Christmas Message from Joe and Kathleen Miller (+video)

Picture - Christmas Card Picture Joe and Kathleen MillerThank you for your friendship and support!

Our family looks forward to the New Year with faith in what God can do. We pray that He may richly bless you and yours this Christmas season and that 2014 may bring great joy.

Joe and Kathleen Miller

Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Miller Calls on Begich and Murkowski to Reject Murray-Ryan Budget, Support Military

Joe Miller speakingAnchorage, Alaska. December 16, 2013 – Joe Miller today called on Senators Begich and Murkowski to reject the unsustainable Murray-Ryan budget, describing it as just another Washington gimmick.

“The latest budget gimmick is yet another sign that Washington is fundamentally unserious about the debt crisis facing the nation,” Miller said. “It’s simply unacceptable to continue down the road to fiscal insolvency and economic disaster with a ‘tax and spend’ deal that does absolutely nothing to address Congress’ spending addiction.” 

Not only does the budget deal result in a net spending increase of $63 billion over the next two years, it will also raise taxes and cut crucial retirement benefits for military veterans.

The deal cuts pension cost of living adjustments (“COLA”) by one percentage point per year for military retirees who aren’t disabled and not yet 62 years old. The vast majority of military personnel retire after twenty to thirty years of service at half their active duty pay level. Most under the Murray-Ryan plan will see a 20 percent or more pay cut in their COLA’s, which are linked to the inflation rate, so the salary maintains the same buying power. 

CNN Money reports, “The average cut in pension payouts, including compounding interest, for a retiring Army Sergeant first class, would be about $3,700 each year, according to the Military Officers Association of America. Over 20 years, the total losses could balloon to more than $80,000.”

Joe Miller concluded, “It’s just more political double-speak, and I’m sickened that Congress has so little regard for the sacrifice of our career military men and women, much less for the commitments that they’ve made. It’s classic bait-and-switch, a raw deal that should be roundly rejected by Senators Begich and Murkowski. I urge Alaskans to contact our senate delegation and tell them to reject the Murray-Ryan plan.”

Joe Miller is a husband, father, war veteran, businessman, and Constitutional conservative who believes in limited government, the Right to life, individual liberty, private property, and free markets.

The Solution to This Present Crisis

Dear Friend of Liberty,479px-Official_Portrait_of_President_Reagan_1981

With the latest round of budget talks in Washington, it appears some Republicans on the Hill are in the spirit of giving once again. This time it’s the sequester cuts, more taxes, and some are even suggesting we adjust to the “new normal” of ObamaCare. 

And what will ordinary Americans get in return? An uptick in the federal deficit, more debt on their children’s backs, fewer jobs, healthcare with higher costs and less access, and perhaps another downgrade to America’s credit rating. When will the madness end?

Ronald Reagan hit the nail on the head over 30 years ago, when he announced in his first inaugural address, “In this present crisis, government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem.”

He then led the charge to get the federal government off the backs of the American people, and the people responded to the renewal of freedom and opportunity by making the United States once again the envy of the world. 

The answer in our present crisis will only come when ordinary citizens like you and me stand up and be counted. 

The goal and the object of this great fight is nothing less than a renewal of the American Dream and the restoration of our constitutional principles. That’s why I’ve filed to run for US Senate in 2014. Will you join with me in the fight?

Conventional politicians – Republicans and Democrats alike – have shown time and time again that they won’t join this fight. That’s why I need your help, so I can stand alongside other patriots in the fight like Senators Cruz and Lee!

Every day we see the crisis of leadership in our country deepening. Whether it’s the rampant corruption in our nation’s capital, the cultural decay resulting from incessant attacks upon religion and morality, or the erosion of our individual liberties –  the time for action is now.

I cannot stand idly by and watch while “the last best hope of man on earth” is dismantled by Barack Obama’s “fundamental transformation” of America. And neither can I allow the “me too” Republicans to go unchallenged while they aid and abet him through passive resistance, or even cooperation.

This is the time to face our challenges squarely and soberly. We must get our spending problem under control. We must repeal or defund ObamaCare. And we must confront this lawless administration. 

Mark Begich isn’t going to do it. The “me too” Republicans aren’t going to do it. But I will work tirelessly to do exactly that.

If we fail to take action now, we are responsible for depriving our children and grandchildren of hope. They will be paying for our mistakes for generations to come.

It’s time to rebuild the foundations, return to Constitutional government, and restore freedom and economic prosperity. And if we all do our part, the future will be ours again.

Together, we can make the fundamental restoration of the America we love a reality. Can I count on your support to offer Alaska an alternative to politics as usual?

Thank you for standing with me!

In Liberty,

Joe

Barack Obama’s Dictatorial Tendencies

Barack_Obama_addresses_joint_session_of_Congress_2009-02-24Dear Friend of Liberty,

Earlier this week, Senator Ted Cruz explained remarks made by his father comparing Barack Obama to Fidel Castro and agreed with him that Barack Obama disregards the law, like in “dictatorial societies.” I completely concur with this assessment.

Cruz’s father, Rafael, fled Cuba in search of freedom in the United States following Castro’s rise to power in the late 1950s.

Ted Cruz, while granting there are vast differences between the United States and Cuba, said, “But the point my father was making, he was focusing on a sentence that President Obama used in the last two State of the Union addresses where he said, ‘If Congress doesn’t act, I will.’”

Cruz offered ObamaCare as exhibit A in his case of the President changing numerous provisions of the law, without congressional authorization.

These unilateral acts are in no way limited to the healthcare law. The President’s infamous pronouncement to act with or without Congress was made in regards to climate change, which he did through EPA regulation. He has also failed to enforce immigration law and mandatory sentencing minimums for federal crimes.

The list of abuses goes on. He unilaterally chose not to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act; he made recess appointments when Congress was not in recess; his Administration has stonewalled congressional investigations into Fast and Furious, Benghazi, the NSA and the IRS. This President feels that somehow he is above the law and does not have to answer to the people.

You know where I stand; I’m not “Johnny come lately” to this fight!

You don’t have to wonder whether I’ll fight for your Constitutional Liberties. You don’t have to wonder whether I’ll speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. You know I will.

Our country is at peril, and there is little time to turn it around. It’s time to take a bold stand for the country we love and fight for its future.

When I am elected to the United States Senate, I pledge to confront this lawless administration. You can count on it!

I cannot do this alone; but together we can make a difference.

Thanks for your generosity and support.

In the fight,

Joe

Will Failing to Support This Movement Prove the GOP’s Demise?

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Current GOP Establishment leadership “wisdom” in Washington is saying it is time to stand up to the Tea Party and show them who is boss.

This misguided way of thinking seeks to oppose a movement that stands for a limited federal government, grounded in the Constitution, which should be exactly what the Republican Party is for, especially at this critical moment in our nation’s history. 

A return to these bedrock principles is the only hope for restoring the United States to a land where freedom and opportunity thrive.

The passion, principles, and political engagement of the Tea Party made the Republican Party relevant again. It fueled the GOP’s winning back control of the House and gave it the chance to get back in the game in the Senate only two years after the devastating losses of 2008, in which the Democrats not only took the Presidency and strengthened their grip on the House, but won a filibuster proof majority in the Senate. 

It was the Tea Party that understood immediately the fundamental transformation of America that Barack Obama and the Democrats were seeking. It was the Tea Party that stood, and continues to stand, in opposition to that socialist agenda. And it is the Tea Party that is fighting for a new birth of freedom in America.

Here in Alaska, Senator Mark Begich has been a faithful foot soldier in Barack Obama’s and Harry Reid’s march towards their socialist, utopian dream. From voting for the trillion dollar failed stimulus package, to exponentially growing the entitlement state as the nation racked up $7 trillion in new debt, to his 60th and deciding vote for ObamaCare, Senator Begich has been an unquestioning “yes” for the Democrat agenda. 

We have the chance to replace Mark Begich next year, but it must be with someone who is committed to a fundamental restoration of America. In this great challenge, a “go along to get along” Republican mentality will not be enough to stop and roll back the encroachments of the federal government during the last several years. 

You know where I stand; I’m not “Johnny come lately” to this fight! 

You don’t have to wonder whether I’ll fight for your Constitutional Liberties. You don’t have to wonder whether I’ll advocate for the free market. You don’t have to wonder whether I’ll speak up for those who can’t speak for themselves. You know I will.

I have been a strong opponent of ObamaCare from the start. I have advocated for its repeal. And I am the only candidate in this senate race who has embraced the accountability of signing the Senate Conservatives Fund Pledge to Defund Obamacare!

As Alaska’s next United States Senator, I will stand with leaders like Ted Cruz and Mike Lee, because they understand the grave consequences to our nation if we fail to act and act soon to restore fiscal soundness and our constitutional freedoms.

Truthfully, my opponents will likely talk a good talk in the months ahead, but when given the opportunity to support tea party reform in the past, they chose the establishment status quo with its bailouts, crony capitalism and trillions in deficit spending. 

The contrast couldn’t be clearer. 

Our country is at peril, and there is little time to turn it around. It’s time to take a bold stand for the country we love and fight for its future!

When I am elected to the United States Senate, I pledge to confront this lawless administration and its radical socialist agenda. You can bank on it.

I cannot do this alone; but together we can. If you want a fighter in the United States Senate, I need your help today.

Thanks for your generosity and support!

Because America is worth fighting for . . .

Joe

This is the Price that Must Be Paid to Preserve Our Freedom

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Thomas Jefferson once exhorted that, “The price we pay for liberty is eternal vigilance.”

Never in recent history has there been a greater need to remember this truth as we observe the actions of this Administration and its allies in Congress. 

A core understanding of these ideals formerly knew no party lines. It defined us as a nation.

Both John Kennedy and Ronald Reagan could agree that securing the God-given rights of Americans was the central purpose of government, and resisting the central top-down tyranny manifested in the communist/socialist worldview was a virtue. 

In our day, it is abundantly clear that Barack Obama and the Democrats think the primary purpose of the federal government is a “fundamentally transformed” America that our Founders would not recognize, where socialism reigns. It is our duty to ensure future generations experience the same promise and opportunity that we were given.
 
For the last five years, Mark Begich has been a virtual rubber stamp for Barack Obama’s left-wing agenda. Now he and Harry Reid have broken with long-standing Senate tradition to shove the president’s radical activist judges down our throats.
 
The minority party’s right to filibuster Presidential nominees who lack the qualifications, temperament or respect for the liberties of all Americans, which dates back to the mid-19th century, is no more with regards to most judicial and executives appointments. 
 
While Mark Begich talks a good game when he’s back in Alaska, we know he does the bidding of his party bosses when he’s in Washington. 
 
The truth is, according to The Washington Post, he votes with Barack Obama and Harry Reid 91% of the time. So much for independence!
 
Just like the junior senator was the 60th and decisive vote to pass an Obamcare law that Alaskans didn’t want, couldn’t afford and clearly doesn’t work, he continues to drag us down the road towards the President’s socialist utopian dream, which history clearly teaches leads to shared scarcity, rather than the shared opportunity to live the American dream.
 
When I’m elected to the United States Senate, you won’t have to worry about whether I’ll represent Alaska’s interests or stand up for the constitutional principles that made our nation great. I’ll lead the charge to confront this lawless administration and its liberty stealing agenda.
 
But I can’t do it alone. Together, we can roll back Barack Obama’s radical agenda and restore America. Thanks for your friendship and support!
 
In the Fight,

Joe

Why is Thanksgiving Celebrated?

More than three hundred and ninety years since the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, their example has not been forgotten. For etched in the collective memory of America is the truth that, from those first settlers who fled Europe in quest of religious freedom to those today who seek refuge within our borders from oppression the world over, we owe praise to “the Power that made and preserved us a nation.”

While modern life often crowds out reflection of the past, it is imperative that we remember who we are as a people, and why we celebrate.

Our first President, George Washington proclaimed our first National Day of Thanksgiving in 1789:

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor– and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness. Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be . . . [Read more from this proclamation HERE]

As we gather with friends and family to celebrate God’s many blessings, may we be mindful not only of the blessings we enjoy, but of the price paid by others to secure them. And as the ancient English prayer implores, may we offer thanks “not only with our lips, but in our lives.”

Happy Thanksgiving!

Joe and Kathleen Miller

Joe Miller: Begich Empowers Washington, Blames Alaskans

Photo Credit: SenateDemocrats U.S. Senate candidate Joe Miller today called into question Senator Mark Begich’s “independence” for engaging in hyper-partisanship in Washington and, through his actions, undermining our republic.

In a naked power grab last Thursday Democrats broke with a long-standing Senate tradition requiring a 60-vote majority in order to confirm judges. In so doing, Democrats have abandoned all pretext of governing by consensus, instead seizing more power for unelected government bureaucrats and judges who regulate, tax, and wield arbitrary power over Americans lives.

And what did Senator Mark Begich do? He abandoned bi-partisanship to carry the water for those he truly serves in Washington–Barack Obama and Harry Reid–and then had the gall to blame his constituents for his own outrageous actions. The Los Angeles Times quoted the senator as saying, “. . . the American people are asking us to fix this system.”

US Senate candidate Joe Miller responded:

“The fact that Mark Begich is continuously pushing his ‘independence’ in Alaska, while at the same time engaging in hyper-partisanship back in Washington is bad enough,” said Miller. “But to go a step further and blame his constituents for this naked power grab is, in my opinion deeply cynical.”

Senators Chuck Grassley and Orrin Hatch, who are both longstanding members of the Senate Judiciary Committee, note there are far more pressing vacancies in the other federal courts nationwide. The DC Circuit has the lightest caseload in the country, and filling its vacancies is simply unnecessary. Incidentally, Democrats made similar arguments in opposition to President George W. Bush’s appointees to the same court.

The junior senator’s move is all the more troubling when one considers the fact that the impetus behind the rules change appears to be an attempt by the White House to stack the DC Appellate Court in hopes of saving the Obama agenda, including Obamacare – a bill Begich was the 60th and deciding vote on.

In recent days, Begich has feigned outrage over the failed healthcare roll-out, even engaging in faux attacks on the White House in an attempt to distance himself from political fallout. But Alaskans can now see to what lengths he will go to save the president’s failed socialist experiment.

While Begich has voted for the Obama-Reid agenda 91% of the time during his tenure in the United States Senate, Joe Miller will work tirelessly to repeal Obamacare, and fight every day to restore our liberties and keep Washington outsiders from meddling in our lives.

Joe Miller concluded, “Mark Begich’s ridiculous claim that there is some public consensus out there to justify his vote to give unaccountable judges more power over our lives is disingenuous in the extreme, and it’s anything but independent. It is partisan, divisive, and deeply troubling for the future of liberty in America.”

This is How Liberty Ends

Photo Credit: Susan Walsh/APDear Friend of Liberty,

Earlier this week, the Senate, in almost a straight party line vote, chose to end the filibuster with respect to most Presidential nominees. 
 
This shocking power grab strips the ability of the minority party to provide a check to elevating those to places of authority in the executive or the judicial branch, who lack the qualifications, temperament or respect for the liberties of all Americans to hold such positions of trust. 
 
Though voting to end this right of the minority, which dates back to the mid 19th century, is deplorable, no one should be too surprised given the unprecedented pattern of the abuse of power seen under this Administration with its willing accomplices in the Democrat controlled Senate, Harry Reid and Mark Begich.
 
Where will this end? Will Congress hold those responsible to account?  

If the past is any indication, we can say with confidence that the Washington establishment will once again turn a blind eye to the blatant and systematic abuse of power.

At the IRS, many of those responsible for political profiling have not only kept their jobs, they have been promoted. Crickets on the Justice Department’s illegal monitoring of the press.  
 
Congress has yet to get to the bottom of the debacle at Benghazi, as this Administration stonewalls efforts by House Republicans. Meanwhile, the NSA continues to trample on the rights of ordinary Americans.
 
Not to mention . . . Obamacare!  We were lied to. Period.
 
It is time to hold this Administration and its shills in Congress accountable! That’s why I’ve filed to run for US Senate in 2014.
 
Senator Mark Begich may grandstand during an election cycle, but he’s never going to hold this administration accountable. Let’s face it, he is part of the problem. He was the 60th and deciding vote on Obamacare, and frankly, he sold us a bill of goods.
 
One thing we know, Mark Begich will keep carrying the water for Barack Obama and Harry Reid.
 
Enough is enough. Alaskans deserve better. Let’s give our junior senator his pink slip before he does any more damage.
 
In 2014 we’ll have a chance to replace liberal Democrat Mark Begich and rein in Barack Obama’s failed socialist agenda. But it is not going to happen if we replace him with another “me too” Republican. We’ve already tried that brand, and it’s not working out so well.
 
We need a fighter in Washington who will confront this lawless administration, and work tirelessly to restore liberty and economic prosperity. With your support, that’s exactly what I intend to do.
 
This week we celebrated the immortal words of our nation’s first Republican President Abraham Lincoln. At Gettysburg 150 years ago, he eloquently re-stated the vision and mission of the United States of America. 
 
In our day, “this nation, under God” must have “a new birth of freedom” once again so that “government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
 
Together, we can begin to make that happen.
 
Thank you for standing with me and your financial support during this crucial hour in our nation’s history.
 
In the Fight,

Joe

Miller: I Cannot In Good Conscience Stand By and Do Nothing

Dear Friend of Liberty,

Democrat Senator Mark Begich is scared. Following the President’s ObamaCare press conference yesterday, Begich announced his support for delaying implementation of the law’s so-called “grandfather rule” for two years rather than one.

The provision has already caused thousands of Alaskans and millions of Americans to lose their healthcare coverage. This fits a pattern for the vulnerable first term senator, who also wants to delay the employer mandate for another two years.
 
The reason is perfectly clear: he does not want the bad news of cancelled policy notices, dropped employer coverage and lost jobs to be hitting Alaskans as they head to the polls next fall. This is the DC establishment at its self-absorbed worst.

Rather than truly fixing the problem by repealing ObamaCare, Mark Begich stands by his 60th and deciding vote and seeks to delay some of its gravest consequences just long enough to somehow get re-elected. We know if he is successful, he will spend six more years whole-heartedly supporting liberal policies that rob our freedom and take this nation inexorably down the road to financial catastrophe. 
 
These are perilous times for our country. Nothing else could induce me to venture back onto a battlefield that I know is bound to exact a high personal price, not just for me, but also for my family. But I cannot in good conscience stand by and do nothing while the political establishment puts their own self interest above the best interest of the American people.

 
You know where I stand. Constitutional government is the only answer to the challenges we face as a nation. It is time to stand up and fight for the things we hold dear: individual liberty, private property, free enterprise, and self-determination.
 
Alaskans also know that we are a unique state with boundless resources, but we have a high level of dependency on the federal government. It is time to move away from centralized power, and back toward the model of federalism envisioned by our founders.  
 
The dysfunction of the central government – evidenced by the unmitigated Obamacare disaster, out-of-control deficit spending, and near-total disregard for the Bill of Rights – makes a return of power to the states not just a good idea, but one that could be necessary to our very survival as a free and prosperous society.
 
With the balance of power in the US Senate at stake, Alaska has become a battleground state in the 2014 election cycle. 
 
Already corporate and special interests are spending big bucks to help Democrat Senator Mark Begich retain his seat, and outside groups are organizing on the ground in an effort to gain a strategic advantage.
 
While this is a matter of some concern, it is not a reason for panic. We have no intention of playing the traditional establishment game, or allowing our opponents to dictate our mode of operation.
 
We have the most extensive grassroots network in the state of Alaska, but we need your help to mobilize and spread our message of reform.
 
While we have not yet announced our official campaign kick-off date, I can assure you that we are already hard at work, and meeting with key allies from around the state and the nation to lay the necessary groundwork for a successful run. And in the meantime, we will continue to provide accountability for our sitting senator.
 
Let’s keep our eye on the ball. This isn’t a race merely about partisan advantage, it’s about saving the country we love.
 
Without a doubt, we are already watching candidates posture for political advantage. This week Mark Begich engaged in political theatrics playing the part of the outraged Senator who is shocked to learn that Obamacare is causing thousands of Alaskans to lose their healthcare plans and thousands more to see their premiums increased significantly. But we know it is not about what this or that candidate has to say during an election cycle that matters. We have heard that song and seen that dance before.
 
The question before the voters of Alaska will be one of who can be trusted to confront this lawless administration and to advocate for real reform in Washington. 
 
My positions haven’t changed. I will fight tirelessly to dismantle the Washington bureaucracy and return government to the people.
 
Please help make reform a reality by making a generous donation today! I cannot win this battle without your generous financial help.
 
Together, we can return American values to our nation’s Capitol, and return power to the people.
 
Thanks for your friendship and support!
 
Yours for Liberty,

Joe