Constitution Is Basis For Senate Hopeful's Run

Armed with the belief that too many elected officials don't follow their oaths, Lincoln businessman Todd Watson is running for Nebraska's Third District senate seat, saying he will lead a charge to follow the U.S. Constitution.

Watson made a stop in Sidney Monday as he kicks off his Nebraska campaign, which, he said, is based on following the Constitution.

"They all take the same oath," said Watson of members of the House and Senate, "to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic."

But, Watson said, the nation's representatives not only don't follow that oath, "they trivialize it."

Watson said over the years Washington's balance, laid out in the constitution, has unraveled, allowing policy to be made not by legislators, as laid out in the Constitution, but through executive privilege and by agencies who do not have the authority to do so.

In the process, government has become "big brother," not serving the needs of the people, but rather telling them "we know what's best." That, Watson said, is wrong.

"Article 1 of the Constitution says all regulatory authority belongs to the legislative branch."

And while those powers have been dwindling, Watson said there isn't any fight by legislators to keep their Constitutional authority. It's something he wants to change.

Watson said treaties aren't being ratified by congress, troop assignments are being wrongfully made, and spending is out of control, "and congress is not taking votes" like they should.

"The Founders were clear," when they wrote the Constitution, Watson says, and "we're not following it. We need to be living by a higher standard."

A student of the Constitution, Watson said he knows not everyone is. But, he added, people need to know the threat of not following the nation's founding document.

"We need to be unified as a country," Watson said. He knows there won't always be agreement on all issues. Even the Founders weren't always in agreement, "but everybody agreed to support that document."

Following the Constitution, said Watson, can allow for solutions to many of the country's problems – most of which result from the elitist approach he feels is practiced too much in Washington.

As a businessman – he runs real state and tech companies – he said he understands taxes and the need to get the economy under control. As a farmer – he also manages his family's farm estate – he knows how hard it is for farm families to survive.

"A farm yields about three percent," he said. "Interest is four and half percent. You can't make it that way."

He said part of the answer to helping farmers make a living is to "get rid of any treaty that doesn't include farm products."

He also supports equality in the farm bill. He said agriculture products from the south – where most of the congressional power is from – are 90-95 percent protected, compared to 65-70 percent for beans and corn.

"We've got to have equality of coverage," he said.

Business-wise, he says Washington needs proactive business leaders who will facilitate deals and improve relations with other countries. He's also a believer in tax reform – real tax reform – that will get rid of special interest bills.

Watson is also against many mandates coming out of Washington, for many of them take away fundamental rights. One of those he specifically mentioned was that of Electronic Logging Devices on trucks. He said the laws involved violate the Fourth Amendment – doing so in the name of safety, "but most of the people it will affect did not break any laws."

With discussion of guns and gun laws in the forefront, Watson said he doesn't believe banning guns would accomplish anything.

With that said, he returned to his base platform of the Constitution.

"I'm a strong supporter of the Second Amendment, and the Fourth Amendment, and all the other amendments."

Watson's entire platform and beliefs can be seen on his Website, Watson1776.com.