Chuck Baldwin

Party: Constitution

Age: 57

Job: Baptist minister, radio host.

Born in La Porte, Ind.

Lives: Pensacola, Fla.

Web site: www.baldwin08.com

Job history past 10 years:
Founder and minister, Crossroad Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla. Conservative radio call-in host. Internet political columnist.

Ever run for public office? When? Outcome?
Constitution Party vice presidential nominee in 2004, with presidential candidate Michael Peroutka.

Other civic experience or community service:
Chairman, Florida Moral Majority 1980-84. Received the "National Medal of Patriotism" award from the American Police Hall of Fame. Volunteer chaplain at the State Prison in Century, Fla.

1) What should be the U.S. course of action in Iraq?
The United States is properly a free and sovereign republic which should strive to live in peace with all nations, without interfering in their internal affairs, and without permitting their interference in ours. If I were President, I would begin the process of safely extracting our troops from Iraq. In the first place, our troops are no longer fighting a war, they are an occupation force, which occupies a sovereign country. And this is being done without a Declaration of War. The Iraqi people resent our occupation as much as we would resent another nation stronger than ours invading and occupying America.

If such a thing happened to our beloved country, I'm sure many of us would also become insurgents.

In the second place, the invasion and occupation of Iraq was absolutely unnecessary. Instead of sacrificing more than 4,000 American lives and the lives of tens of thousands of Iraqi citizens (not to mention some 2-3 trillion dollars), President Bush should have supported Ron Paul's bill, H.R. 3076, the September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001. This is the constitutional way to deal with rogue terrorist organizations. This is the way President Thomas Jefferson responded to the Barbary pirates.

According to Congressman Paul, A letter of marque and reprisal is a constitutional tool specifically designed to give the President the authority to respond with appropriate force to those non-state actors who wage aggression against the United States while limiting his authority to only those responsible for the atrocities of that day. Such a limited authorization is consistent with the doctrine of just war and the practical aim of keeping Americans safe while minimizing the costs in blood and treasure of waging such an operation.

Had President Bush responded in this manner, tens of thousands of lives would have been saved, trillions of dollars would not have needed to be spent, Osama bin Laden and most of his fellow terrorists would likely be dead, and we would not be bogged down in a nightmarish military quagmire in Iraq. And, if I were President, this is exactly how I would handle terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda.

Neither of the two major parties has any interest in bringing our troops home. No matter which of those parties wins the White House, our troops would continue to be used for U.N. missions all over the world. They would continue to stick our nose wherever it does not belong. They would continue their utopian plans of nation-building, empire-building and international meddling. When I become President empire building and playing policeman of the world will come to an immediate halt and the United States of America will once again begin conducting itself as the Republic it was meant to be.

2) How would you improve our educational system?
Does anybody really believe that, despite the billions of dollars spent, that the "education system" is not deteriorating at a rapid pace in the United States? Maybe it's time to get back to the basics, including following the Constitution of these United States.

Since the Constitution grants the Federal Government no authority over Education, the 10th Amendment applies, which sets forth: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

Because the federal government has absolutely no jurisdiction concerning the education of our children, the United States Department of Education will be abolished under a Chuck Baldwin Administration, and I will work to have all federal legislation related to education repealed. I oppose enactment of any federal laws subsidizing or regulating the education of children. Under no circumstances should the federal government be involved in national teacher certification, educational curricula, textbook selection, learning standards, comprehensive sex education, psychological and psychiatric research testing programs, and personnel. Because control over education is now being relegated to departments other than the Department of Education, it should likewise be made clear that no federal agency, department, board, or other entity may properly exercise jurisdiction over any aspect of children's upbringing.

I wholeheartedly support the unimpeded right of parents to provide for the education of their children in the manner they deem best, including homeschooling or private or religious instruction. My Administration will oppose any and all federal legislation that would interfere with or restrict that liberty.

I support equitable tax relief for families whose children do not attend government schools. "Education" will only start to improve in this country when control of the education of our children is returned to the states, the local communities and, most importantly, to the parents.

3) What should the U.S. do regarding climate change and global warming?
[No statement on this topic at baldwin08.com]

4) How would you get affordable health care to more Americans?
Government regulation and subsidy constitutes a threat to both the quality and availability of patient-oriented health care and treatment. Hospitals, doctors, and other health care providers should be accountable to patients -- not to politicians, insurance bureaucrats, or HMO Administrators.

If the supply of medical care is controlled by the federal government, then officers of that government will determine which demand is satisfied. The result will be the rationing of services, higher costs, poorer results -- and the power of life and death transferred from caring physicians to unaccountable political overseers.

I support proposals for employee-controlled "family coverage" health insurance plans based on cash value life insurance principles.

The federal government has no Constitutional provision to regulate or restrict the freedom of the people to have access to medical care, supplies or treatments. I, therefore, support the elimination of the federal Food and Drug Administration, as it has been the federal agency primarily responsible for prohibiting beneficial products, treatments, and technologies here in the United States that are freely available in much of the rest of the civilized world.

I condemn and will oppose any legislation designed to secure government subsidies for special interests, such as the HMOs, and/or to protect the artificially high cost to consumers of prescription drugs. A Baldwin Adminstration will work to put an end to corporate welfare in all areas, including the health care industry. I further support the right of patients to seek redress of their grievances through the courts against insurers and/or HMO's.

I also oppose any legislation, such as Homeland Security Bill, H.R. 5005, which seeks to authorize the forced vaccination of American citizens against small pox. The government should not have the power to force people to receive immunizations or vaccinations.

5) What energy policy should the U.S. pursue?
[No statement on this topic at baldwin08.com]

6) How would you change national tax policy?
[No statement on this topic at baldwin08.com]