Chicago Man Campaigns for President

By THOMAS R. KRESSLER
Fosters Daily Democrat Staff Writer

DOVER — While other possible 2008 presidential contenders equivocate and decline to officially declare their intentions to run, Chicago Republican and political outsider John Cox has jumped right in.

Cox, an admirer of Ronald Reagan's philosophy of limited government and strong national defense, filed his paperwork and is already on the campaign trail, hitting spots in Iowa and spending four days in New Hampshire this month.

He held a town-hall style campaign event at Dover's The Barn restaurant Friday afternoon.

Cox never has held an elected office. But he and many of the more than 25 people attending his event said they believe the quality may set him apart in an election year when other candidates with congressional credentials are tainted by what they called Capitol Hill's out-of-control spending.

"I'd like to say they spend like drunken sailors, but that would be insulting to the drunken sailors who spend their own money," said Cox, a 50-year-old businessman and certified public accountant. "I'm going to make it clear to Congress that the people of this country sent us to Washington to be good stewards of their money."

Cox, who describes himself as a strong supporter of President Bush, said he believes more can be done with Republican-controlled executive and legislative branches to address spending, tax reform and a public school system he says has a monopoly on education. All are issues he promised to address vigorously if elected president.

"My first act as president of the United States will be to scrap the tax code and the IRS along with it," Cox said.

He favors a national sales tax or other taxes on consumption which don't penalize investment. Eliminating the tax code, he argued, will remove most lobbyists from the equation and eliminate a vast amount of corruption in Washington, D.C.

Cox said immigration reform would bolster national security, and he took issue with President Bush's proposed guest worker program.

"I'm not one of these guys who wants to build a wall," Cox said. "The people who come here to work are good people, but let's make them legal. Let's increase legal immigration."

He said he opposed amnesty for illegal immigrants, who he says have increased the national crime rate and burdened the economy.

Cox, who opposes abortion, ran for a U.S. Senate seat in 2002 and received 22 percent of his primary vote. He was president of a county-level Republican Party.

"I'm not doing this to get a job," he said. "I'm doing this to make a difference, because I'm not seeing it happen, and if I don't do it, who will?"

Dave Bibber of Rochester attended the event.

"He's optimistic, but he hasn't relieved me of my pessimism," Bibber said, describing himself as a strong supporter of limited government. "He doesn't have the experience, but maybe that's what we need for a change."

City Manager Charlie Reynolds also attended. He said he will watch the campaign develop, but has not decided to support any candidate yet.

"You have to admire somebody who hasn't spent their whole life in politics and wants to make a difference," he said.