Stephen Bailey is currently running for congress in the second district of Colorado as the Republican nominee. Stephen has served in the Air Force and was recognized Airman of the Year in 1983. He also has a bachelors and masters degrees in Computer Science from Chapman University. He is a former small business owner and successful businessman. He currently lives in Niwot with his wife and their 3 children.
I interviewed him recently to shed more light on his views.
Joshua Lipana: First off, what prompted you to run for congress?
Stephen Bailey: I’ve always been interested in politics as an armchair observer and commentator. However, the decision to run began in late 2008 when the TARP bailout legislation was first brought to a vote. I was on a business trip in Europe and celebrated when the bill was defeated. When Congress and President Bush signed the TARP bailout two weeks later, against the wishes of the American public, it initiated the chain of events that led to the creation of the Tea Party movement and my resolve to not allow my country, my freedom and my families freedom to be destroyed. The resolve accelerated over the next year as President Obama and the Democrats rammed one tyrannical bill after another down our throats, engorging themselves and their political cronies in an orgy of spending that is bankrupting America.
JL: There is a political effort underway to repeal ObamaCare. How pressing is it, and how much of priority is it going to be for you to repeal ObamaCare if you are elected in congress?
SB: The majority of Americans want ObamaCare repealed. Unfortunately, Obama will veto any attempt to repeal it. Although a huge tsunami will bring huge wins for Republicans on November 2nd, it won’t be enough to provide veto-proof majorities in both the House and Senate. Therefore, the next Congress will need to work on piece-meal repeal of ObamaCare and starving funds to delay implementation of it.
It is a priority for me. But, there is much damage to be undone and much trust and confidence that the Republicans must create with all Americans.
JL: What other controls do you think the GOP should prioritize in repealing?
SB: The tremendous burdens on the economy must be lifted. Regulatory compliance is estimated to cost $1.75 trillion a year! A prototypical example of these costs is the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill. That bill should be repealed and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac liquidated to restore the mortgage industry to the private sector. The financial industry must be completely deregulated with adequate notice to every American so they can prudently assess where and how their assets are invested.
Congress must reform its procedures. Each chamber is solely responsible for their procedures and Obama has no control over them. Fundamental reform is required to discourage, not encourage, corruption. Single subject legislation, enumeration of constitutional authority for legislation, elimination of the reconciliation process, elimination of earmarks and budgetary reform starting with zero-based budgeting and eliminating all mandatory spending by requiring a recorded vote for every dollar appropriated.
JL: How do you feel about the Christian Right and Social Conservatism in the Republican Party?
SB: My district may or may not be representative of the entire country. Also, the particulars of this election year has the focus on economic, not social issues which may also be influencing my experience. I have found that the vast majority of Republicans at a grass roots level agree with me on:
Immigration: I call for a rational immigration policy that screens everyone coming into the country to keep out criminals, terrorists and those infected with communicable diseases. Once in this country, immigrants must not become a burden on society. If they become dependent, then they will be deported. If they demonstrate, over a significant period of time that they did come here to live an independent life, then they will be eligible for citizenship.
I have not met anyone that is xenophobic and anti-immigration. They are anti-illegal immigration and resent the burden that immigrants are placing on society.
On gay issues: I find that most Republicans are reacting to an activist social agenda. For example, they don’t want their 4th grader reading about Tammy having two mommies or daddies. However, the vast majority of Republicans acknowledge that the Constitution protects all of our rights equally and that what 2 consenting adults do is there business.
I also find good response when I point out that, if not for tax laws, gay marriage and civil unions would not be a federal issue. I emphasize that I want to spend my time and energy fighting for a simple flat tax and not providing yet another targeted tax break for some people.
Abortion: This is the most divisive issue in the country. There is a fundamental disconnect between those who believe rights apply to a fetus and those who believe rights don’t apply until you have a separate individual. There is no way to reconcile these conflicting positions. I have been able to point out the logical consequences of both positions with some success. However, people rarely change their position on this issue.
In general, I find the Christian Right to be more supportive of freedom and individual responsibility than the left. The Democrat party has shown that it is now thoroughly dominated by committed socialist, communist statists. Their desire for absolute power is naked and uncompromising. They have shown that they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.
The most eye-opening aspect of running for office is that you find the vast majority of people support freedom, liberty and limited government in general. However, the majority of those people have their exceptions – yes, people should be free, except that it is really bad when people do ; therefore, the government must step in to protect those people and our society, culture, etc.
The culture is the consequence of the ideas that are dominant at the time. Ideas cannot be forced. Therefore, the culture cannot be forced. People need to have the courage of their convictions and allow people to be free to discover what is and is not the best ways to live their lives (as long as they are not infringing anyone else’s rights).
JL: What about the Tea Party? Do you consider yourself a “Tea Party” candidate?
SB: I am a member of the Broomfield 9-12 and became active with the 2009 Tax Day Tea Party protests. I also attended the March on DC on September 12th last year. I like the Tea Party’s focus on fiscal conservatism and constitutionally limited government. As long as that remains their focus, I will consider myself a member of the movement. I am very pleased to enjoy the enthusiastic support of the Tea Party, 9-12 and other conservative groups in my district. They have been very helpful. These local groups do not endorse candidates so I will not claim to be a Tea Party candidate.
JL: Right off the bat, If you had the power, what government agency would you remove immediately? (Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education etc.)
SB: The Department of Education. Education is too important to trust to the federal government. It also makes no sense to send tax money from Colorado to DC to feed a bureaucracy that adds no discernible value but attaches strings to the pittance it sends back. It is best for education funds to remain as local as possible with the greatest amount of local (parental) accountability and control.
With our budgetary problems, every federal agency needs to be carefully scrutinized. Very few meet constitutional scrutiny or have a proven record of a justified existence.
JL: What do you think is the proper stance the U.S should take regarding the threat coming from Iran and Islamic Totalitarianism? And what are your thoughts regarding U.S and Israeli relations?
SB: Throughout human history, there have been men and ideas that are anti-life in the broadest sense of that term. Evil men will latch onto any ideas that justify the evil they wish to promulgate on their fellow men. If a code of evil ideas is not available, they will invent a new one. Perhaps the most evil of these men are the ones that teach the evil ideas as the code of values that others should live their life by. However, in a free society, people are free to express and proselytize evil ideas. It cannot be stopped by force without infringing the freedom of speech and expression. Evil ideas must be fought and defeated on the battlefield of ideas. Unfortunately, we are losing that battle with Islamic fundamentalists. Our media and academic elites apologize and apply moral equivocation of the evil ideas of Islam that are used as justification for committing terrorist atrocities. A politician, even a statesman, cannot change this alone. It must be broad based throughout the culture of society.
While the battle of ideas is waged, the politician is responsible for ensuring that our liberties and free society are protected from those who act on the evil ideas they hold and promote. It is the responsibility of the federal government to identify and neutralize the enemies of our free society and to do it at the least cost and risk to our national treasure and lives of our service members.
The U.S. and Israel are friends because we share many common values. Values such as a general respect for individual rights and representative government that serves with the sanction of its citizens. I anticipate this friendship to continue. Friends support each other. The extent of that support depends on the circumstances.
JL: We can tell a lot about a man, from the heroes he reveres. Who are some of your heroes? And why are they your heroes?
SB: Thomas Jefferson was a true renaissance man. How could you not identify the man who first identified the true moral purpose of government as a hero? Similarly, how could I not admire, as heroes, every signatory of the Declaration of Independence? They put their lives and fortunes on the line for freedom. I admire many of the founding fathers including George Washington and James Madison.
Ayn Rand is a hero for the clarity of her thinking and for teaching me, indirectly through her books, how to think.
JL: What are some of your favorite books?
SB: Favorite typically refers to what you enjoy reading which is not always the same as the books you value the most. Of course, I enjoy all of Ayn Rand’s books – fiction and non-fiction. I also enjoy every book from Alexander Dumas that I have read. Other fiction authors that I have enjoyed include Victor Hugo and Tom Clancy.
The most valuable book I have ever read is Rand’s Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. By teaching me how to think, this book has literally made me the man I am today and is the most directly responsible for my success in business.
JL: Finally, what do you think is the biggest difference between you and your opponent from the Democratic Party?
SB: I believe that your life is yours to live for your purpose in the pursuit of your dreams and happiness. Jared Polis believes your life is not yours and that you will live it for whatever purpose he or the government decides it should be lived for.
For more information on Stephen Bailey and his campaign visit his website www.stephenbaileyforcongress.com. Originally published in NewsReal Blog. Published here by the author.
