My View: To err is human

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February 3, 2010

My View The Salem News Wed Feb 03, 2010, 12:12 AM EST

When you grow up in a middle-class family of nine children you learn to speak up when something's wrong. You also learn to own up to your mistakes, and learn from them.

In the course of political campaigns people sometimes say and do things they wish they could take back. I have said and done some things as a citizen, and then a candidate, for which I should and have been criticized. As a first-time candidate I admitted to jumping the gun with Scott Brown's endorsement. I, like others, was caught up working what started as an unlikely venture, but ended up as a historic win for Brown.

Scott and I spoke personally and he agreed to help my campaign. But pressing forward with an endorsement announcement without his written permission or review of our press release, was wrong and for that I have apologized.

In 2008 towards election time I openly expressed my predictions of President Obama's policies with signs and political satire that some have found offensive. I sincerely apologize for that as well. At the same time, I wish to clear up several misconceptions about my beliefs:

As an attorney I received information in 2008 on file with the U.S. Supreme Court that could lead some to speculate about President Obama's citizenship. But that information proved to be without merit and I have stated this.

I believe President Obama was legitimately born in the United States and that he has every right to be our president. As such, he deserves our full respect. But I don't have to agree with him, as is my right.

I believe that President Obama is a Progressive, not a Socialist or Marxist. I don't agree with Progressive policies. Regardless of my disagreement with the president, I do not subscribe to personal attacks or name-calling and regret that my attempts at political satire were misconstrued as such.

My opponent, John Tierney, who I'm sure is a good man, also subscribes to policies and views that are simply bad for Massachusetts. He is wrong on just about every major issue we face. And yet he keeps repeating those mistakes, never learning or accepting that they cause and contribute to our problems.

He voted almost 100 times for higher taxes and votes lockstep along Progressive party lines even though he is a Democrat. Mr. Tierney's position on a multitude of issues including health care, the stimulus package, terrorism and others, is a major reason I am committed to winning this election.

I am not a career politician and "spin" is not my game.

Who am I? I am just like anyone else. Perhaps more outspoken, perhaps not as good when it comes to political satire, but my views are very clear and my goals are the same as many.

We must lessen the burden of taxation so our people have more money to spend, and our businesses more to invest, so that truly sustainable, quality jobs can be created. We must reduce the national debt, balance our budget, stop wasteful spending, protect our people from terror, and restore government accountability by replacing career politicians with people from within our midst.

I want others just like you and me to run for office all over the country, and I want them to be as committed as I am to doing the right thing for the right reasons. I've made mistakes; humans often do.

But I face and learn from them unlike many of the career politicians that currently run our country. I don't bury my head in the sand or deny them, but I also don't make more of them than they are. More importantly, I do not repeat them. I believe this makes me a stronger individual and a better candidate who wants to serve his constituents and his country.

So, I'll stay awake, admit when I've erred, and continue to learn as this campaign unfolds. One thing I think we can all agree on is this: One mistake we can't afford to repeat is returning someone to Congress who doesn't fight for us.

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Bill Hudak of Boxford is seeking the Republican nomination for the 6th Congressional District seat currently held by Rep. John Tierney, D-Salem.