Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Election Day Thoughts

Just over three months ago, on a Saturday morning, the Saturday before Christmas to be exact, I saw a notification come up on facebook announcing that Curtis Bostic was considering a run for Congress in the recently vacated seat for the 1st Congressional District. It caught my attention for two reasons, first, I had already announced to many of my circle of friends that I was considering running for this seat, and secondly, Curtis Bostic is a friend of mine who holds what I would consider to be the three very most important qualifications for holding federal office. Without hesitation or thinking, I reached for my phone and dialed his number. Curtis picked up the phone on the other end and after exchanging greetings, I asked him if he was serious about running for this seat. I explained to him that I had also been contemplating a run for this seat. We talked that day about both of us running and committed to begin to pray for each other. He and I discussed the possibilities of both of us running…incredible if you stop and think about it…two potential candidates speaking openly about their strategies…but that’s the level of trust we have come to have in each other. For the next three weeks we discussed this many times and continued to pray for each other, truly for a decision that it would be led by the Lord. That was the desire of both our hearts.

After much prayer, thinking, and seeking some very wise counsel, Patti and I came to the conclusion that God was making it clear to us that the timing was not right for me to run in this election. I had known Curtis for about six years; and have known him to be a Godly and wise man with an incredible heart for serving God. When Curtis told me that he was considering this race, I immediately knew that if I determined not to run, he was the ONLY person that I could energetically and enthusiastically support. Those of you that know me know that I have been speaking out very forcefully about the need to make sure we DO NOT elect anyone to federal office that does not have the basic requirements. I have made the case to you that these requirements include what I refer to as a command understanding of the United States Constitution, the framers intent of Limited Government, and the Christian Worldview that is needed to put it all together for service under the Rule of Law. I want you to know that I have spent many hours with Curtis discussing the things that you know are VERY important to me. What I say next I don’t say lightly. Not only is Curtis Bostic the best candidate in this field for this Congressional seat, he is the ONLY candidate in this field that has the entire package of what I have been talking about and teaching about what we need in candidates for federal office.

But I want you to know more about this man and this campaign that I have poured my life (time), fortune (money), and sacred honor (my name) into for over three months now with almost every waking hour of my day beyond my own fulltime job. Many of you don’t know this, but after Patti and I made our decision not to run, Curtis and I met to chart a course forward as a team. It was during that meeting that God solidified the conclusion that Patti and I had made not to run. I sat in Curtis’s office one Saturday morning and my good friend Curtis told me that if I determined to move forward with a campaign, that he would not run. Not only would he not run, he told me that he would “stroke me the first check” for a campaign donation. I was floored. The humility of my friend astounded me. I left there that day and went home still humbled by my friends offer. Later in the afternoon, Curtis called me back up and told me that he wanted to reiterate to me that those were not just words, he told me again that he meant what he said, that if I determined to run, he would not run against me and that he would be the first to offer financial support. It was at that point that God clearly spoke to me. I could take him up on his offer, take his support, and at the end of the race, I could “feel” good about running in a United States congressional campaign, and I would have effectively removed from the running what I have concluded might be the best candidate for federal elected office that I have ever come across.  As stated above, I have been teaching and speaking about what we need as the “right” kind of candidate for a VERY LONG time, so for me to say that someone might be the “best candidate I have seen” is a VERY, VERY strong thing for me to say.

Let me conclude by saying that, during these three months, my conviction about Curtis being the best candidate has been absolutely confirmed. From the time the first distortions, disparaging attacks, and outright lies about my friend began to be aired I have seen my friend again and again, stop and remind me that we would not “return fire”.  We had determined from the outset that we would run this campaign on Curtis record, on his name and integrity and let the chips fall where they may. There have been times where we were on the road campaigning, and we would stop to pray and I have heard my friend praying for his opponents. When the attacks ramped up, we would have been well justified to set the record straight and expose the perpetrator. We both knew that we would have been entirely justified in doing so. Curtis would tell me “Bob, we can’t do that and keep a clean heart before God”. He simply felt that even though we would be justified in exposing the truth, he was concerned about what would be “in our hearts” when we did it.

I could go on and on with event after event where I have witnessed firsthand the character and integrity of my friend Curtis Bostic, but I will leave it at that. Curtis would be the first one to tell you that he is only a man, a fallen man, and no different from the rest of us. But friends, character matters, integrity matters, and when the pressures come from those that would disregard and hold our United States Constitution in contempt; I want this man representing me as our United States Congressman.

Whatever happens at the end of the day, we will hold our heads high tomorrow and give praise to almighty God for his marvelous works. To Him be the Glory!

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Living Life Upside Down

"A sample of Mars drilled from a rock by NASA's Curiosity rover and then studied by onboard instruments "shows ancient Mars could have supported living microbes," NASA officials announced Tuesday in a statement and press conference."

Ok, so let me get this straight, so we're supposed to get excited about the remote possibility that maybe...somehow....some kinda way...there "might have been" a microbe on a planet that is 33.9 million miles away from us. But at the same time, we have fully formed little children, that just happen to be growing in the womb....separated from us by just a few centimeters of flesh and we not only dont get excited about them...we celebrate the butchery of them....and call it "personal choice".

Tell me we are not living life upside down.

http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/03/12/mars-could-have-supported-life-nasa-says/

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Conjecture or The Rule of Law?


Periodically I have taken the time after one of our Bostic for Congress campaign events to write a little about what I observed to kind of give you an idea of why I am working with Curtis. Last evening at one of our drop in events I observed a perfect example of why Curtis Bostic is the best candidate by far for us to elect as our next Congressman to represent the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina. An individual asked Curtis a question about his views on gun control.  This is where there is CRYSTAL CLEAR separation between Curtis Bostic and ALL the other candidates in this Special Election.  I'm not necessisarily  referring to his pro 2nd Amendment position, becuase most of the candidates are or at least purport to be pro 2nd Amendment. Coincidentally, I might add...it's rather silly for us to even say someone is "pro 2nd Amendment" because it really doesn’t matter if someone is “pro 2nd Amendment” or not.  The 2nd Amendment is part of our nations Rule of Law.  The United States Constitution (which includes all 27 Amendments) is not supposed to be subject to the whims of men.  The reason I stated above that this is where we find CRYSTAL CLEAR separation between Curtis and the other candidates has more to do with his understanding and ability to accurately articulate the principles behind this liberty to those that do not have understanding in this area or any other constitutional area for that matter. This issue really goes to the core of our campaign and what we believe.

Curtis answered this individuals question by explaining that he would probably lose their vote once they heard his answer, but that he was going to tell her the truth of his position. Folks, I’ve been out on these events almost every night for the last two and a half months and I have seen the other candidates in action. Many will tailor their answers to questions like this to whichever audience they are talking to….the clear mark of a politician.  This individual tonight wanted to know what Curtis’s “thoughts” were pertaining to banning certain firearms and certain types of firearm magazines in response to recent events. I put the word “thoughts” in quotations for a reason. I want you to see something that I notice very often on the campaign trail and at candidate events and what I hear from the other candidates.  People want to know what they “think” of this issue or what they “think” of that issue.  Now, I’m not implying that there is not a place for having thoughtful positions on important issues.  We need to have well thought out positions on the issues.  However, when the issue in question is an issue that is already settled in the Rule of Law (Constitution), then it’s really not up for debate or conjecture what anyone’s “thoughts” are on that issue. The only way we can have a discussion about our “thoughts” on an issue that is already enumerated in the Constitution is if we are having a discussion about changing something through the deliberative process outlined in the Article V process for amendments.

I listened tonight as Curtis explained all of this to this individual and explained that as a United States Congressman, his oath and therefore his responsibility would be to uphold the Rule of Law. This fact is either completely lost on most in office today or they simply have no regard for that fact.  In this field of 16 candidates I have heard all of these candidates many times over…and none of these candidates has this grasp of the principles of liberty like Curtis does. Indeed, I can honestly say that few have any grasp of this at all because I have heard them explain their positions and in most cases those positions are more in tune with their “thoughts”, “ideas”, and conjecture more than they are with the principles and enumerated powers outlined in the federal Constitution.

Friends, first principles, the principles of Liberty and the United States Constitution are in my "wheelhouse", this is my expertise...so I know it when I see it.  This is why I am teamed with Curtis Bostic...not simply because he is my good friend, indeed there is another candidate in this race that is a friend of mine. I'm teamed with Curtis because I am convinced that he is exactly the type of candidate that we MUST elect if we want any chance at pushing this government back inside its constitutional fence. We have a rare candidate for this Congressional seat in the 1st District of South Carolina right now, men like Curtis Bostic that have a grasp of these first principles and mastery of our Constitution coupled with rock solid integrity are very hard to find these days.  The ability to articulate these principles is crucial for a congressman in order to be able to explain it to his colleagues in the United States Congress as well as the citizens of the 1st District.

Let’s get it right on March 19th, vote for Curtis Bostic to be the next Congressman from the 1st Congressional District of South Carolina.