Rob Maness

Republican for Senate of Louisiana

Colonel, United States Air Force (ret.)

Veteran of the Global War on Terrorism

Bronze Star Medal Recipient

(Friends of Rob Maness, P.O. Box 15319, New Orleans, LA 70175-5319)

As a 32-year veteran of the United States Air Force I've learned the direct approach is often the best approach, so I'll cut right to the chase.

I'm running for the U.S. Senate. And I've sent you this letter today to personally ask for your help. All I'm asking right now is that you take just two minutes to read the rest of my letter...

...to learn who I am and why I'm running...

...and then to let me know whether or not I can count on your help.

If you're wondering why I'm asking for your support, the answer is simple:

Today's Democrats, led by Barack Obama and Harry Reid, are waging a war against our Country, our Constitution, and our Commonsense Conservative values. And my opponent, liberal Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu, is following their lead in lock step.

In fact, Mary Landrieu has voted with Barack Obama more than 95 percent of the time.

Landrieu voted for the failed Obama stimulus, massive tax hikes, the most anti-defense nominee in history to head the Pentagon, and the out-of-control Senate budget that will only increase taxes and cause our national debt to skyrocket.

It gets worse:

When it came to passing ObamaCare, Mary Landrieu sold us hardworking American taxpayers out in the infamous "Louisiana Purchase," taking a $300 million tax dollar Medicaid kickback in exchange for her vote.

Since casting her deciding vote on ObamaCare, Landrieu has doubled down on her support for Obama's government-controlled healthcare by voting with Harry Reid and Barbara Boxer for the medical device tax and for taxpayer-funded health care coverage for illegal immigrants.

As you might imagine, this brand of liberal, establishment, insider politics does not play well among my neighbors here across the state of Louisiana.

You see, Louisiana is a solid RED STATE that rejected Barack Obama in 2008 and again in 2012. Both times, Louisiana voters gave the Republican candidate nearly 60% of the vote.

Likewise, in recent years Louisianans re-elected our Republican Governor Bobby Jindal and Republican U.S. Senator David Vitter by equally large margins.

Now I've been told that just like me you're a die-hard conservative... That just like me you believe in faith, family, fiscal responsibility, and a stronger national defense. If that's true, I really hope you'll join my campaign team after you finish reading this letter.

First and foremost, I've simply always felt called to serve our great country. I fulfilled a lifelong dream when I followed in my father's footsteps by enlisting in the U.S. Air Force as a high school senior. From there I was privileged to serve 32 years active duty in the Air Force, attaining the rank of Colonel.

On September 11, 2001, I was on duty at the Pentagon as a Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Officer and saw firsthand the terrible carnage caused by terrorism.

In the ensuing months, I directly assisted the United States national security team in creating, synchronizing, and executing the campaign plan for the global war on terrorism.

And for my leadership in numerous combat operations, including my time as a bomber squadron commander in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, I was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Air Medal.

Sadly, the same desire to serve one's country my father ingrained in me at an early age is lacking from today's Senate.

With your help today I can change that! Now, I bet you're wondering where I stand on the issues.

>>> As a taxpayer -- I support a full repeal of ObamaCare, the abolishment of the IRS, and the replacement of our tax code with a flat tax.

>>> As a gun owner -- I strongly support the Second Amendment right of all Americans to keep and bear arms. I'm a proud Life Member of the National Rifle Association.

>>> As a God-fearing American -- I'm 100% pro-life and believe marriage is between one man and one woman.

>>> As a law-abiding American citizen -- I'm opposed to all attempts to grant illegal immigrants amnesty, including the recent misguided Senate Amnesty scheme.

Mary Landrieu is like a fish out of water being a career liberal politician with Washington insider values running in a Red State during a "bad for Democrats" 2014 midterm election year.

It's no wonder The Washington Post says my race "is virtually a do or die for Republicans."

Now here's where your support becomes so vital... Because even though Election Day -- November 4, 2014 -- might seem far off, I desperately need to raise some serious money if I'm going to stand a chance at defeating Mary Landrieu.

As a career politician from a very well connected political family, it's no surprise that my opponent has already raised over $5 million for her re-election campaign.

Trial Lawyers, Lobbyists, and Liberal Special Interests like the pro-abortion group "EHILY's List" as well as the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender group "The Forum for Equality" have all lined up to pour money into Landrieu's campaign coffers.

Vice President Joe Biden even hosted a high-dollar fundraiser for vulnerable Mary Landrieu in recent months.

To win this race I absolutely must ramp up my fundraising efforts to compete with Mary's millions. So that's why I had to ask you and all the other die-hard conservatives I'm writing today to join our campaign.

If you're willing to help. I'm asking you to send a contribution... I'm definitely going to need some people who receive this letter to respond with bigger contributions of $50... $100, $200, $300, or even $1000.

If you can send $2,600 -- the maximum allowed by law -- it will go a long way in helping me close the fundraising gap and win this "do or die race for Republicans."

But no matter what amount you can give, I'm asking that you please get involved at some level...

The fact is that right now, every single dollar will help get me closer to our goal of defeating my vulnerable opponent, "too liberal for Louisiana" Landrieu...

I need your help right now to bring my military credentials and commonsense conservative values to a Senate that is in dire need of both.

I've served our country in the past. Please help me serve again.

God Bless,

Colonel Rob Maness (ret.)

Republican for Senate.

(Friends of Rob Maness, P.O. Box 15319, New Orleans, LA 70175-5319)

Neither military information, military branch logos, nor photographs imply endorsement by the Department of Defense or their particular Military Departments.