small or great piece of themselves in providing that service and we should always be grateful for their sacrifices. Some have said of those that died in Europe in WWII that “They gave up all of their tomorrows for your today”. Young men just barely out of high school and in some cases like my father, taken directly from high school fought a common enemy to the world and they won that battle. They defeated Hitler’s Nazis and some did not return. They are buried there on the beaches where they fought and died, some perhaps not fully understanding why, but they did it nevertheless. As Abraham Lincoln said of the soldiers of the Civil War, “They have given the last full measure of devotion”.

My father landed at Omaha and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. There were few battles in history that equaled the size and importance of those two battles. I am proud to say he served, but sad to know that it was such a bad experience for him and those brave young men that served with him in that horrible war. Many have fought in many wars and in many battles. Some of them historically great and some historically of little memory, but to all of us they should hold equal dearness in our hearts as each of them cost the lives and futures of so many who gave for the cause of country.

While this is not intended to be a political message, it is with sadness that we all become aware that our President and Commander-in-Chief has chosen to go on vacation instead of attending the memorial services at Arlington National Cemetery. The American people have come to depend on their President to show his gratitude on behalf of the nation at this event and it is sad to know that they will not get that gratitude.

But is not our right to allow the President to do our mourning for us even if it helps us to see it. It is our duty to mourn these losses ourselves and I know that the vast majority of Americans truly do mourn their losses. It is also our duty to honor those who serve now. We do not ever have to like or even defend the wars that our brave men and women serve in, but we do not have the option to salute their brave devotion to country and their sacrifice on behalf of what we used to call a “grateful nation”. I believe that We The People are grateful, but I now wonder about our leaders gratefulness. But let us not destroy the importance of this day with thoughts of what is not being done. Rather let us rejoice the day that we can set aside to honor our loved ones who have served us.

May God comfort all of your losses and sacrifices as family members.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

I recently asked many of my supporters what they thought was the most important political issue right now. I had expected a general consensus on something, but the answers were as varied as are the issues, so this article will cover my stand on each of these issues. While I already point out my stand on each of these issues on my website, here is a single article that addresses what you are interested in politically.

• The Constitution is being destroyed. I agree completely. There has never been so many outright violations of the Constitution. We have nationalized companies, allowed the President to issue laws by Executive Order and allowed courts to legislate from the bench. Congress has turned over power to the President to do what he will to print money, create bailouts, and cram legislation down our throats. I am appalled at the failure of our elected officials to follow the Constitution. Rest assured that when I take an oath to defend the Constitution, I will take that as a sacred oath that binds me to do so. I will not accept any legislation that obviously flies in the face of the Constitution. We are nothing if we refuse to follow our clearly designated rules and guidelines as set out in the Constitution.


• Abortion or the destruction of the next generation.As I have stated everywhere and frequently, I was a very young boy when I first learned about the existence of a thing called abortion. I did not have to have anyone tell me that this was wrong. It was obvious to me that this violated God’s laws. Abortion is a non-negotiable issue with me. I stand firmly against abortion, embryonic stem cell research, cloning, denial of feeding, or any form of euthanasia. I value life from conception until its natural end.


• Illegal aliens or the invasion from Mexico. Here again, I have made this clear continuously. The protection of our borders is not an optional law. The government cannot ignore the law or the Constitutional responsibility to protect our borders. Illegal is illegal and it costs us approximately $120,000 per year per illegal. Plus there is the significant loss of jobs in America. While the government would have you believe that these jobs are jobs that no American wants, we have seen here in Missouri that illegals were working as construction workers. I think Americans would like to have those jobs. Illegals were working as UPS workers. I believe those are good jobs that Americans would love to have. Please know that I will do everything within my power to end this violation of the law and the Constitution. Also, please note that I have no problem with legal immigration.
  
  I know the efforts and expense that are involved to get to America legally. My wife is an immigrant who came here legally and I can testify to the expense, health reports, police background checks, interviews, fingerprinting, waiting lists, inability to work or drive for at least one year and other requirements of those who come here legally.


• Unemployment. I had expected this to be the most important issue right now and I do believe that it is first and foremost on many people’s minds. It is certainly an important issue in my mind. I have watched as the 3rd District of Missouri has dropped lower and lower in financial standing in Missouri. Remember please, that St. Louis was the 8th largest city in 1948. In 1949, the Democratic Party took control of this district and has held it until now. The current rank of St. Louis among American cities is number 52.
  
  I know that jobs are important. I have watched as jobs have been shipped to other countries. I have watched as companies have left the St. Louis area. Good jobs and good companies have left and nothing is being done to bring them back. I know that I cannot represent the interests of our people without providing a plan to return good jobs to the area. This economic dilemma is the reason that I have pledged to give back half my salary to the district to be used for community and other significant projects. But more importantly than my economic contribution is my total commitment to return jobs to this area.
  
  I have thought and worked for a long time to understand the cause of our job losses here and I am certain that I have hit on the reason. I have a very specific plan that will bring our area back to significant employment levels and return business to our area. I cannot disclose this plan at this time, but as soon as the primary is over, I will make my plan clear. Of course, not only will I be working to improve the situation here, but across the country. Rest assured that any legislation that will return jobs to America will be at the forefront of my agenda in Washington.

I will not stand idly by and watch our country be destroyed. Send me to Washington where I can fight the fight that will save our industry, businesses, jobs, homes, middle class economy, freedom, culture and the American way of life. I will never rest as long as we are threatened.

Please remember to vote for John Wayne Tucker on August 3rd, 2010.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

With all of the “CHANGES” being made by our government in the past year since the president took office, it seems clear that the “CHANGE” he was talking about was a move toward Socialism. The concepts of redistributing wealth, socializing medicine, taking over (nationalizing) private companies; these are all tactics used by the European Socialist countries that brought total equality to the people of those countries.

Total equality sounds good, don’t you think? Well, not when you consider that it means that everyone is exactly the same even to the point of no person being allowed to have any more than anyone else. Sort of kills incentive, doesn’t it?

My wife, who grew up in Soviet Russia, tells how Socialism spread through the cities rather quickly, but came to the outlying areas very gradually. When it came to the farming communities, it did not seem very fair to them. One family had something that the others did not have. They had a horse which made it possible for them to plow the fields easier. The decision was that everyone should be allowed to use the horse. The owner felt towards the horse like we do towards our pets. The owner thought that the people who were using his beloved horse might not feed or take proper care of his horse. He didn’t think it was fair or right that this should happen. So, they sold the horse and moved to a part of the country where the Socialists had little control.

Other people who stayed behind did not like what was going on either, but they had to comply out of fear that they would disappear like others who protested. Fear was the motivating factor for equalization. The prospect of becoming a success financially was gone. People did not care about their work. Working harder could not make you any better or higher in position than anyone else. Working harder did not get you a promotion. The incentive for working harder was only a certificate of appreciation from the government. The only people I know of in America who are satisfied with that are teachers. I always got a certificate of appreciation for Christmas. It came in my paycheck envelope where some of you may have gotten bonuses.

America is following a dangerous logic (should I rather say illogic) by thinking that we can do better by making ourselves all exactly the same. The greatness of America is historically based on the rugged individualism of individuals who rose above difficulty and adversity due to their clever intellect or their willingness to take a chance on a new venture. The motivating factor was always the reward that they would get in the form of monetary success. To take away success is to take away the very heart and soul of entrepreneurial greatness. Few will ever be motivated to greatness under a system that does not reward the greatness. Our westward expansion was based on rewards in the form of gold and land ownership possibilities.

Following that expansion was the transportation and communication industry. All kinds of businesses and inventions were a result. Greatness and national wealth come directly from the opportunity to have success.

Of course, as we all know, the chance to become great comes with risk. The inability or unwillingness to take risk leads to a different kind of existence for many. But America had that covered too. Those who made it great provided a job for the others. Thus, America became a country that had a strong and stable middle class that could make a great living without the risk. From these workers, managers developed as they were able to show more incentive and worked harder than others. So, again, it is clear that the greatness of American life has come from the incentive to improve yourself and get ahead.

But now, America has decided that those who do not want to work are entitled to something from the rest of the people. This entitlement mentality has led us to believe that everyone should get something from the collective group. We now want free healthcare, free housing, free education, free food, free clothing, and on and on. But, how can that be free?

The reality is that it is never free. Someone has to pay for it. We all know that everyone pays for it. The cost continues to climb at incredible rates until every man, woman and child in America owes about $50,000 right now to pay the already existing debts. Add the cost of illegal immigration at about $120,000 per year per illegal, the massive cost of health care, the cost of Cap-and –trade (about $74,000 per family of 4 from its inception until 2024). Add the fact that all of our tax money will be used for Medicare/Medicaid by 2052. Add the problem of just printing money on the printing presses. Add the housing crisis and the loss of jobs in America.

Should I continue? Or are you about to get the idea that we can’t pay for all of this giveaway stuff? We will all be equally poor. As I was talking about all of this cost to some students the other day, one of them said, “Why don’t they just make the rich people pay for it?” Never mind that it’s unfair or that there are not enough rich people to pay for all of this or any of the other arguments against that. The scary thing is that there are so many people that just think this way because they have grown up in the welfare state we have created since the early 1960’s.

Do we want Socialism? We seem to be acting like we do. But as we analyze the cost, I don’t think we want it or can afford it. My dad fought in WWII with hundreds of thousands of others. The goal was to defeat the Marxist/Nazi government of Hitler and his desire to dominate the world. He landed at Omaha and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was there for the worst of it all. He and many of those young boys came back very different people than they were when they left. They gave up their youth and innocence and peace of mind to defeat Socialism on foreign soil. They came home believing they preserved capitalism for all of time. Many never came home at all believing they had given their lives to protect the only successful method of national success. But now we find a people who will trample on the graves of those brave men and women. Did they give their lives so that we can just hand over our country to the idealism that they believed they had defeated?

It is clear that we are still under attack from the Marxists. But this time the attack is from within and that is the way Marxists have been most successful. We all know that this is not the answer to any economic or social ills. The answer lies in returning to the kind of Capitalist base that made us great in the first place.

I will not stand idly by and watch our country be destroyed. Send me to Washington where I can fight the fight that will save our industry, businesses, jobs, homes, middle class economy, freedom, culture and the American way of life. I will never rest as long as we are threatened.

Please remember to vote for John Wayne Tucker on August 3rd, 2010.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

We all know that marriage and family have been a part of the life of every culture since the beginning of recorded history. In fact, the family has been the most consistent entity in existence since the beginning. However, we all know that in our current society, marriage faces the biggest assault it has ever faced since the beginning of time. Divorce has permeated our culture for decades now and the anticipated results of “marriage-absence” have arrived along with it. And the cost to the country is significantly greater than you might think.

If you thought this was a strictly personal issue, you need to analyze the cost from some new thinking perspectives. First, let’s try to analyze the reason for “marriage-absence”. Some propose the reason for this problem is based with the government having created laws beginning back in the Kennedy/Johnson era that make it easier for people to survive alone without the benefit of marriage. This would be the reason for the huge social welfare system that we now have. Others would suggest that the upheavals of society that occurred in the 1960’s led to a decline in the perceived value of marriage in our society. Such social upheaval as drugs, “free love”, the feminist movement and resulting gender wars, the push for women to take a different role in society, the development of more reliable birth control and the general changes that occurred in the social mores’ of society led to the decline of marriage and the reaction of the government that led to the massive welfare system was the reaction of the government to a changing society.

Whatever you believe the reason for the decline of marriage to be, the cost to American Society is huge. We have already indicated the financial cost of the social welfare system which is an enormous and growing part of our budget. Of course there are many other costs which are not generally considered. The cost of having inadequate parental supervision of children at home has led to a large number of ills in our society that both decrease the overall quality of our life, but create other enormous expenses. A child not properly supervised by absent parents is a child who will tend to gravitate toward lower educational skills, drugs, criminal activity, disrespect of adults and society, gangs, teen pregnancy, jail or juvenile detention, etc. All of these activities take us down a fiscally expensive path also. There is lost potential from lack of education; more attempts at abortion or children raising children alone (hence an increase in the welfare rolls); drug rehabilitation or the cost of criminal activity associated with drugs and on and on. This crisis has led to significant cost to women and children who now live in poverty, unsafe neighborhoods. Women have to work more and there just isn’t time to get everything done. Of course we cannot even begin to measure the emotional loss and feeling of safety for everyone involved.

Social Science, psychology, and history tell us that the tendency of society has always been toward monogamous, heterosexual marriage. This has been the norm for all of history. Whether you believe this is a religious, genetic, or otherwise innate behavior, it is certainly a behavior that is desirable from many standpoints. People benefit from and actually prefer marriage to “marriage-absence”. It is good for society; good for people; good for the economy and generally produces a happier existence for all involved. The problem we face today is that there are now generations of people that have no real or genuine role models or experiences that teach them how to be married and how to be effective parents since "marriage-absence" has existed for such a long period of time now. Therefore, people will have to be retrained in how to do these things.

In light of all these issues, I am introducing a new plan for my campaign. I suppose that I assumed that people would understand automatically that I am a strong supporter of marriage and family due to my background. However, since I have never stated it, I am stating that now. In fact, I intend to be very proactive in this issue on the basis that whether the laws of the government created this dilemma or whether they perpetuate the dilemma, there is a significant fiscal savings to be had by making it easier for people to return to traditional heterosexual marriage and family. While the vast majority of details regarding marriage and family are conducted and controlled by the states, there are certainly some aspects which are presently controlled by the federal government.

Since I am a strong states’ rights advocate, I leave the power over marriage and family with the states. However, where there is federal intervention, I intend to work diligently to make the “marriage absence” issue a priority. And I pledge to work as closely with the states as possible to help them be able to reorganize their circumstances so as to bring about the enormous fiscal savings that can be achieved by embracing this issue also. It is proposed that there could be a cost savings to the state of Missouri alone in the area of $250 million per year by correcting the problem of “marriage-absence”. These are figures that cannot be ignored, and the other benefits and cost factors just increase the benefit to all of us. We cannot just stand by while the cost of this crisis is passed along to taxpayers and businesses.

I am asking that you please stand with me as we seek to reverse one of the largest expenses to our budget (A budget item that can be massively reduced while bringing back a happier and healthier America). Please support me now and at the polls on August 3rd.

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

The most common question that I am asked as I campaign has nothing to do with jobs, taxes, term limits or any other policy issue. The most common question is, “How are we going to fix this mess?” or people make a defeated statement that they are afraid it is all over. People don’t seem to have any confidence anymore in our ability to recover from our dilemma and seem reconciled to our demise. One thing is certain. The people have given up on Washington and the politicians to correct the course. They want to know how one man can make a difference in this vast sea of politicians who go from one devastating piece of legislation to another; from one destructive program to another and all of it designed to get them re-elected, gain more power for them or provide for their financial coffers.

Let’s take a look at these statements and analyze how we can fix this mess. Firstly, it is clear that individuals can make a huge difference. The pages of history are filled with the names of people who have made a difference. Some of them have made a horrendous difference and some have made an incredibly positive difference. To provide a list would be exhaustive and beyond the scope of this article, but each of you can think of at least one example on each side. Now, what about the problem of fixing the mess or the fear that we can never recover? First we have to define the mess. If we define the mess as a movement toward Socialism, a loss of states’ rights, a loss of freedoms, financial devastation, moral decline, a federal government that has exceeded its intended bounds, a complete loss of confidence in our elected officials, a feeling that big government just crams legislation down our throats, and on and on, then we are all feeling the same exasperation.

So how do we fix this mess? Again this answer goes beyond the scope of a small article like this, but I will not leave you without some answers. First, think about the kind of people that you have been sending to Washington. We characteristically send lawyers to Washington since we have come to think of Representatives as lawmakers instead of representatives of the people. Lawyers know about law, of course. If you send a lawyer to Congress, he will do what he was trained to do: make laws. We have had over 200 years of laws produced. And the more we make laws, the more they become intrusive to our business, personal and daily lives.

Think about the process in modern day terms. Since the lawyers we have sent are not the statesmen of years past, the laws they make are very often advantageous to the legal community. This creates a society that is law-suite driven. Everything, from what you eat, to what you believe, to your place of worship, to your school’s curriculum, to marriage and on and on has become a basis for significant law suits. The country is paralyzed unlike any time in our past. These suites have left us demoralized, angry and feeling helpless. Perhaps we don’t need any more laws. Perhaps we need to repeal some of them!

Remember, these guys gave us the Federal Reserve and allowed them to print unlimited amounts of money. These so called representatives gave us the Federal Education Commission and massive numbers of other Federal Commissions which are redundant as the states already provide for these things. The Federal Government has been on a 200 year power grab finding ways to expand its authority to allow them to strong arm the states into compliance with every program they have issues since the Kennedy-Johnson administration.

This redundancy is costly beyond belief and is absolutely unnecessary. In addition, unconstitutional moves such as National Health Care, Cap and Trade, gun control and on and on all create bureaucratic nightmares that are expensive nightmares. In the name of controlling your lives and grabbing more and more power for themselves, the Federal Government has spent you into poverty, grabbed your money to redistribute and left you destitute of liberty. Is America even a place where you can have independent thought anymore? Are you allowed to express your real beliefs? Is this a place of freedom or thought control.

How do we fix this mess? We find people who are not willing to sacrifice their values to the call of wealth or power. Let me share a couple of personal experiences. I need money to run this campaign and win. I talked to someone who assured me that he could raise over 3 million dollars for my campaign last year. But because of his questionable background I said no thanks. I have talked to people who have an agenda that they want me to push. If I do, they will provide the money and support I need to win. But when the programs are found to not “hold water”, I have said no thanks. I will not sacrifice my values or my agenda to help America just to win the election because this election is not about me. This election is about America.

If I sacrifice my values on the front end justifying it as a means to win so that I can do good once I get to Congress, then it will be just that much easier to sacrifice them once I am there. That is the pitfall of politics. Since this election is not about me, I can afford to say, no. Since my term of office will not be about me trying to get re-elected or rise to a more powerful position or get more money or become President of The United States, I can afford to say no. Send people to Washington who know that we must reduce the size and influence of the Federal Government and who have values that are not for sale.

That is how we fix this mess!

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com

It seems that people across this nation are finally waking up to the message that I spread in my campaign of 2008. People are starting to recognize that the politically connected, “wheeler dealer”, “good ole boys” that have been running the nation to their benefit are never going to listen to the people. Why should they? They have almost a guarantee of being re-elected once they are in office. All you need is a “boat load” of money (which is easy to get now that you have sold yourself to the highest bidder), use all of your free resources to send out any newsletters or information you want and you are a “shoe-in”.

You don’t have to worry about morals or political scandal anymore. The people have grown to expect it. Use drugs, have affairs, be homosexual, cheat on your taxes, etc., etc.--hey, they aren’t so bad! Refuse to listen to us, cram legislation down our throats, tell the people they don’t read the bills, don’t answer the calls or the emails, and fly in the face of the Constitution itself. Who cares anymore? The people are stupid, right?

The people will never break with tradition. The people will never stop voting for the party favorites, those raised up to behave like good little Republicans or Democrats so that the party will push them on to higher offices and more power that they can abuse. Promise anything to them. The people will never notice that they have not delivered or even tried to deliver on their promises. As long as they promise that everything will be alright and that there will be money in your pocket tomorrow, the people will love them.

Not so fast there, “pardners”! The people have come to their senses and they have done it in a hurry! This country is angry and they are not going to take it anymore. They know that we need something better than a politician in office. They know that it is MOTIVE that matters in an election. They know that morals, character, and past performance are real indicators of motive. The people know that the power lies with them and that they are only lending it to those that go to Washington to represent them.

1. They want to have input into the legislative process.
2. They want people who will genuinely honor the Constitution.
3. They want the government to get out of their personal lives.

1. Stop telling the people how big their toilet tank can be,
2. what kind of light bulbs they have to buy,
3. what kind of shower heads and faucets they have to have,
4. whether they can own or carry a gun,
5. whether their teenage daughter can get an abortion without their knowledge,
6. whether they can sell their house without bringing it to the federal energy standards,
7. whether they can plan a future without fear that the government will destroy the economy,
8. whether they will be able to afford energy costs for their car and their home.

There is virtually no end to this list of things that the people are angry with. The people know that the country has lost its moral compass. They know that Congress has lost all sense of respectability and accountability. The people know that we are sliding down a steep and slippery slope and that we are grasping at anything to just be able to hold on.

All across the country, people have begun to realize that they don’t have to take this anymore. People have stepped up to the plate that do not have political careers and who are willing to take on the huge task of fixing the years of abuse to our government. These are not the party supported people, but real people with no political history, no political corruption, and no debt to the parties. People who are free to do what is best for the people of their districts and for the country. And these people are winning! All across the nation, people are stepping up who have proper motivation, people that are not looking for a lifetime career in politics, people who want us to follow the Constitution, people who want us to survive the chaos and know that we cannot afford to just give away our country.

In Missouri’s 3rd District, the people have a unique choice. The people can put aside the party machine that has run this district since 1949 and has brought us from the 8th largest city to the 52nd largest city in the nation over that time period. People in the 3rd District have the choice to remove an unresponsive and uninspiring incumbent with a real servant. People have the choice to push past the Republican Party Leaders who wish you to choose a politician. Granted, he has never been elected to public office, but he has been involved in politics and the political arena for many years. The people can ignore all of this same old politics that has brought us to this moment of anger and exasperation.

The people can choose a candidate who has a history of service as a minister and as a teacher of American History and Government for 27 years in the public school system. You can choose someone who wants to restore our moral compass, restore the strength of states’ rights, defend the Bill-of Rights, get the federal government out of our daily lives and reduce the size of government to appropriate levels. You can elect a man who refuses to put his values up for sale. You can elect someone who knows that we have just been printing money and making our economy collapse. You can elect someone who wants the government to live within its means by requiring a balanced budget.

But most importantly, you can elect someone who has no political scandal in his past, someone who has character and reputation in the community, someone who understands that he is only borrowing your power, someone who has no political aspirations beyond the House of Representatives, someone who has always lived and worked in the 3rd district, someone who holds your values and struggles each day just as most of you do to survive and hold onto the American Dream. You can elect someone who has pledged to donate back to the community half of his Congressional salary. You can elect John Wayne Tucker, not a politician, but a servant.

I look forward to your support both now and in the August 3rd Primary. I invite everyone to come out and make your voice heard. And let it be heard loud and clear!

John Wayne Tucker
http://www.johnwaynetucker.com