It's Time for Jim Gilmore.

Having stayed silent on this issue long enough, it is time for me to throw out my support for the candidate I believe will best serve our Commonwealth as the next United States Senator. I think that honor should fall on the more-than-capable Jim Gilmore.

We in the Valley do not take our politics or our political affiliations lightly. We come from a tradition, firmly planted and instilled by the great Ronald Reagan of such unshakable tenets as protecting our second amendment rights, protecting the life of the unborn, keeping taxes low, promoting pro-family values, and supporting our military. We don't want to support a candidate who waffles and gives yes, no, and/or maybe answers to the toughest of questions. We have lived under just that exact bowl of mush that politicians like Mark Warner have been feeding us for far too long. It's time for a change. It's time to bring Virginia back to true conservatism. It's time for Jim Gilmore.

The Commonwealth is facing many tough decisions and issues right now--mainly: illegal immigration, taxes, transportation, and homeland security. Jim Gilmore has the answers to those persistent questions that have been plaguing our Commonwealth.

• Gilmore understands that the illegals are costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year. American and Virginian borders must be tightened up immediately and a crackdown on employers who hire illegal immigrants must be enforced ten-fold. This issue hits very close to home as some downtown restaurant businesses hire just those people.
• Jim Gilmore has experience with what it means to keep taxes low. As governor, he cut 16 different taxes totaling $1.5 billion, created more than 250,000 new jobs and gave the state its lowest unemployment in 40 years. That's what you call an accomplishment, folks.
• We see construction all around us it seems...and it never seems to be progressing. Under Jim Gilmore, we will begin to see the light at the end of that tunnel. Gilmore's record as Governor for advancing key transportation projects speak for itself. And it doesn't stop there--he's bringing new, fresh ideas to the table like helping to protect the Virginia taxpayer by using federal transportation bonds and private/public partnerships to raise the funds to build effect transportation projects.
• Homeland security is an issue very close and personal to Jim Gilmore. He led our state through the disastrous and turbulent times of September 11, 2001. He has first hand experience of what evil is. And he will not let it come to Virginia ever again. Not only a distinguished veteran, he also chaired the congressionally appointed Gilmore Commission which warned in 1999 and 2000 that a terrorist attack on America was eminent and that a national plan of response was not in place. After the attacks on September 11th, Congress adopted 146 of our 164 recommendations on national security.

Jim Gilmore has these solid principles and virtues at the forefront of not only his personal, but his political life as well: family, patriotism, justice, free enterprise, defense of our nation. I join him and many others, in subscribing to those tenets.

I am proud to say that I am not only fully supporting Jim Gilmore for Senate in 2008 but that I am also the coordinator for his election bid in the City of Staunton.

Cross posted at The Journal of Civilized Man