Rick Crawford for Congress

U.S. Representative for Arkansas' 1st Congressional District

A Time for Choosing

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Forty-five years ago this week, Ronald Reagan gave a speech for Barry Goldwater in which he appealed to the country to choose a conservative candidate who would lead with conservative values in 1964.

Some of the issues they faced were an ever expanding national debt, out of control spending, unprecedented growth of the federal branch, and an increase in funding for welfare programs. What Ronald Reagan outlined in his speech was a call to chose correctly – to chose a candidate based on conservative values, leadership, and principles the candidate would apply to the nations highest elected office, the office of the President.

Here is an excerpt of his speech in which Reagan outlines a story of what our country meant to an immigrant and his perspective on our great nation:

“Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, “We don’t know how lucky we are.” And the Cuban stopped and said, “How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to.” And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there’s no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.”

Reagan goes on to outline what he believed at that time, 1964, the election was about.  When you read this excerpt, I think you will believe, as I do, that our election in 2010 is no different:

“And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man.  This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves. You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I’d like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There’s only an up or down—[up] man’s old—old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism…”

2010 will indeed be a year, and a time, for choosing between taking our country back and putting it on track to prosperity for every American or for choosing to let our federal government continue down its path of nationalizing more and more segments of our economy and eroding the core of what has made America great and what America is, in the words of Ronald Reagan, “the last stand on earth.”

What is this nation worth to you and your family?  What are our freedoms, our liberties, and our constitution worth to you? Below is the full video of this great speech Ronald Reagan gave to the nation in 1964 where he made the case for a similar choice we are facing in 2010.  Some things have not changed in forty-five years.  The faces have changed; the words have changed; the intent remains.

It’s About Jobs, Mr. President

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With weekly jobless claims remaining above 500,000 for the last several weeks, it’s a constant reminder that the single greatest problem right now in our country is the lack of quality employment.  The Obama Administration is doing everything they can to distract the American people from the real problem we face and it is time we confront the real issues we have and make it a priority to resolve those problems.

One example of this distraction is the Administration’s attempt to demonize Fox News and making the claims it’s not a news organization but rather an entity that is promoting a perspective.  They are also putting forth an all out attack on businesses in the form of Cap & Trade legislation.  These are just two examples of how the American people are being put to the side in an effort to further this Administration’s agenda.

What our President is not doing is addressing the calamity that is our job market.  The sentiment among private employers is cautious, at best.  They are not confident in what is going on or what is on the horizon for them and their companies.  And because of this they are not hiring for positions they currently have open and for jobs that would help them expand.  They are also cutting pay so they can lower overheard in order to buckle down and weather this storm in the hopes they will still be open a year from now.

If Americans were able to have good jobs I believe most of what we are seeing would correct itself.  If Americans were able to provide for themselves and their families, I believe you would see most of the major economic indicators show that our economy was back on track and improving.  As long as people have jobs, they can pay for services, products, and other items themselves.  When people have jobs, there is money flowing through the economy and a whole host of problems are usually corrected and corrected faster than what government spending might try to do.

It’s all about jobs, Mr. President.  If you are willing to do what you can to put Americans back to work at good paying jobs, many of our financial problems would correct themselves.  And it would not cost the taxpayer a single dime.

It is time for common sense and free market economic principles to show their faces in Washington among the mass dementia that is institutionalized politics.  As your next Representative, I will apply common sense and free market policies so we can get our economy back and put our country on a track to prosperity.

Getting Our Economy Back

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What it will take to get our economy back

A major concern of my campaign is for people of the First District to have jobs that pay well.  Right now, people are concerned about losing jobs, finding jobs, knowing whether the paycheck will continue.  American business is under heavy assault.

It puzzles me why the Obama Administration, along with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, attack businesses mercilessly.  They do this in both rhetoric and legislation, ignoring the fact that we need businesses to be in business so people across the country can work to support their families.

I believe Washington wants the greatest possible number of people to be dependent on government support.  I do not believe most Americans share that vision.  In fact, I think the large majority of Americans want to support themselves and their families.  I believe the majority want the Federal government out of their back pockets.

If elected, I will work with other legislators to enact some simple measures that will spur economic growth and promote jobs that pay well.  At the same time these jobs will not cost taxpayers a single dime.

  • King Dollar:  We must enact fiscal policy that keeps our dollar strong.  This means more than just keeping the American Dollar atop the list of reserve currencies.  It would mean that our currency, and economy, are strong and the value of the investment of foreign countries will pay off and help to keep our economy growing and thriving.
  • Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR):  For future generations to enjoy an America that has a sound underpinning financially, we have to put the brakes on federal spending. No family in America can afford to spend more money than it has.  The same goes for any successful business.  The Federal Government should also spend no more than it collects.  With a Taxpayer Bill of Rights, I would work to limit federal spending growth to the percentage in population growth plus the rate of inflation.  I would also work to provide taxpayers the option of filing a post-card sized return using a low, flat tax rate of 15%.
  • Empower American Businesses:  In a time of economic strife, a company looks to cut costs in order to maintain profitability and in most cases, to preserve employment.  But, in the current economic environment overhead has to be cut just to keep the doors open.  Something that would almost instantly cut costs for businesses is to cut their tax burden.  I would work with other legislators to slash corporate tax rates to 15% and eliminate the capital gains tax altogether.  Doing so would mean companies would have more money to hire again. More jobs would be created, more people would be employed.  Eliminating the capital gains tax would also help drive business investment by allowing people and companies both to realize income they earned and keep it out of the hands of the federal government.  Currently under President Obama’s budget announced earlier this year, he is calling for the capital gains tax to increase to 20%.

The fallacy in Washington is that somehow the economy, and the profits realized, belongs to Washington and its spending priorities.  In reality, our economy belongs to the people of this great nation. The people of our great country work hard and should be rewarded with the fruits of their labor. Government meddling in and overtaking the private sector stifles incentive and American ingenuity is lost.

The Washington elites seem to believe they know how to spend our money better than we do.  As a conservative small business owner, I believe that I know how to spend my money better, as well as manage it better, than the federal government.

It is time we take our economy back and put our trust in the hard working Americans who brought our great nation to this point with their skill, their abilities, and their hard work

Moral Leadership in Washington

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From record deficits in our Federal budget to the onerous economic policy being enacted by both Houses of Congress in the form of bailouts to the Federal Reserve devaluing our currency – all this raises a significant question for me.  That question is, “Where is the moral compass used by legislators and federal employees when enacting policy and legislation that impacts lives of people both here in the United States and across the world?  Where is that compass?

When our forefathers were crafting our Constitution, and even before that with the Declaration of Independence, they based their entire process on seeking guidance from God because they wanted to ensure moral decision making.  They also wanted to ensure the process would benefit all Americans and would create a limited government that would provide checks and balances to ensure our Republic would not become what they had fled from in Britain.

What they wrote – the laws and founding precedents — were set forth in our Constitution.  And within our Constitution lies a moral compass that all three branches of our government are required to follow.  That moral compass continues to offer direction in the articles and amendments of our Constitution. However, it would seem that lately even those time-tested elements of our government have been tossed to the side for both political expediency and gain of those in office.

If our current group of elected officials do not hold to a high standard in everything they do legislatively, what kind of government will we have?  What legislators do in Washington requires moral decision making.  What they do, with the stroke of the legislative pen, impacts the lives of every single American. That significant impact should compel our leaders to make moral decisions in every case and especially in regard to the costs it will inflict on us, the people.

Our leaders in Washington have a moral obligation to be fiscally responsible in everything they do.  Our elected officials in Washington should faithfully adhere to our Constitution. We do not want tyranny from either the legislative branch, nor from our financial systems.  These issues plagued our founding fathers and moved them to found our great nation.  Our founding fathers had a vision of a country with limited government and the liberty of every American being preserved.  They had a vision that put the people ahead of the government.  They had a vision where a limited government would be the catalyst to prolonged prosperity and longevity.

It is no mistake that the creation of our Constitution has led to our high standing in the world, and that it has led us to become a shining city on a hill.

Our liberty, our freedom, and our future is being challenged in Washington by legislators who hold no regard for their moral obligation to our nation’s future.  And, more importantly, the future of our children and grandchildren is at stake if we stand by and do nothing.

I am a traditional American who believes that you can not spend money you do not have.  I am a traditional American who believes what is outlined in our Constitution should be both our moral and legislative compass for what is done in Washington.  As your next Representative of the First District, I pledge to every resident that I will reference our Constitution in all that I do with each proposed piece of legislation and will grade the legislation according to the articles and amendments in our Constitution.

Its time to make a change in Washington! Together we can put our country back on track where every American can enjoy what this country is capable of providing – freedom to have prosperous employment, limited government, and the promise of a better future.

Congressman Berry Calls Delta Director “Incompetent Moron”

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Congressman Berry’s temper and name-calling is at it again. The members of the Mississippi Delta Grassroots Caucus, which lobbies Congressional members who represent the federally designated Delta Regional Authority, are meeting in Washington this week and Congressman Berry could only muster insults and name-calling as way to work on behalf of the people in the First Congressional District of Arkansas:

On the first day of the two-day meeting, Rep. Marion Berry dismissed Johnson, a George W. Bush appointee, as someone who “steals 120 or 130 thousand dollars of taxpayer dollars,” in the form of his annual salary. “He’s a burr in my saddle,” Berry, a Democrat from Arkansas, told the group on Tuesday evening.

“He’s an incompetent moron,” Berry later said in an interview.

Congressman Berry also voted in favor of the censure of Congressman Joe Wilson for his conduct in the House last week during the President’s speech. Congressman Berry, on the floor of the House, referred to a fellow Congressman, Rep. Adam Putnam, R-FL, as a “howdy doody looking nimrod” during debate on a piece of legislation:

This is just another prime example of how Congressman Berry works with others in Washington and how his temper and resort to name calling has been a detriment to the people of the First District. Its no wonder why the First District remains in the position it is in, especially with federal programs like the Delta Regional Authority, when our Congressman can only muster insults in his efforts instead of results in funding for important initiatives.

The people of the First District deserve better representation than someone who can only resort to insults and name calling when it comes to vital legislation that impacts the First District.

It is time to make a change in the First District!

What You Can Do

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Just over the last week, there has been enough major stories come out of the Obama White House to leave just about everyone scratching their heads and wondering what we can expect next. And while we keep reading about things like the President asking Congress to raise our debt ceiling to over $10trillion dollars, to having unconditional talks with dictators who want to harm us, to an administration who wants to nationalize our health care system, we want to know what we can do to put a stop to things like this.
The first thing is we start at home. We start by electing people that will go to Washington and represent the First District not Washington being represented in the First District. Congressman Berry has, for 14 years, served in a capacity that has over time become less and less beneficial for voters. Just this last week, Congressman Berry said publicly that he is supportive of a public option on health care and it is not a deal breaker for him. Congressman Berry has also voted, just this year, to nationalize some of our largest banks and automotive companies. And while these companies and programs are getting billions of our tax dollars, the average American citizen still does not have the job he or she lost this year or last. They still don’t have the promise of better days ahead. And there is no prospect of either of those coming true any time soon.
I want to be the person you send to Washington that will take conservative values, principles, and leadership back and exhibit those on a daily basis. I am a true conservative and I don’t need any caucus to label me otherwise. I believe in spending within our means as a nation and since I am the owner of my own company, I know I can not spend money I do not have.

I understand the many implications that our fiscal policy has on our ag policy. You can not have good ag policy if you don’t have good fiscal policy. Congressman Berry does not represent the single greatest aspect of the First District in our farmers and ag producers and as your next Representative, I will be your voice in one of the most critical aspects of our district.
Lastly, I am a veteran. I have served in the current flash point of Afghanistan and Pakistan and understand what it means to operate during a time of war. I understand the issues, the challenges, and the problems our veterans face in being one. Congressman Berry is not a veteran and can only understand so much what it means to have served, to come home, and to be faced with the many issues our veterans are faced with.
With your help, we will start here, in the First District, and take conservative principles, values, and leadership to Washington so our collective voice can be heard again. It is time that we start fresh and I want to be the one who helps establish this new beginning. This is not an issue of Democrat or Republican. This is an issue of conservative principles over liberal ideologies. I believe that the people of the First District are ready for conservative representation.

Obama’s Healthcare Pitch High and Outside

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In his televised address to a joint session of Congress last night, President Obama’s pitch for a nationalized healthcare system missed the strike zone by a mile. His speech served only to fan the flames of partisan wrangling and politics as usual in Washington. President Obama did nothing more than change the wording on a few key issues, but did not eliminate key areas of contention that so many Americans have with this proposed nationalization of our healthcare system.

President Obama’s plan would federally mandate coverage on every American, whether they want it or not. This is nothing more than another power grab allowing the Federal Government just one more avenue of intervention into the lives of private citizens. Instead of a government mandate, Congress should consider free market principles and actions that would make insurance coverage more affordable in a competitive marketplace. Not only does the President’s plan propose further government mandates on individuals, it would also impose fines on businesses that do not provide coverage for employees. Small businesses, the engine that drives our economy, would essentially be further hamstrung by more unnecessary government regulation. My question to such a ludicrous notion is this: if a family or small business doesn’t have the money to pay for healthcare in the first place, how can they be expected to pay the fine for not having that coverage?

The answer is simple; universal coverage. I believe that this proposal, made by Sen. Max Baucaus (D-MT), is a way to coerce the American people into a “public option” that would simply be a more affordable alternative to a government imposed fine or private healthcare insurance. Simply stated, if an individual decides (for whatever reason) to forgo health insurance coverage, he or she would then be forced to either pay a sizable federal fine, or “opt in” to a public option “insurance exchange.” Of course they could go the private route, but the fine would most certainly be high enough force them into the public option, but low enough to make private coverage cost prohibitive. The end result being an increase in public “option” participants, and ultimately the beginning of system that mimics the Canadian or European policy – hardly a model of efficiency.

In his speech, the President himself stated that a not-for-profit “insurance exchange” – public option – would be part of his proposal and no more than 5% of the American public would likely sign up. But consider this: how can insurance companies – or any other private business for that matter – be expected to compete with Uncle Sam? When the federal government levies a fine on those individuals or businesses who choose not to carry health insurance, it would obviously be more cost effective to exercise the public option. It doesn’t take an economist to figure out that the initial projection of 5% participation will grow exponentially in a very short span of time. This is nothing more than a back door to a single payer universal coverage system and the people in the First District are far too intelligent for the President to try and slide that past them the way he did last night.

Since he made no mention of it in his address, the people of the First District may still wonder if President Obama will continue to work with Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) and Sen. Reid (D-NV) in a way that keeps the details of a government run healthcare scheme – and its associated hidden costs and controversies – buried in a 1,000-page bill that no one will have an opportunity to read before rushing it to the President’s desk for his signature.

Another unanswered question – how will the entire proposal be paid for? President Obama told the American people that he would not sign a bill that would add one single dime to our deficit. How can he make such a promise when the numerous plans that are currently being drafted all have a cost well over $500 billion dollars? He also talked about cost cutting measures he would impose that would eliminate costs if the proposed savings are not realized. Yet, in Medicare alone as one example, we see billions of dollars every year wasted and the system routinely defrauded with no plan in place to address those lost billions. How can we count on President Obama and this liberal Congress led by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid to lead the way on healthcare reform when they’re not even willing to start by implementing cost cutting measures, trimming waste, and ending the fraud rampant in our already existing programs? More promises that will never be fulfilled.

Lastly, and most importantly to the people of the First District, we still don’t know where Congressman Berry stands on this critical issue. However, we do know that late yesterday, the Majority Whip List was made public detailing those 44 House Democrats who oppose HR3200. Congressman Berry was not on that list. So where will Congressman Berry come down on this issue? Will he go against his party and vote ‘no’ on a program that a significant majority of his constituents have indicated they do not want? Or will he go along with his party and vote ‘yes’ on a program that is destined to be a major burden on every single American family and cripple our government while lowering our standard of care? That is the biggest question, and I anxiously await an answer.

The Contradictions of Marion Berry

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Recently, Congressman Berry has made some public statements about the leadership in his own party that leaves residents in the First District scratching their heads and understandably so. When President Obama was first elected, he was working under incredibly high approval ratings and a perceived mandate from the voting public that this administration was not going to be politics-as-usual. In just a few short months, all of these euphoric attitudes would shift and shift dramatically.
This shift was not unique to just voters across the country but also to Congressman Berry. Shortly after President Obama’s joint address to Congress concerning the supposed crisis the country was in due to some of the financial breakdowns going on, Congressman Berry issued this press release decrying the previous administration and its excessive spending habits that resulted in record deficits. The tenor of that press release was one of a new era being ushered in and that President Obama was going to be the one who was going to take this country in a new direction.
Soon after this press release was issued, key legislation started to get introduced and we started to learn what Cap & Trade was all about and just how long the proposed legislation was. We also learned, from the speech of John Boehner on the floor of the House, details within the bill that the American people would otherwise have not known about and more than likely what a majority of Congress did not know about as well, including Congressman Berry.
Congressman Berry voted for the Cap & Trade Bill in conference where no Republican voted for it and it was decided along party lines. It gave some indication how it would turn out on the final floor vote. But there were eight Republicans who voted for Cap & Trade and that would provide cover for some Democrats, including Congressman Berry, that could vote no. Congressman Berry was for Cap & Trade before he was against it. Had he and others voted against such a terrible bill in conference, of which Berry stated at a recent town hall in Jonesboro, “Senator Waxman wrote a bad bill” and “Cap and Trade is a bad idea”, and voted in accordance with the values and desires of the people in the First District, maybe Cap & Trade would have met a different fate. Also of note, it was revealed after the June 30th FEC filing period that Congressman Berry received, along with many others, donations to his PAC from Majority Whip Clyburn, D-SC, quite possibly for his work to help get Cap & Trade passed.
Since Cap & Trade, the current health care debate has caused Congressman Berry and many others to reconsider their position on the issue much closer because the average American realizes what this attempted power grab by the administration is all about. Through town halls, which Congressman Berry had none of until the very end of the August recess he appeared unannounced with Senator Lincoln, Americans have made their voice heard and the Democratic Party is having issues internally where representatives of conservative districts are not willing to go along with a liberal congress and administration for fear of losing their seats. Even Congressman Berry was reported to have said to a senior White House official before leaving for the August recess that “your President” was causing problems on health care reform.
Just this year, Congressman Berry has contradicted himself on three major issues and has also contradicted himself to the people of the First District. The real question is how long will the voters of the Firs District allow him to continue to contradict them in Washington? What we need is someone who will represent the people of the First District to Washington, not represent Washington to the First District. Marion Berry has shown time and again how he is not fit for the job of representing the First District and the voters will have a chance to let their voices be heard in 2010.

On The Air With 104.9 The Fox

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Thursday morning Trey Stafford and Jim Frigo of KDXY, 104.9 “The Fox” – Jonesboro’s number one morning radio show for the last several years – graciously invited me to visit with them about our campaign. It was certainly a pleasure to talk with them. As you will hear, they were both absolute delights and very fair in their questions and comments. I spent about 20 minutes on the air with them and we have the audio in two separate segments.


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Here’s the second segment…


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Trey and Jim are true professionals and I appreciate them opening their studio and sharing their valuable time.

“Cash for Clunkers” Is A Non-Starter

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It appears the Obama administration and the Democrat “leadership” in Congress continue to have no shame when it comes to their attempts to buy votes. The latest example – the extension of the “Cash for Clunkers” program that passed in the Senate today.

In less than a week, the $1 billion allocated for the program was gone so Congress quickly appropriated an additional $2 billion that will supposedly extend the program and see it through until Labor Day.

The program, officially known as the Car Allowance Rebate System, or “CARS” provides $3,500-$4,500 rebates to consumers (depending on model and fuel efficiency). In the early going “CARS” appears to be popular. However, I hasten to remind you that Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac were once popular as well, but fell out of favor after it became obvious that they were an integral part of the housing meltdown that led to the current recession.

CARS is essentially a small scale, vehicular “Fanny Mae” if you will, that serves the same purpose as the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) designed to “encourage” commercial banks and savings associations to provide low interest home loans to low- and moderate-income borrowers.

That certainly sounds good, but as they say, the devil is in the details. Ultimately the CRA morphed into a political tool for liberal politicians who used the program to force lenders to provide loans to unqualified borrowers. The political motive for these unscrupulous politicians was pure demagoguery – pandering to a particular socio-economic class that would ultimately translate into more votes.

Barely six months removed from that historic, government-induced economic crash, the Obama administration is driving headlong into another one with this politically motivated scheme that is ostensibly designed to sell cars and stimulate the economy. On its face, there are a number of flaws with the “CARS” program that should have car dealers slamming on the brakes.

First, the dealers who take these clunkers in trade are not allowed to resell them to offset any losses they may incur. Instead they are forced to have the cars crushed, and where they go after that is any body’s guess.

Second, the reality is these rebates amount to little more than a 9-10% discount in real dollars. I don’t see shoppers hurrying to Wal-Mart to save 27 cents on a gallon of milk. However, perception is reality, so the rush to buy a new car is especially urgent when the program may run out of money by Labor Day.

Ultimately, nobody wins here and, as usual the taxpayer picks up the check. The car manufacturers, some of whom have already been bailed out once, are stuck with piles of scrap metal that they can’t do anything with. (I wouldn’t be surprised if the EPA levied fines on them for improper disposal.) Get ready for another car bailout.

Then there’s the new car owners. Many are already experiencing financial strain, and that strain is likely to increase before the new car smell fades. Like many others, I’ve been there, and I can tell you that not having to make a car payment every month – particularly in an economy like this one – is truly a blessing.

Like the recent housing meltdown that led to mass foreclosures across the country, we could be looking at a nationwide wave of car repossessions within six months putting even more pressure on our already vulnerable car industry and further slowing an economy that can’t get out of first gear.

Bottom line – “CARS” is the wrong lubricant for our seizing economic engine.