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A New Era Of Responsibility
I believe that our elected officials must lead by example.

Melissa, Right off the bat, in this campaign, I made it one of my top goals to, if elected, usher in the responsibility era. An era that stands in stark contrast to the last few decades, when the culture said: If it feels good, do it. If you've got a problem, blame someone else.

Each of us must understand we are responsible for the choices we make in life. We're responsible for the children we bring into the world. We're responsible to love our neighbor as we want to be loved ourselves.

I believe that our elected officials must lead by example, if I am elected president I will pledge to uphold the honor and integrity of the office of President.

However I believe that real, substantive, and permanent change can only come from the bottom up, not the top down. There's more we can do to promote personal responsibility, Melissa... I favor a bold new approach that is committed to compassionate results, not compassionate intentions. I reject the failed formula of towering, distant bureaucracies that too often value process over performance. Government must create an environment for these to flourish -- not a series of bureaucratic red tape that stifles the good will of good people.

I believe that we need to rally our nation's Armies of Compassion.

Encouraging charity is another priority of mine.

Our nation must reverse the trend toward fatherless homes, and renew the ideal of responsible fatherhood.

Of course, character development begins at home, but extends to the local community and the local school. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, "Intelligence is not enough. Intelligence plus character -- that is the true goal of education."

So, yes, government has a role, and a President sets the tone, and we can make a difference by embracing a new era of personal responsibility.