Still the one we need!

On February 24, I wrote a column entitled Leadership for the Right Path expressing my support for California Congressman Duncan Hunter and his campaign to be our nation's next President.

Well, thanks to John Hawkins of RightWingNews, I was lucky enough to be invited to an exlusive, bloggers-only teleconference with Duncan Hunter himself.

Anyone who knows me, knows that I was beside myself at the opportunity. And after the teleconference last week, and speaking with Congressman Hunter himself, I am even more convinced that he needs to be our next President. Duncan Hunter is still the one in my book for this country.

I was in some very good company during this teleconference. Among the blogs represented were Iowa Voice, PoliPundit, Wizbang!, The Jawa Report, and of course, many more.

Let's recap where Hunter stands on the issues: he's vehemently pro-life, supports a balanced budget, is a strong supporter of 2nd Amendment rights, educational choice, and Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT). He believes in ''peace through strength'' and on his website, GoHunter08.com said of human rights that ''... the greatest protection of human rights in this decade has been the overthrow of the Taliban in Afghanistan and the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in Iraq. Religious freedom is part and parcel of any free society the U.S. stands up.''

However, there are three main issues that Duncan Hunter considers to be his core principles:

Strong national defense

Enforceable borders

A two-way street on trade
I've read up on him, studied where he stands, and was already confident that he is the Reagan Republican we need, and especially now. Having had the pleasure of speaking with him, and hearing him explain where he stands and why, I am only more confident in his ability to lead this country.

He spoke of our foreign trade agreements, most notably with China, and his concern for bad trade agreements overseas. He talked of renegotiating those agreements to make for a level playing field.

Something I have not heard from him before is how there is such a need for unity in this country. It is not something you often hear addressed. Most liberals work to keep us in conflict when we are so divided right now: red state-blue state, conservative-liberal, republican-democrat. And he spoke rather strongly of how there is a need for unity and civility in the public discourse in our government right now, and believed that Congress needed to be united in their support of the President, whoever that may be. I have always strongly felt that regardless of how you feel about the sitting President, the office itself deserves respect. You can disagree with his (or one day, her) policies without having to disrespect the office of President. And I feel strongly that, as Americans, we need to see Congress united behind the President. It was refreshing to hear someone echo that sentiment.

He has also in the past spoken quite candidly about the outrage behind the imprisonment of Border Patrol Agents Ramos and Compean -- jailed for 11 and 12 years for shooting and mildly wounding a drug smuggler, trying to cross the border illegally with 750 pounds of marijuana. He has promised that, if elected, both agents will be pardoned. And he has also sworn to finish building the border fence -- the fence that he started building in San Diego.

As former chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, as well as a Vietnam veteran who served in one of the most dangerous outfits (the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 75th Army Rangers), he is also strong on national defense. Of the mission in Iraq, he has said ''The idea that Congress pulls the rug out from under the soldiers as they're actually carrying the mission out, by condemning this mission ... I thought it was a disservice to our soldiers. There is a right way to leave Iraq and that is to continue to rotate Iraqi battalions that we've trained and equipped into the fight.''

With all of his military experience, and strong stance on national defense and the war in Iraq, the one thing left that I was interested in hearing was the viewpoint on Congressman Hunter from a soldier currently serving. And Sgt. Michael Stoffa, currently serving in the Army in Iraq at FOB Loyalty with the 2nd Special Troops Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, and the 2nd Infantry Division, happily offered his take.

Of Congressman Hunter, Sgt. Stoffa said, ''I like that he is working on the border issue. He pretty much has the same solutions as me! I've already said [agents] Ramos and Compean should be free, and he is the first to say straight up they will be pardoned. And as much as I complain about being here [in Iraq], it is worthwhile. Moving on to the last of the big three: keeping up with China is important, too. How in the heck did we fall behind? It is good Duncan Hunter acknowledges this fact and is working on a plan to even things out a bit through the narrowing of the huge trade gap. He is truly a Reagan Republican, and it would unite the parties, and maybe something would actually get accomplished in the House and Senate. He doesn't play the blame game, either -- just goes straight into finding solutions to the nation's issues. All together: me likey!''

The more I find out about Duncan Hunter, the more sure I am that this country needs him. I felt honored just to be included in a teleconference with him -- he was friendly, personable, open, and candid the entire time. This is a man who has integrity, and principles, and the courage to do what needs to be done. He stands as a proud conservative, and that is what we need today. We need another Reagan -- but we can't have that. And I guarantee you that Duncan Hunter, to me, is still the next best thing.

For me, Duncan Hunter is still the one -- the one we need to lead this country.

As always, I welcome your thoughts.