My son was
medically evacuated from Iraq to Walter Reed two weeks ago due to a
relapse of leukemia. My work as an airline pilot and
visiting my son at Walter Reed took every minute of my time for several weeks. Last Tuesday, I finally made it home after nearly two weeks on the road, only to find out that my wife, Salette, was heading directly to Washington, D.C., to be with our son. I was only 10 days away from a declaration of candidacy and my first real fund raising effort, and I wasn't at all ready to hear that Salette was leaving town. She has been the glue that has held my life together, and she has not left town without me for nearly two years, although I leave town without her nearly every week. She quietly stays behind and keeps the plates spinning. She is my editor, my scheduler, my IT manager, and my Webmaster, among many other things. She makes appearances for me while I am out of town, and is very well received. I felt very lost without her.
But I knew that right now, there is someone who needs her even more than I do—our son. As many of you know, when patients are hospitalized, they really need an advocate to make sure that they are getting what they need. Salette is staying right on post at Walter Reed, and is overwhelmed with the numbers of sick and wounded soldiers who are there. She is even more amazed at the number of mothers, wives, sisters, and other family members who have pulled up stakes and joined their soldiers for the duration of their treatments. They are living in dorms, guest houses, hotels, and apartments, on post and off. They struggle without personal vehicles to shop for groceries and provide for their families. Some have even taken jobs locally. But their spirits are high, even after having given more to their countries than anyone should be asked to give.
The fundraising letter can now be a couple days late while I get organized. There is always time for a formal announcement and for now, we can just send out a news release. It's time to take care of our son first.
I intend on running for U.S. Congress, AZ-8 and I intend to win. The money is vital, but I refuse to allow this race to be just about money. This is about trust. With trust, I can gain voters' understanding and, hopefully, their votes. Voting is free and is the ultimate measure in a political success. Money is what we use to accelerate our message and for measuring success prior to an election, but it doesn't buy votes. Trust does.