Larry Bucshon released his first quarter fundraising report for 2010, showing that he’s raised nearly $90,000, has more than $160,000 cash on hand, and is closing in on the $250,000 mark for total funds raised.

        “We are extremely gratified with the response from residents of the Wabash Valley and southwest Indiana to our campaign’s message,” Dr. Bucshon said.  “The strong response to our message of cutting spending in Washington and to repealing the disastrous health care bill shows we are on a path to victory on May 4,” the Republican heart surgeon added.

            Candidates for federal office must file periodic reports with the Federal Election Commission detailing their campaign’s fundraising efforts and expenditures.  The Bucshon report’s details include the following contributions:

            $144,633 from individuals

            $   37,250 from Political Action Committees

            $   65,100 from the candidate, including a loan

       The Federal Election Commission website shows Bucshon — should voters chose him as the GOP nominee — has outraised the Democrat opponent $245,000 to $165,000.

The Indiana Right to Life Political Action Committee today announced its endorsement of Dr. Larry Bucshon in the Republican Primary for the U.S. House of Representatives in District 8. Indiana Right to Life PAC is widely regarded as the state’s most powerful pro-life voice in state political and legislative issues.

The Indiana Right to Life PAC endorsed Larry Bucshon based on his strong pro-life positions. The Chairman for the Indiana Right to Life PAC, Mike Fichter, noted that the organization released multiple endorsements in the Republican primary because of the pro-life position of several candidates and the lack of incumbency for the office being sought.

Larry Bucshon had this to say about the Right to Life endorsement: “The right to life, granted by God and enshrined in our Declaration of Independence, is fundamental and precious. I have worked to preserve life my entire career as a surgeon, and I will consider it a privilege to protect and promote the sanctity of life in the United States Congress.”

Today, I am taking to the airwaves with a new ad, “I’ll Fight for You.” To view the ad, click HERE. I am confident you will like it.

It is crucial that we get this message out to every voter in Indiana’s 8th congressional district. Your continued support is tremendously important. Please consider forwarding this video on to your friends, right now.

We are winning this campaign but we must not let up. With only days left until the primary, we must continue to press to the finish line. I know that together we can take our government back.

“Words fail to describe my disappointment that Southwest Indiana’s Congressman, U.S. Rep. Brad Ellsworth, voted for Nancy Pelosi’s so-called health care reform bill on Sunday.

“It just he is listening to the Party bosses in Washington and Indianapolis who will decide whether he gets to run for the US Senate seat being vacated by Evan Bayh. No one in their right mind thinks taking a trillion dollars of economic activity focused on saving lives and enhancing health and running it through the mess that is Washington, D.C., will help health care or improve our economy.

“It is time for major changes in Washington, D.C., and that’s why I ask for your vote on May 4, so that with our diagnoses in hand, I can go to Washington as the people’s representative to repeal this disastrous act and make sure patients and the people are first, not government, in our health care system.”

Dr. Larry Bucshon, heart surgeon, husband and father of four, issued the following statement today on the bizarre deliberations underway in Washington surrounding so-called health care reform:

“Throughout my adult life, I have learned the absolute importance of leaders listening first before they act.  As an officer in the US Navy Reserves, listening to my superiors was absolutely essential.  Lives often depended on my hearing correctly and understanding deeply.  And as a doctor, I must listen to and understand my patients. When I put the stethoscope on their chest cavity, it is imperative I listen and learn before undertaking any medical care.  Again, lives depend upon that, too.

“So I am absolutely dumbfounded that our Congressman, US Rep. Brad Ellsworth, has no position on the pending health care bill in Congress.  If he is listening to ANYONE besides Nancy Pelosi and President Obama, he would know this is a bad bill for Southwest Indiana and for all American.  It raises taxes, funds 16,000 more IRS agents to enforce the unconstitutional mandate requiring everyone to purchase insurance, and handcuffs doctors fighting to save lives and cure disease.

“I pledge to Hoosiers across Southwest Indiana that should they send me to Congress, I will first listen and then lead toward common-sense, Hoosier solutions that make government work for us – not the other way around.”

Congressional candidate Larry Bucshon, a southwest Indiana physician, called on Congressman Brad Ellsworth to take a public position opposing the pending health care bill, saying the bill is dangerous to the physical and fiscal health of Hoosiers.

“Even though he is waiting for the Democratic Party’s approval from Indianapolis to run for the U.S. Senate, Rep. Brad Ellsworth remains southwestern Indiana’s representative in the U.S. House. As such, he should vote against this monstrosity,” said Bucshon, who is running for public office for the first time.

“As a physician, I actually know what’s in this bill and know how bad it is for your health — physically and financially,” he added.

Bucshon also called on Trent Van Haaften, a state legislator from Posey County who is part of the Democrat leadership in the Indiana House in Indianapolis, to also renounce his earlier public support for this measure. “Rep. Van Haaften says he wants to provide leadership for Southwest Indiana in Washington – but leading us down this path is the wrong direction for America,” he said. “This is just more of the same misguided policies out of Washington and the Indiana House that are hurting Hoosiers and crippling our economy.”

While there are many major problems with this legislation, Bucshon cited five significant flaws in underscoring his own opposition and calling on the incumbents to take a pro-taxpayer position:

• The bill takes $500 billion from Medicare, making medical rationing for senior citizens far more likely.
  The bill is filled with special provisions that amount to taxpayer-funded bribes, such as the Cornhusker kickback for U.S. Sen. Ben Nelson, the Louisiana Purchase for US Sen. Mary Landrieu, and $100 million for US Sen. Chris Dodd for a Connecticut hospital as his retirement gift.
• The bill will subsidize abortion with tax dollars for the first time since Congress first approved the Hyde Amendment in the mid-1970s.
• It places nearly one-fifth of the American economy under the federal government’s control.
• The bill is filled with new boards, commissions and procedures that will take a medical marvel — the American health care system – and render it a bureaucracy with neither compassion nor efficiency.

Larry Bucshon lives in Warrick County with his wife, Kathryn, who is also a physician, and their four children. A former Naval Reserve officer, Bucshon is a surgeon who has performed hundreds of life-saving heart surgeries. In 2007, Bucshon was named St. Mary’s Physician of the Year.

With less than 8 weeks to go in the campaign to represent Indiana’s 8th Congressional District, I thought I would take this moment to ask for your continuing support and send a quick update on what has been happening most recently with our campaign.

We’ve had a busy week.  We had the opportunity to attend the Vanderburgh County Republican Party’s annual Lincoln Day Dinner. Governor Mitch Daniels was the keynote speaker and gave a positive, upbeat message about the possibilities available to Hoosiers when we act with purpose. In addition to spending time with Governor Daniels, I enjoyed talking with the 300 attendees. Although folks around the district are disappointed with Washington, they are equally excited about the possibility for change.

After Vanderburgh’s Lincoln Day Dinner we spent some time in Oaktown, Indiana on Thursday for a Knox County GOP “meet the candidates” evening.  We had a great chili supper and met with about 50 people in attendance.

Most recently, this past weekend I attended a cozy Republican breakfast in Daviess County. I shared my views on limited government and fiscal responsibility, two values sorely missing in our current Congress.

Each day the energy and excitement surrounding this campaign continues to grow. Be a part of it by signing up at www.BucshonForCongress.com to volunteer. This is a critical juncture in the campaign and your help can bring long overdue change to Washington.

Thank you in advance for your support.

I am pleased to announce that my campaign has made several additions in the past few weeks to help bolster our efforts in the primary and the general election. As the media has widely reported, Indiana’s 8th congressional district is now up for grabs, with the Cook Political Report saying the race “Leans Republican” and the Howey Political Report calling the primary “Safe” for our campaign. We believe the additional staff will help continue this momentum to a victory on election day.

Justin Groenert joins me as campaign manager. Justin brings a wealth of political experience and expertise to the team. He has served as campaign manager to Ron Lewis’s successful re-election bid in Kentucky in 2006 and held numerous posts in Congressman Lewis’s staff, both in Kentucky and Washington, D.C. Justin was educated at Western Kentucky University and is an Evansville native, graduating from Reitz Memorial Memorial High School in 1999.

In addition, our campaign has hired a number of other consultants and staff.

Kurt Luidhardt’s Prosper Group has joined the campaign as web strategist. The Prosper Group is a modern communications firm which has worked with numerous campaigns throughout the state and country. Most recently, the Prosper Group was instrumental leading the web strategy for Scott Brown’s successful campaign for Senator in Massachusetts.

Erin Casey, the principal of Erin Casey Consulting, has partnered with Bucshon in fundraising efforts and event planning in the Washington, D.C. area. Erin has worked as the Director of Special Projects for the National Republican Senatorial Committee. During that time Erin also served as Finance Director of Battle Born Political Action Committee, raising over $1 Million for the cycle. In addition, Erin has held the post of Field Finance Director while at the NRCC. Erin brings a wealth of fundraising experience to the campaign.

Chris Faulkner of Faulkner Strategies joins the campaign to assist with marketing and political consulting. Chris is a nationally renowned direct mail vendor and, with the Prosper Group, was instrumental in the successful election of Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Chris is widely recognized as a national expert on grassroots mobilization and has been a speaker at numerous campaign training seminars and events.

Curt Smith, Director of Public Affairs & Policy Development at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP, has also joined the campaign. Curt worked for the U.S. Congress for 15 years in a number of senior staff positions, including Press Secretary, State Director and Chief of Staff. He left Capitol Hill for his native Indiana to serve Hudson Institute, an internationally-acclaimed think tank, as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

Patrick Lanne, a Partner at Public Opinion Strategies, will assist the campaign with polling and research and Sonny Scott of Rising Tide Media will assist with media efforts.

While we welcome all of these talented and experienced staff members to the campaign, we recognize that a campaign’s true strength rests with its army of volunteers and supporters. This election can only be won with the help and support of people like you. Consider volunteering or donating online today.

As has been widely reported in the media, Brad Ellsworth is likely to abandon his run for the House of Representatives in Indiana’s 8th congressional district. Today Trent Van Haaften confirmed his intention to seek the Democrat nomination in Ellsworth’s stead. In response to Van Haaften’s candidacy, Dr. Larry Bucshon issued the following statement today.

“As I have traveled around the 8th district meeting with people, I hear a consistent and clear message – we need new, fresh perspectives in Congress. As Evan Bayh noted this week, ‘Congress is not operating as it should…Even at a time of enormous national challenge, the people’s business is not getting done.’ Frankly, I could not agree more. Unfortunately Trent Van Haaften supports the same agenda of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi which Evan Bayh so aptly deplored. I believe people of the 8th district want a representative who will bring balance to Congress and stand up for our Hoosier values of limited and responsible government. I intend to provide it.”

Van Haaften’s decision to enter the race raises a number of concerns about his record as a state legislator.

• Van Haaften voted against a constitutional amendment to cap homeowner’s property taxes, yet he authored a bill (HR 1231) to allow individuals who own private planes to sidestep Indiana sales taxes. Van Haaften opposed tax caps for homeowners, but when private plane owners are disadvantaged, it’s Van Haaften to the rescue.
• Van Haaften opposed Major Moves, the primary vehicle which has allowed Southwestern Indiana to fund Interstate 69. The 8th district needs a strong voice in Congress to fight for federal support of I-69.
• Out of 150 members of the Indiana’s General Assembly, Van Haaften was second only to the Speaker of the House in the amount of gifts accepted from lobbyists and corporate interests.
• AT&T paid more than $1,600 for Van Haaften and his wife to attend the Indiana Inaugural Ball in Washington the night before Barack Obama was sworn in as president. Three days later, the wined and dined lawmaker introduced legislation to create a statewide mapping system for high-speed Internet access — a move hailed by AT&T executives as their top 2009 legislative priority. The company also paid for Van Haaften to attend a San Antonio golf tournament, throwing in a $350 pro shop gift card for extra measure.

Van Haaften’s political opportunism is not welcome in Indiana’s 8th congressional district, and Dr. Larry Bucshon welcomes 2010 as a referendum on this old way of doing business.

In response to Sen. Evan Bayh’s decision not to seek re-election this year, and news reports suggesting Brad Ellsworth may seek his open seat, Dr. Larry Bucshon issued the following statement today.

“Since announcing my intention to run for Congress in Indiana’s 8th congressional district, I have been focused on securing the Republican nomination. I believe people of the 8th district want a representative who will reliably stand up for our Hoosier values of limited and responsible government. Whether the Democrats’ nominee for the House is Brad Ellsworth or someone else, we cannot afford another candidate who supports the agenda of Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi. We need a fresh start, and I intend to provide it.”