First off, I would like to thank all of the many volunteers, friends, delegates, and others who came out today to support and help me. I don’t think I will ever be able to say thank you enough for everything you do.

Second, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank David Leavitt and Joe Ferguson for running honorable, respectful, and civil campaigns. I would also like to thank David Leavitt for his grace in a difficult time. Contrary to what has been written in the papers and the reaction by some of the delegates, there was no pre-arranged coordination of his endorsement. He felt strongly that if he wasn’t to be the nominee, that I should be. Civility was a hallmark of David’s campaign today and I am sure, campaigns of the future. He practices what he preaches.  He knows that civility and respect move mountains in Washington and are values Utahns hold dear.

We move on from today knowing that the voters of the 3rd District are thoughtful and know my record of working for them. We move on from today knowing we will continue to be the target of personal attacks and distortions, but assured in the power of our positive message to move voters.

As I said earlier, voters are rightfully angry with Washington. $3.50 gasoline is immoral, government spending is out of control, health care is broken, and border security needs more than rhetoric. In all these issues and more, Congress IS the problem, but being IN Congress is not the problem.

The Club for Growth, the National Taxpayers Union, the Americans for Tax Reform, National Journal, the Family Research Council, Sean Hannity, the National Rifle Association, and many more individuals and organizations that care about the issues we hold dear, consistently show that my record DOES NOT reflect the status quo, but is a record of holding firm to our principles and accomplishing much, even when our voice is in the minority.

As Ezra Taft Benson said in “The Proper Role of Government”:

Unlike the political opportunist, the true statesman values principle above popularity, and works to create popularity for those political principles which are wise and just.

That is what I do everyday in Washington.  I work to convince 434 other members of the House and 100 Senators and a President, that our values are America’s values.  It isn’t easy and it doesn’t happen overnight.  The framers designed our government to move slow.  Both in expansion and contraction.

But when I can, as I did this year, get arch-liberal John Conyers to support a tax moratorium on the Internet, it is an indication of what is possible.  This isn’t accomplished by bombastic speeches or lofty rhetoric.  It is done by reasoned discourse and firm principles.

I hope you will join us as we take this message to the district and around the country through November.  I ask you to sign up and volunteer to help and donate what you can to this cause.   Today is the start of the next phase of the campaign that ends with re-election in November.  Thank you for your support and let’s get to work!

-       Making the Bush tax cuts permanent

-       Death tax repeal

-       Cutting and limiting government spending

-       Social Security reform with personal retirement accounts

-       Expanding free trade

-       Legal reform to end abusive lawsuits

-       Replacing the current tax code

-       School choice

-       Regulatory reform and deregulation 

I believe those votes reflect the will of the voters of the 3rd District.  Coupled with my seniority on three committees, I believe I am part of the solution.  Returning many other Republicans to their pro-growth, tax cutting, fiscally responsible ways.  My opponents should note that Jim Matheson is 194th.  If Jason Chaffetz and David Leavitt think my voting record is worse than Jim Matheson’s (As Jason said on the Bob Lonsberry Show), then perhaps they should take a look at this scorecard and ask themselves why they are trying to replace someone with seniority and a voting record reflecting the will of the district. I will be available to discuss this and many other issues at the convention and with your help we can get 60%, and I can spend the next few months helping to elect other conservatives to Congress so we can take our party and our country back! 

Congratulations on being a thoughtful and public service oriented delegate to the State Republican Convention

I am Mark Cannon, Chris Cannon’s uncle. I have known and observed all Utah Congressmen since I served as Administrative Assistant for Utah Congressman Henry Aldous Dixon. I had subsequent vantage points as Chairman of the BYU Political Science Department, Administrative Assistant to Chief Justice Warren Burger (who I persuaded to accept the invitation to speak at the BYU Law School dedication) and in directing the Bicentennial of the U.S. Constitution. With the exception of Congressman Jim Hansen, I have not seen any Utah Congressman who has shown as much leadership in Congress as Chris Cannon.

Attached are some documents about Chris. (Click here to see them) Hopefully, these materials will be help you see Chris’ significant accomplishments and leadership, and the great value of keeping his knowledge, experience, commitment, energy, diligence and seniority working to benefit Utah and the nation. As a result of his knowledge and experience with issues characteristic of the western states such as mining, reclamation, land use and tourism, his Congressional colleagues in the Western Caucus in Congress, who know each others’ strengths intimately, elected Chris to be their Chairman and then re-elected him for two more terms giving him six years of this leadership role. To illustrate, he successfully led a continual fight to permit development of oil shale – that can ultimately bring millions of dollars to the Utah Treasury and help lower fuel prices.

Chris’ knowledge, skills and determination enabled him to persuade Congress to enact more of his bills than any other Utah Congressman of the past 30 years except former Congressman Jim Hansen.

The press has noted that his effectiveness has caused colleagues to urge that he be jumped over more senior Members to be the leading Republican on the Government Reform and Resources Committees.

Those of us who believe in traditional values are alarmed at the cultural war against family values. However, Tony Perkins, President of the Family Research Council stated that Chris Cannon “is to be commended for supporting public policy that values human life, protects our religious liberties, and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family.” Chris fights across the board for family values.

We all worry about the constant growth of government. It takes courage to resist the interest groups. Yet that is what Chris has done. Just this month, Duane Parde, President of the National Taxpayers Union wrote: “If every Member of Congress had voted as responsibly as Chris Cannon did in 2007, Americans could enjoy much lower taxes and less waste in government.” He has consistently been identified as a budget hawk among the top of his colleagues.

Many Americans are frustrated with Congressional liberalism and bureaucratic regulation. I believe that the best way to solve growing problems with practical, common sense solutions is to re-elect Chris and to elect many more like him, who have similar endurance and fortitude.

Your support for Chris would be greatly appreciated by him and all of his supporters! We hope that you will be able to join us on Saturday at the Cannon for Congress booth to ask any questions that you might have.

Very best wishes to you in all of your good undertakings.

Mark Cannon

Dr. Mark W. Cannon

U.S. authorities attribute the drop to tighter security and a new program in the Tucson sector that has prosecuted more than 3,000 migrants for crossing illegally since it started in January. They face jail sentences from a few days to six months.

But none of the migrants interviewed by The Associated Press knew about the new prosecution program. Those on their way home said the main deterrents were tougher security and the dangers of the desert, including bandits who rob and even rape migrants on both sides of the border.

No one wants to see a fellow human being harmed, and the border partrol should do all it can to prevent robbery, rape, or any other crime against any person inside the United States. 

But what this story shows is that the border fence (which I voted for), the hiring of more border agents (which I voted for), the authorization for states to enforce immigration law (which I voted for), and ending catch and release (which I voted for), are all taking a serious bite out of illegal immigration.

The U.S. Border Patrol has added 200 officers since last year to the Tucson sector, and a total of 3,000 agents now search the vast desert for illegal migrants by truck, horse, ATV and helicopter. They now have four drones scanning for drug and migrant smugglers, as well as two newly built 12-foot walls with steel posts near Nogales and in Sasabe.

All these measures I supported, voted for, and have spoken on. (contrary to popular belief or the false charges of some of my opponents).   We must solve the border problem BEFORE we can talk about how many workers we need as a nation. 

That is where I stand.  Always have, always will.

1. Frequency spectrum is owned and licensed by the FCC.  Radio hosts are on the radio because a company they work for bid on a portion of the frequency spectrum that their radio signal uses.  

2. My bill would require the FCC to auction off another portion of that spectrum.  The FCC currently holds spectrum and creates a virtual monopoly for established companies.

3. This auction would require private companies to bid and pay for the spectrum.  That means they have to pay the treasury to purchase those frequencies.

4. If they bid, part of the agreement will be that they will offer, for free, a low to mid-speed broadband system.  In order to make money (as google, yahoo, and others d0), they will sell advertising space (as companies like Xmission do) and they will offer a high speed service at a cost.  If that business model fails, someone else can buy that spectrum.

5. What it comes down to is this…the FCC, for better or worse, controls the frequency spectrum for many communications media in America.  Private companies can buy portions of that spectrum.  That is what is happening here.

I want to be crystal clear about one thing.  This bill, the auction, and the establishment of this wi-fi network will cost taxpayers ZERO DOLLARS.  There are companies that believe they can make money if given they are allowed to purchase this spectrum.  Anyone telling you that this bill will cost money, or is in some way a government subsidy for a private company is misrepresenting the facts or lying to you.  My record of being a faithful steward of the taxpayer’s money is unimpeachable and the false and misleading comments by some, just to get elected, insult the intelligence of the delegates and are flat out false. 

THIS ARTICLE APPEARED IN THE DAILY HERALD APRIL 23, 2008 

In any election, an incumbent’s record is fair game for debate. That’s especially true in the race for the Republican nomination in Utah’s Third Congressional District, which Rep. Chris Cannon has served since 1996.

Cannon’s challengers this year have similar ideological views to his own in most matters. Their main assertion is that they can do the job better than he has.But can they? Voters should undertake a dispassionate evaluation before deciding.

Sometimes sorting out the conflicting claims can be difficult. Luckily, in the Internet age, it’s fairly easy to find things out.

The Library of Congress’ Thomas Web site (www.thomas.gov) has a ton of information on what members of Congress have done, from roll call votes to committee reports. For instance, one tab will highlight measures Cannon has sponsored in the current Congress — from naming a building to bolstering a water system in Juab County.

If thomas.gov presents a broad look at what a congressman does, other online sites sift through records to provide insights on the most important issues. Project Vote Smart (www.votesmart.org) has a useful section of that sort. For example, you can click on “immigration” and get records for all House members on eight key immigration measures dating to 1997.

The Web site shows thousands of bills, with all sorts of information. For example, Cannon voted for the Secure Fence Act of 2006, which provided for building 700 miles of fence on the border with Mexico. It also shows that in 2004 — when Republicans controlled the House — Cannon voted no on HR 3722, a bill that would have required hospitals to provide information on undocumented immigrants seeking emergency medical care. The bill failed in the House by a lopsided vote of 331-88, so neither party liked it much.

Another online tool is provided by The Washington Post (http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress).

The Post provides a wealth of information, including a summary of key votes that gives a full and balanced summary of major actions comparing Cannon’s votes to the general Republican and Democratic positions. Cannon usually backed the GOP position and opposed the Democrat’s measures. But there were revealing exceptions. For instance, he cut against the GOP grain by voting no on HR 5, a bill that aimed to reduce the interest rate on student loans. The bill passed the House by a wide margin.

The above-mentioned Web sites are nonpartisan, but it can be useful to see what the partisan groups say. The AFL-CIO’s Web site (aflciovotes.notlong.com) analyzes Cannon’s votes in 2007 and in his congressional career. The liberal labor group says that in 2007 he voted for the ALF-CIO position on only two of 22 votes, 8 percent of the time — which is consistent with his lifetime rating from the group. Conservatives, of course, might view that as a badge of honor.

The National Taxpayers Union (www.ntu.org) says he voted “right” by their stands 86 percent of the time, winning an “A” rating.

There are plenty of other groups that also evaluate members of Congress, from the American Association of University Women to the National Association of Manufacturers. Such evaluations provide voters with important context that might be missing from mere lists of votes.

There’s also the congressman’s own Web site. For instance, go to http://chriscannon.house.gov/Biography and you’ll find out Cannon sits on these committees:

• Judiciary: Ranking Member, Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee; Courts, Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee; Anti-trust Task Force.

• Government Reform and Oversight: Domestic Policy Subcommittee; Information Policy, Census, and National Archives Subcommittee.

• Natural Resources: National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee.

One of Cannon’s selling points is that he is gaining seniority, and thus more clout, in Congress. A newcomer would have to start at the bottom and work his way up. Critics might observe that it can take many years for a congressman to get into a committee chairmanship with real influence; these critics might also wonder if dissatisfied voters are willing to wait that long.

We leave it up to the voters to decide what it means, and if any of the challengers can do better than Chris Cannon. Would Utahns be represented any differently, or about the same?

The good news is that Mr. McCain isn’t the only one calling a time-out on new taxes. Last week, Reps. Zoe Lofgren (D., Calif.) and Chris Cannon (R., Utah) introduced a wireless tax moratorium bill. It’s time to protect consumers from this tax collector raid.

The average monthly tax bill on cell phones is twice the average monthly sales tax bill Americans pay.  That is unacceptable.  Government should not simply look at the latest technology, and then tax it to death. 

High discriminatory tax rates are a legacy of monopoly telephone company regulation and make little sense in today’s competitive market for wireless service. But they make even less sense for music, games and other services that happen to be delivered over the airwaves. Kentucky revenuers have even argued that customers buying ringtones should pay twice – the state’s general sales tax rate of 6%, plus local utility taxes because the music arrived via a phone company.

Much as I led the fight to pass the internet tax moratorium (which was signed by the President earlier this year), I will lead the fight to pass this cell tax fairness act. 

But all that changed when 9-year-old Aaron, who has muscular dystrophy, caught the eye of one of the Secret Service agents safeguarding Pope Benedict.

Dollar weakness has contributed to soaring commodity prices that have walloped U.S. consumers just when their spending is most needed to offset the housing slump. Oil alone has climbed to $110 a barrel, from $70 in August, even as the International Energy Agency has slashed its predictions for global oil demand. The commodity boom is the result in large part of the Fed’s weak-dollar policy, and it may have tipped the U.S. into a recession that could have been avoided.

The question remains - what can be done?  From my end in Congress, the Journal advises:

In a better world, Congress and the White House would also help with a fiscal growth agenda, such as a marginal rate tax cut.

This is something I agree with totally and believe is needed.  Tax rates, from marginal to capital gains, are far too high.  Government spending continuing to explode and such spending crowds out private investment.  This in turn forces the Fed to print money or borrow, making inflation a real threat to economic stability. 

Election 2008 CAN change this.  As I recently pointed out on the Bob Lonsberry radio show, my record on reducing taxes, cutting (really cutting…not just slowing growth) spending, and advocating smaller and smarter government is unmatched in this Congress.  (It may shock some to know I have a better anti-pork spending record than Ron Paul)  What we need to do is ensure we elect more people with that record.  Republicans have nearly 30 retirements in the House and good candidates running in many open seats. 

————–

On a different note, independent journalist Michael Totten is always worth reading.   Totten has spent years in Iraq and writes an amazing piece about the rebirth of Fallujah. 

That said, Fallujah’s worst days are likely behind it. “The al-Qaida leadership outside dumped huge amounts of money and people and arms into Anbar Province,” says Lieutenant Colonel Mike Silverman, who oversees an area just north of Ramadi. “They poured everything they had into this place. The battle against Americans in Anbar became their most important fight in the world. And they lost.”

I would encourage you to look at my record when deciding who to support. 

For example, contrary to what Jason Chaffetz insinuated, my record on border enforcement is impeccable.   For example:

On key Immigration votes I voted:
-    For the Border Fence (HR 6061)

-    For the REAL ID Act (HR 418)
REAL ID:
    -    Established national standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and non-driver’s identification cards;
    -    Waived laws that interfere with construction of physical barriers at the borders; and
    -    Updated and tightened the laws on application for asylum and deportation of aliens for terrorist activity.
-    For hiring more Border Agents (HR 4437)
-    For making repeated attempts to enter the US illegally an aggravated felony (HR 4437)
-    For establishing an employment eligibility verification system that requires employers to verify the legal status of each employee or face a penalty for withholding employee information (HR 4437)
-    For requiring the detention of any undocumented immigrant attempting to enter the country after October 1, 2006, until deportation or final decision granting admissions to the U.S (HR 4437)
-    For providing the funds needed to ensure that illegal aliens in local prisons would remain in custody until deportation (HR 4437)
-    For penalizing US employers for replacing American workers with immigrant labor (HR 4437)
-    For authorizing up to 10,000 military members to secure the border.  Congressman Cannon supported and voted for this in 1997 and continues to support it

-    For denying Federal Housing Assistance to Illegals

-    For allowing the decision on in-state tuition to be left to the States and not the whims of whatever party controls Congress

-    For allowing illegal immigrants to be detained indefinitely pending deportation.  Ending “Catch and Release” (HR 6094)

 Just this Congress I:

-    Was an original co-sponsor of the Congressional Act to Free Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean

-    Am an original signatory of a letter to the President demanding a pardon for Border Agents Ramos and Compean

-    Actively opposed the President/Senate Immigration “Deal” this year.  At the time I said, “Legislation, conceived in secrecy, and dedicated to the proposition that only Senators can solve this issue, cannot long endure. An issue of such import demands the participation and support of the American people. Deciding what it means to be an American is the right of every citizen of this nation and no one, not even the US Senate, can change that.  There is broad support for reform. However, that reform must re-establish trust in the ability of the government to keep its word, promote border security to the top of the agenda, and involve the American people in deciding what is to be done with those here illegally.”

-     Demanded from the Department of Homeland Security the ability for all Americans to see the progress, in real time, of the border fence

Also, I believe Mr. Leavitt misspoke when discussing our debt to China.  According to the US Department of the Treasury, Japan owns more US debt than China.  As one of the most fiscally conservative members of the US House, I will continue to insist on ending deficit spending and paying down our debt.  But we must stick to the facts.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my campaign anytime to get the truth behind my record and the attacks you hear.