EDITOR’S NOTE: Three Republicans — Luke Puckett, Joseph Roush and Tony Zirkle — are seeking their party’s nomination to take on Democratic incumbent Joe Donnelly in the 2nd congressional district. The Pharos-Tribune invited all three to submit essays concerning their candidacies. Their responses follow:



Luke Puckett

As a small businessman, father and citizen, I’m running for Congress because I believe that we need common sense solutions to the challenges facing our country. The status quo in Washington needs to change and the actions of this Congress offer us no hope that real change is imminent.

As I’ve traveled this district and talked to people I’ve found that there are three important issues that many of them are thinking about: the first is the economy, the second is health care and the third is our national security.

Perhaps nothing illustrates the seriousness of the current economic uncertainty like the rise in gas prices. According to AAA, since the start of 2007 gas prices have risen 50 percent, and Hoosiers, myself included, are feeling this increase every time we fill up at the pump.

Unfortunately, as Americans have been faced with higher and higher gas prices, politicians in Washington have continually failed to push for policies that will bring both immediate and long-term relief.

Recently, Congress passed legislation giving a tax credit to the producers of cellulosic alcohol fuel. There are zero gas stations that sell this fuel. This same Congress has refused to pass legislation that would allow for environmentally friendly oil drilling to take place in Alaska and elsewhere.

As the next congressman from Indiana’s 2nd district, I’ll fight to open up domestic energy sources, and I’ll advocate for real solutions that will lower gas prices for Hoosiers.

Another concern that many people have today is the rising cost of health care. Rep. Joe Donnelly’s party believes that the best way to solve this problem is by having the government take over our health care system. Why would we want the same people who couldn’t get water to the Louisiana Super Dome in charge of our health care system? Europe and Canada have already found out that nationalized health care is a boondoggle where only the bureaucrats win.

Our national security is very important, and I firmly believe that we need to give our military and intelligence agencies the tools they need to keep us safe.

It is an honor to be an average citizen running for Congress. I’m confident that together we can dream big dreams about America’s future and work to solve the problems that we face.



Joseph Roush

I am the best person to represent the people of Indiana’s 2nd district because I am not a politician, nor will I ever be one. I am an independent thinker that is running on the Republican ticket and will not engage in party politics. I will defend our Constitution, and work to protect the people without eroding the rights set forth in that same document I hold so dear.

I consider myself a true patriot. It takes more to be a patriot than just waving the flag and shouting hooray for our side. A true patriot is one that questions authority when they see wrong being done. A true patriot is one that will take a stand against corrupt leadership that treats our Constitution as no more than a detriment to unjust policies. I know our founding fathers look down from above with a smile every time people stand up to, and fight against the injustices imposed on the people by political leadership that serves the few, instead of the many.

I am the best person to serve the people of our district because I have never had a want for money. I have had a need for money, but the pursuit of financial wealth has never been on my list of priorities. Corporate greed is one of the greatest enemies facing this country and world. Corporations used to do business with the intent of making a reasonable profit. That standard has been replaced by the evil of maximizing profits. I cannot be bought by corporate America and will work to rein in their greedy ways.

If elected, I will work to bring our troops home from Iraq immediately. I will work for a national mandate to go “green,” and the jobs that are created by that effort will help to get our economy back on its feet. I will work to reimpose strong tariffs against countries that have unfair labor practices and to penalize companies that send our jobs overseas. If elected, I will represent the common working person and average citizen, and vote on issues according to how it affects our people, and not according to which party or person writes that legislation.



Tony Zirkle

The prime issue in this campaign is whether or not American will continue to tolerate the porn dragon capitalists who are abusing our children, destroying our economy from within, and who are inspiring our enemies abroad.

In 1993, the Republicans had every major obscenity distributor under investigation or indictment. Clinton fired every federal obscenity prosecutor except for one, and by 2001, the Customs Department declared that the Internet contained about 100,000 Web sites linked to child porn.

The Supreme Court has consistently defended the porn dragon capitalists by abusing their power under the so-called “right” of judicial review that even the Democrat Thomas Jefferson protested against in boycotting the hearing for Marbury v. Madison in 1803.

The effects of the porn plague are already being documented by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC predicts that 80 percent of all American women will acquire the HPV sexually transmitted disease by age 50 and that 30 percent of all white and Hispanic and 50 percent of all African-American teens between 14 and 19 have already acquired at least one sexually transmitted disease.

Porn-prostitution destroys our economy when workers surf Internet porn instead of producing for their employers. Porn teaches our youth to engage in risky behaviors that create unnecessary health care costs and unwanted pregnancies. We then have to raise taxes to pay for the often government-funded Medicaid insurance and the price we pay for 40 percent of all children in Indiana who are born out of wedlock. Add the bills for prosecutors, judges, court staff and jails to collect, enforce and incarcerate those who don’t pay their child support.

American porn inspires groups like al-Qaida who claim the Americans “invade the chastity” of our daughters and that unless they fight us, Americans will do the same to theirs.

With two economics degrees, including a foreign service degree from Georgetown, a law degree from IU and seminary training, I have the best education to represent Hoosiers. As a Naval Academy Midshipman who was ranked in the top 5 percent, as a former law clerk and deputy prosecutor in four of the five largest counties in this state who has practiced criminal and family law in 11 of the 12 counties in the 2nd district, I have the best experience to lead the charge in Congress to reform our society.