Extracted from (houchenforcongress.com):

Howard W. Houchen is a proud Oklahoman, a Reagan Conservative and constitutionalist. He is a small businessman and graduate of University of Oklahoma with a degree in Political Science and a Masters degree in National Security Studies from American Military University.

Over the past few years, his disappointment relative to American governance has sharpened. Seeing the travesty which is occurring to the country that he loves culminating in the truly shocking ways our current make up of American government disregards the rule book by which we are to govern ourselves…the U.S. Constitution. This, coupled with its unprecedented central planning system power grabs as well as its take over private companies, which in all of recorded history has ended poorly for the countries in which this happened and the flood of requests from private citizens for Howard to seek public office, has prompted his decision to run for U.S. Congress

In early 2009 Howard became a Contributing Author to American Daily Review, joining the likes of David Horowitz, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, Mansoor Ijaz, Maj. General Paul Valley (US Army Ret.), and many others who also contribute writings to this Conservative media. He also contributes to American Pundit, and is a contributing author to Canada Free Press His articles have been picked up and redistributed by several national media outlets and is fast becoming recognized as a “Common Sense” conservative voice.

Howard Houchen’s family moved back to Hugo, Choctaw County, OK when he was three in 1969, returning to their hometown rich with their families’ Oklahoma heritage. A fourth generation Oklahoma family on both sides of the family tree, Houchen’s great-grandfather, John “Mack”Houchen had ‘walked’ from Kentucky to Indian Territory in S.E. Oklahoma prior to Statehood, settling where what would become home for all of the generations of the family to follow.

Howard attended Hugo Public School System until 1978, when his step-father accepted the position of Drilling Operations Manager in Banda Aceh in the S.E. Asian country of Indonesia. After attending junior high at Medan International School and the first part of high school at the Singapore American School in the Republic of Singapore, he returned to Hugo, and graduated from Hugo High School in 1984. Throughout his schooling, Howard developed his love of football, and played every chance he had – even winning the American League Championship as a member of the Singapore American School Aggies. Upon his return to Hugo he proudly played for the Hugo Buffaloes, still treasuring the friendships made while playing for his hometown team. After high school Howard attended the University of Oklahoma and graduated in 1988 with B.A., Political Science, while working full-time to pay for college and already married for three years at the time of his graduation to his lovely wife Jeannie Leigh Houchen.

In December 1988 Howard began working for Parker Drilling Company, assisting in projects based in Papua New Guinea, South Africa, Gabon, Sao Tome & Principe, and The Congo. He has lived, worked, or traveled extensively in Australia, Austria, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, and Great Britain, just to name a few of the 45 nations Howard has spent time in. During his work in South Africa for Parker, he served as a substitute teacher in Johannesburg, teaching high school students History.

In 1993, the couple happily returned home to Hugo to ready for the birth of their first son Collin Lee Houchen, born in April, 1994. He also served Hugo on the City Council, fulfilling an unexpired term of another councilman in 1995, assisting in transitioning the city from a mayoral to a city manager form of government. Second son Jared Melvin-Wayne Houchen followed in April, 2001.

A short time later, Howard began managing the operations of a fledgling family business, All American Garage Doors, Inc. While serving as Operations Manager of this small business full-time, he completed his Master of Arts in National Security Studies, with Honors, in 2004 from American Military University.

Howard is an active member of the Hugo community, from coaching a Hugo Buffaloes Little League Football team in 2005 to helping coach another Hugo Buffalo Little League Football team, of which his youngest son Jared was a player, to a Super Bowl Championship in 2008. The couple’s oldest son, Collin, now plays for the Hugo High School Buffaloes, and Howard and Jeannie are present at every game to cheer on their hometown team. Howard is the team’s “unofficial” photographer and documents every aspect of the season culminating in him donating a CD presentation to each member of the team and staff. He and his family are avid hunters and fishers, treasuring the outdoor life and family activities plentiful in our beautiful state and abundant in our rural communities.

More Information
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9 Principles

1. America Is Good.
   1. America has done nothing for which it needs to apologize. There have been mistakes in our national judgment in the past, but the actions of a few, or those long dead, are not actions of the whole or of those now living. Moreover, wrongs that have been made as right as they can be made are behind us. We should not allow the mistakes of the past to be used against us in perpetuity. Because of our freedom, the United States is a nation which can continually re-evaluate itself and its actions and correct its wrongs. This is one of our strengths; it is not a weakness.
2. I believe in God.
   1. There are some who argue that the United States is a “Christian” nation. If that is so, it is only so because of our people and their collective belief in the Judeo-Christian God. However, our Founders understood that should we ever allow any single religion to be established, our religious freedom would fall under threat. Given the weight of legal precedent on the law, it remains critical that we carry on the precedent of dis-establishment, so that we will never have to fear reprisal from a new majority religion should our religion cease to be the majority. “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.  I pledge my sacred honor not to ever use the force of government to force that axiom on anyone else.
3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday.
   1. A habit of honesty makes being dishonest difficult and uncomfortable. Finding difficulty with dishonesty in turn leads to a habit of honesty. This circle of “right living” will be noticeable by others and will become part of the actions of the whole. Through these efforts we can begin to restore the American People’s lost trust in their Congress.
4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government.
   1. You know what is best for your children and your household, not the federal government. As it applies to the family, the preamble of the Constitution articulates one of the allowed and agreed upon functions of government, “to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and to our Posterity…”.  Within the limits of protecting the lives, liberties (universal human liberties not those bestowed by your parents) and properties of the children within your home, I pledge my sacred honor to ensure that your federal government remains removed from your daily life and that of your family.
5. If you break the law, you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.
   1. There cannot be two laws – one for the high born and one for the low. To allow such would create a caste system of inequality not befitting of a free society.
6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results.
   1. These inalienable rights guarantee the level playing field required for all to succeed. Protecting these rights from infringement is the promotion of the “general Welfare” referred to in the preamble of the Constitution. However, realization of our individual Welfare is incumbent upon our willingness to work and participate within the free market.
   2. As well as being inalienable, the rights to life, liberty and property are guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment. When in conflict with one another, legal precedent has established their order of merit as they appear in the that amendment. This means that slavery and abortion are not social/religious issues, they are constitutional issues. Under the Fifth Amendment, due process and equal protection under the law are required to deprive someone of their life, liberty or property. Since the unborn are guilty of no crime, there can be no due process for them; hence abortion is unconstitutional.
   3. Just as the right to life for the unborn cannot be trumped by the right to privacy/liberty, so too, the right to property cannot trump liberty. The Civil War settled the issue that humans cannot be property. Convicted criminals may have their liberty infringed through due process. However, no one can be born a slave for the same reason that the unborn cannot be executed. Hereditary slavery requires a lack of due process under the Fifth Amendment and is askance of the legal precedent set by the outcome of the Civil War.
   4. Since we cannot be born into slavery, slavery through incremental socialism is also unconstitutional under the Fifth and Thirteenth Amendments. Under the Fifth Amendment, there can be no levy against my property to pay for unconstitutional expenditures since there can be no due process stemming from illegal government action. Under the Thirteenth Amendment, slavery or involuntary servitude is forbidden.
7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with whom I want to. The government cannot force me to be charitable.
   1. Socialism is slavery, because both control labor through force. If the slave does not give over the fruits of his labor, he will feel the whip on his back…if the victim of socialism does not give over the same, he will find himself jailed by the IRS or worse. As was previously mentioned though, the Fifth and the Thirteenth Amendments forbid slavery, thus they forbid socialism. Legal imposts, taken under the authority of the Constitution – a contract with the people requiring super-majority ratification-are surrendered with the people’s consent for the purpose of paying for those functions of government enumerated under that supreme law. Levies collected for any other purposes can therefore be nothing other than government imposed and sanctioned theft. Despite out-of-control taxation, Americans are typically more generous with their charitable giving than most other citizens on the planet…imagine the power of our charity to help others, if we were allowed to keep 40-60% more of what we earned…
8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.
   1. The Founders considered our free speech liberty so important that is was established in the Constitution’s very first amendment. The outspoken manner of our citizens against governmental infringements began with the Founders themselves. Thus, exercising this right, established and practiced by the Founders, and enshrined in our supreme law, is anything but un-American.
9. The government works for its citizens. I answer to them, they do not answer to me.
   1. As an elected representative of the people of Oklahoma’s 4th District, it is my primary responsibility to represent their interests and the interests of Oklahoma, and the Native Nations within Oklahoma, to the federal Congress and to ensure that the Constitution and treaties that binds those entities together are upheld at all times. I must not subjugate the people’s interest to my own, nor may I permit the interests of individuals or organizations, whether within the 4th district or without, to influence my duty, loyalty, and commitment to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, the individual liberty of its citizens, or the sovereignty of Oklahoma or the sovereignty of the Native Nations within Oklahoma.

12 Values

1. Honesty: Is required for there to be value in our words. Without the value of honesty, the things we say are nothing more than noises that escape our vocal cords or meaningless scribbles on the page. The American People demand and deserve representatives who will speak the truth even if it leads to our death or dishonor. Without honesty the American People cannot carry out their charge to wisely select representatives using votes purchased for them with the blood of patriots.
2. Reverence: Is required for honor to be shown to our Creator, our Founders, those that have died for our Liberty, and for the sacred charge placed upon us by the American People.
3. Hope: Is required for us to endure in the face of supreme adversity for the sake of carrying on the freedom and liberty passed to us, that we may in turn pass them on to our posterity.
4. Thrift: Is required for us to properly husband the resources placed in our charge by the American People, who have worked  hard for that which they have given to the United States. Honor demands that we not waste those resources freely given for those agreed upon functions of the federal government contained in the preamble of the Constitution.
5. Humility: Is required for us to understand and respect the responsibility placed upon us. We must always remember that it is not for our glory that we are chosen to serve the American People, but for theirs.
6. Charity: Is required for us as individuals so that we may be examples of noble spirit to the people we lead. However, we must never be charitable with the peoples money; it is their task to be so, not ours to make them be so.
7. Sincerity: Along with honesty, sincerity is required so that our constituents will know that we are truly placing their needs before our own. We should work tirelessly for them until we are called to leave public service. We should serve our constituents with our own hand and ear when we are home in our districts. Moreover, we should make sure to return to our districts to convene with them at every opportunity. In this way we demonstrate to our constituents that we represent them and not ourselves.
8. Moderation: is required for us to show that we are mature enough for the level of responsibility our constituents have placed upon us. “Living hard” is not becoming of a public official. We must always remember that we are truly representatives of all the people we serve and not any single constituency.
9. Hard Work: is the crucible by which we turn our ideas and the needs of the country into acceptable results. Our citizens deserve representatives who will work as hard as do they themselves. They have sacrificed the fruits of their labor to pay for good representation. We should strive everyday to ensure the citizenry get that for which they have paid.
10. Courage: is required for us to stand up to the “interests” that besiege the Congress from all sides. We must remember that, as federal officers, there is no greater interest than upholding and defending the Constitution. The time will fast come when party whips demand reciprocity for their party’s support. We must be prepared to see them disappointed when what they ask for is out of step with the Constitution and the best interests of the United States.
11. Personal Responsibility: The single greatest threat to our liberty comes from congressional delegation of its Constitutional Authority to persons or entities who are not politically accountable to the American People. Once elected we must work tirelessly to end these illegal delegations of congressional authority and be willing to take on the responsibility for our actions as individuals and our votes as representatives.
12. Gratitude: is the endearing spirit by which we ingratiate those who have helped us in the past to be willing to help us again in the future. Much is asked of those who must pay the bills and wear the uniform of our Republic. We must always ensure that the next generation of Americans will know that their service will be rewarding and appreciated.

Mr. Harris’ links:
Homepage || Bio || Video || Facebook || MySpace || Meetup

Editor’s Note:
Mr. RJ Harris discussed these principles and values in an online radio broadcast, Friday 26 June 10:00-Midnight EST.  Please tune in.  RJ is an eloquent advocate for the solutions this nation needs to embrace in order to survive.  Please visit his site for more current campaign information and to find out how you can support this 9/12 Candidate.

912Candidates.org is pleased to announce our first 9/12 Candidate:  RJ Harris.

Mr Harris is running in the fourth congressional district in the state of Oklahoma for the Republican nomination against incumbent Tom Cole.  Mr. Harris identifies himself as the husband to his wife of 18 years, and the father of five children.  He is currently in the Oklahoma National Guard, and has served two deployments to Iraq.

His political activity stems from his love of the constitution.  His interest in the constitution began as a young sergeant in the Army when he decided to read the very document he had sworn his life to defend.  Now as a candidate, he describes the mission of his campaign:

The primary mission of this campaign is to elect a Constitutional Conservative to represent the people of the 4th Oklahoma Congressional District. Execution of this mission includes an educational effort to make Oklahomans aware of the liberties that are being robbed from them by a central government, which has been operating outside the strictures of the Constitution for far too long. The Republican Party promised to fight to reduce, restrict, and restrain the size and scope of government and I am running to make good on that promise for the people of the Fourth District. Nearly as important, I intend to carry a message to Washington, from the people of Oklahoma, which puts the US Congress on notice that the days of their infringement into our States Rights and Sovereignty are coming to an end.

When asked why he wanted to become a 9/12 candidate he said “Unless we do something to preserve this Republic, we may not have a Republic left to pass on to our children.”

Mr. Harris we salute you for your service to our nation and wish you luck with your campaign.

Download his Signed Contract

Mr. Harris’ links:
Homepage || Bio || Video || Facebook || MySpace || Meetup