FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 10, 2010

CLOUD TO LEAVE CONGRESSIONAL CONTEST
WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE TERM AS CORPORATION COMMISSIONER
 
Oklahoma City (February 10) –  Republican Jeff Cloud stopped his candidacy for U.S. Congress today citing health concerns and the continuing responsibilities with both his job as Corporation Commissioner and his family.
 
“Soon I will have surgery to take care of a non-life threatening health concern. While I expect a full recovery, I do not think it would be fair to my family and friends, to the important work at the Corporation Commission or to my campaign supporters for me to continue this race.  With all of that on my plate, I strongly believe that it would be best not to seek the congressional seat.
 
“After recent air travel, it became very apparent that frequent flights to Washington, D.C., would be very difficult because of my condition. “ Cloud stated.  Cloud will have surgery, perhaps multiple ones, and begin therapy to remove severe sinus polyps that have not responded to more traditional treatment.

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Thank you for visiting our campaign website.  If, like me, you are a conservative who is deeply troubled by the direction our nation is headed, I encourage you to explore the website and get involved in our campaign.  It is vital that the people take back our government – and that means you and I have to take action.

I hope those of you who know me personally will attest to the fact that my family comes first in my life.  And this is why I am running.  As I look toward what the future holds for my three children, I know they are capable, but I fear that they will not be living in the same country of opportunity that has existed since our nation’s inception.

Instead, unless we act now, your children and mine will be facing a country with staggering debt, a country that is MORE dependent on foreign oil, a country that continues nationalizing industries like auto-makers and banks and a country that punishes success in the market-place through excessive taxation.  I fear that my wife and I will be on a waiting list for medical care and unable to select our own doctor, and I fear that good doctors, innovators and entrepreneurs will flee our country and take their skills to other places where they will be more appreciated by the government.  These threats are very real.  We have passed the slippery slope, and, unfortunately are on a very steep decline.

To paraphrase Edmond Burke’s famous quotation, all that is necessary for government expansion, the erosion of our rights and the destruction of our economy is for good men and women to do nothing.   That is why I decided to run for U.S. Congress, and why I hope you will join the Conservatives for Cloud team.