Luke Puckett

Luke Wayne Puckett is the Republican candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the 2nd Congressional District (map) of Indiana. On May 6, 2008 he won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).

Positions, record and controversies
According to Puckett's website, these are his positions on various issues:

Economy

What America doesn’t need in these tough economic times is a tax increase. Failing to make the Bush Tax Cuts permanent is exactly that; it would be a tax increase on every taxpaying Hoosier. As a small business owner, I know how crucial it is to keep as much cash in the pockets of taxpayers as possible.

My family, as well as the majority of families across this District, has had to tighten the belt in terms of spending during these tough economic times. I believe politicians, both here and in Washington, should be forced to do the same. Our tax dollars funded $20,000,000,000 worth of pet Pork Projects for powerful members of Congress and vulnerable freshmen Representatives across the country. I believe this money would have been better spent aiding Americans with tax relief for families and small businesses to aid in job creation and economic growth. I propose a 2-year moratorium on all Pork Projects until we get our budget under control.

Health Care

Everyone agrees the Health Care system is broken. We must find a way to lower costs and raise accessibility to quality Health Insurance for 2nd District families. Though it is unclear where our current Representative stands, his party leadership’s solution is for a Washington run, big government controlled healthcare bureaucracy. Personally I don’t want the same folks who couldn’t get bottled water to the Superdome during Katrina controlling our Health Care system. We need to instead focus on common sense, free market solutions to make quality, affordable Health Care available to every American that wants it.

I propose allowing citizens to purchase private Health Insurance across State lines. The current system allows Insurance companies to have a virtual monopoly on the market. Allowing you to buy Health Insurance across State lines would instantly drive up competition and lower costs. I also believe that we must promote and incentivize health savings accounts in order to move more Hoosiers towards private insurance. Finally, I propose aggressively fighting frivolous lawsuits from greedy trial lawyers that cause insurance costs to skyrocket.

National Security

Today, we face a grave threat from militant Islamic terrorists. I think the folks of this District are tired of something as fundamental as our national security being reduced to rhetoric and political pandering. My commitment to the security of this nation and the protection of all of its citizens is, and will forever be, unwavering. Now more than ever, we need to stand united and strong in the face of a threat that seeks to wipe out the very principles that we as Americans cherish.

To meet my commitment to our national security and our military, I will work to:

1 Strengthen and maintain our military to keep us safe. 2 Rely heavily on the judgment of commanders in the field rather than partisan bickering. 3 Make sure the men and women serving us in uniform have the best equipment and training available. 4 Eliminate government red tape and bureaucratic roadblocks that hamper our efforts to successfully wage the global war on terror.

I want our men and women in uniform to come home as soon as possible. That being said, it is imperative that we end the conflict in victory and not defeat. I support bringing the troops home the second our commanders on the ground look the Commander in Chief in the eye and say “The job is done.”

2008 elections
On May 6, 2008 Puckett won the Republican nomination to challenge incumbent Rep. Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.).

Committees
Puckett will be assigned committees if and when he is elected to Congress.

Contact
Puckett for Congress 4 N. Shore Dr LaPorte, IN 46350 574-206-4244

Email: [mailto:info@puckett08.com info@puckett08.com]

Related SourceWatch articles

 * 2008 U.S. congressional elections
 * 2008 U.S. congressional election dates
 * Portal:Indiana and the U.S. Congress

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on Indiana's 2nd Congressional District
 * Puckett's FEC filings
 * Official Puckett for Congress Web site