Local Commentary

May 11, 2010

'Regular guy' running for new era of honest government

WE MIGHT very well subtitle this piece, “How I plan to win the primary election.”

We all know that if I have the good fortune to win the primary, I will no longer have to worry about the “unknown” label that I now fight every day of this campaign.

Many people have asked me to comment on how I plan to win the primary election against well-financed opponents Paul Kanjorski and Corey O’Brien. The reality is obvious. I recognize the road is uphill, but I do have confidence that the people will triumph on May 18, and I am of the people. Residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania are looking for honest government and a fresh start. My candidacy represents both.

The key to winning this election is to get the message out that I am very capable, but like many others who have never come forward before, I am still a very regular citizen with no political entanglements. I am convinced that it is time to abandon machine politics and bring honest government back to the people. In fact, for the poor job they did, it would be great if all 435 U.S. representatives were replaced. But, the cleanup starts at home.

Many are wondering how an under-$5,000, self-financed campaign can be successful. Am I for real? As much as the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania want to have new blood and honest government, they are skeptical that one of their own, a regular guy just like them, fed up, just like them, is the right candidate.

I hear about the importance of government experience as one of the major criteria. I cringe at the thought of that even being a consideration. The Founding Fathers never intended to watch the Smith farm each year while Smith went to Washington, no matter how good Smith did as a rookie. A representative democracy depends on the people sending one of their own to Congress every two years.

Nobody intended that time in office would create, with the people’s permission, skilled politicians, who nowadays prefer to debate the people who sent them rather than the outside interests that don’t serve the people. In other words, the Founders did not think the people would be dumb enough to send anybody back for 13 terms.

I define a politician as one who, after gaining office one time, seeks re-election. Originally, I thought one, two-year term would do it for me – in and out. I would have done my duty, and the change from politics-as-usual that everybody was looking for would have occurred. Now, I am thinking that perhaps I will need to run for a second term to finish some work, but I am not promising that. I can tell you right now the thought of a second term makes me want to work even harder to get the people’s business accomplished as quickly as possible, if the people select me as their representative.

I get disgusted at times, as I hear of people crediting their elected representatives for giving them a chance in life. This really gets under my skin. Who is serving whom? Your children and my children should all approach life as if the field is level and, if it is not, if some politician someplace has become the arbiter of who succeeds and who does not succeed, then shame on us.

Though many power brokers already have gone to jail, the favored still believe they have a right to be favored. I found this to be the case in my campaign for Congress. So many people believe they owe their success to the political system, for one reason or another. Even good friends of mine are concerned that if they support me openly, it will be a mark against them. Wow! That is disgusting. Officeholders serve at the pleasure of their constituencies. When the holder of the office appears to be more important than the constituents, democracy fails.

Though it is not easy, I am hoping to get my message out through news articles and commentaries, such as the one you are reading, engaging in talk radio and making myself available for speaking engagements and debates. My website, www.briankellyforcongress.com, is a storehouse of information on all the issues.

My being in the race might make it a little more difficult for the voters to be aware of all of their choices, since I cannot push my message out as the others can. But when elected, it will be a big plus for voters because I will represent them and not the special interests that paid for the others’ big campaigns.

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