We have been bombarded with a message of change. Sometimes change is a good thing. But every day I read the news online or watch the evening news, what our Congress and President Obama appear to be trying to change is our culture. One of President Obama's first Executive Orders was to release tax payer money across the globe to fund abortion. Our Congress has been irresponsible stewards of our tax money and they have been outright dishonest with us. We don't appear to have the checks and balances our Founding Fathers insisted on. Just recently, our Department of Homeland Security disparaged our veterans coming home from Afghanistan and Iraq by hinting they may become involved in some violent right-wing groups who are dissatisfied with our economy and other issues. I am a veteran. I have served 46 months in Iraq and I returned home from Iraq in July, 2009. I am not impressed with what I am seeing from Congress and that includes our current representation in Arizona's CD8.

I am tired of politics as usual. I am tired of asking a question and not getting an answer. I am tired of politicians so enamored of themselves, their perceived power and status and their treatment of those who elected them. Our government is overstepping its bounds and needs to reined in by someone who is not interested in protecting his turf and constantly running for re-election. Someone who is unafraid to speak for his district.

As a conservative Republican, I know that America became America because of the grit of its people. Because of hard work and the sacrifice of many great citizens. I know that we are successful often times in spite of our government; not because of it. I believe in our Constitution and I know that conservative principles are American principles and they unfailingly work. I won't compromise my beliefs for political gain and I believe the government is accountable to us; not us to the government. We need leadership in Washington, not rhetoric.

- Andy Goss was born in Charlotte, North Carolina in April of 1970. He attended Independence Senior High School, graduating in June of 1988. (Go Patriots!)

- Andy married his high school sweetheart Mare (pronounced Mar-ee) in November of 1992 and they have two wonderful kids; son Spenser Elliott Goss and daughter Shelby Elaine Goss.

- Andy has owned and operated a small town retail business in North Carolina, worked in the financial and mortgage sectors and has served in the NC Army National Guard and then in the active US Army as a Counterintelligence Agent. He was honorably discharged in 2004. Andy and his family moved to Sierra Vista, Arizona in 2005 after Andy served a 12 month tour in Sadr City, Iraq. Since then, he has instructed at Fort Huachuca and has served in Iraq for 34 more months doing Human Intelligence work.

He currently works on a mobile training team, deploying to military installations all over the world teaching intelligence integration at the Company level. Andy returned from Iraq serving as the team lead on a Human Intelligence Support Team augmenting the US Army at Contingency Operating Base Q West in the Ninawa Province in July, 2009.

- Andy and his family attend the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sierra Vista, Arizona.