Keith Butler

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#0000BF" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="044005a0exvipq.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Eastside Republican Club"><U><B>Home</B></U></A><B>  </B><B> </B></FONT><B>  | </B><B> </B><B> </B><B>  </B><FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Copperplate Gothic Bold" ><B>Eastside Republican Club</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B>Events</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="eastside_republican_review_summary.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="ERC Review"><U><B>ERC Review</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><B>Congressional District News</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="civic___governmental_links.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A><B>   |   </B><A HREF="erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About Us"><U><B>About Us</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Keith Butler</B></div> <div> <A HREF="link_to_michigan_gop.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Michigan Republicans"><U><B><IMG SRC="05358580.gif" border=0 width="88" height="88" ALT="Michigan GOP" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="michigan_s_13th_district.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Congressional District News"><U><I><B>Congressional District News</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="more_blog_sites.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="More Links!"><U><I><B>Informative Blog Sites</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_testimonials.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="What Theyre Saying About Us"><U><I><B>Read what they've said about us</B></I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><B><IMG SRC="81b871f0.gif" border=0 width="135" height="31" ALT=">>Events" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div>  <A NAME="top_of_page"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <I><U>After More Than 20 Years of Grassroots Activism</U></I></div> <div> <B>Confident Candidate Keith Butler</B></div> <div> <B>Predicts a 2006 GOP Senate Victory</B></div> <div> “I will replace her in 2006,” declared Keith Butler, referring to Michigan's junior Senator Debbie Stabenow.<IMG SRC="11abeda90.jpg" border=0 width="493" height="425" ALT="Keith Butler, right, with ERC officers Walt Koppy, Marti Miller, and Jim Miller" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="6" VSPACE="4"></div> <div> <A HREF="http://keithabutler.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://keithabutler.com/"><U>Butler, candidate for the Republican U.S. Senate</U></A> nomination, made the prediction during his October 18, 2005, remarks to the Eastside Republican Club Forum at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.</div> <div> He said the Senator knows what's coming. “I threaten Debbie Stabenow greatly, and I will replace her in 2006!”</div> <div> As to his prospects for winning the GOP nomination, Butler claimed, ”Seventy percent of Republicans state-wide have endorsed me.” <A HREF="http://jerryzandstra.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://jerryzandstra.com/"><U>Jerry Zandstra</U></A>, who is also seeking the nomination, is scheduled to address the ERC on January 17, 2006.</div> <div> Distinguishing himself from the incumbent Democrat, Butler listed a number of issues he strongly supports: life, traditional families, tax cuts, and confirmation of the President's judicial nominations. He reminded the audience that Stabenow holds an opposing view on all of these, and even voted “no” on the confirmation of Chief Justice John Roberts.</div> <div> <I><B>Butler's Republican Roots</B></I></div> <div> Explaining his Republican roots, Butler said that in 1980 after reading the party platforms of both the Democrats and Republicans, “I was shocked to find out that I was a Republican!”</div> <div> Butler's political activism dates back to at least 1984 when he was elected a GOP precinct delegate. According to Butler, his 1989 election to the Detroit City Council made him the first avowed Republican elected to that body since before World War II, and none have been elected since.</div> <div> In 1989, Butler was selected one of Ten Outstanding Americans by the United States Junior Chamber of Commerce, for which he was honored by Pres. George H.W. Bush at the White House.</div> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="7" WIDTH="199" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" BGCOLOR=#FFFF80 > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 130 WIDTH="185"><div> <B>Municipal Candidates Appear</B></div> <div> In view of the upcoming municipal elections, the October Forum was opened to local candidates on the November 8, 2005, ballot.</div> <div> Taking advantage of the opportunity to familiarize the audience with their qualifications were the following five candidates:</div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=3 HEIGHT= 88 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="11ca50730.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="115" ALT="Mayor Scrace, GPC" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="93"><bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.grossepointemi.us/page/page/815658.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.grossepointemi.us/page/page/8"><U>Dale N. Scrace</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >, seeking reelection as mayor of the City of Grosse Pointe.</FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=7><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="11ce50730.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="115" ALT="Councilman Steve Sholty, GPC" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 14 WIDTH="85"><div> <A HREF="http://stevesholty.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://stevesholty.com/"><U>Steve Sholty</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >, councilman running for mayor of the City of Grosse Pointe.</FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=6 HEIGHT= 2 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="11cb50730.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="115" ALT="Mayor Novitke, GPW" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=2 WIDTH="93"><div> <A HREF="http://mayornovitke.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://mayornovitke.com/"><U>Robert E. Novitke</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >, seeking reelection as mayor of Grosse Pointe Woods.</FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=3><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="11cd50730.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="115" ALT="Dan Grano, GPP" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 73 WIDTH="85"><div> <A HREF="http://www.eastside-republican-club.org/erc_officers.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.eastside-republican-club.org/"><U>Daniel Grano</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >, running for election to the Grosse Pointe Park city council.</FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=4 HEIGHT= 26 ><NOBR><div> <IMG SRC="11cc50730.jpg" border=0 width="80" height="115" ALT="Hon. Carl Jarboe, GPP" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP ROWSPAN=3 WIDTH="93"><div> <A HREF="http://www.grossepointepark.org/Court/Judge.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.grossepointepark.org/Court/Ju"><U>Carl F. Jarboe</U></A><FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Arial" >, seeking reelection as municipal judge of Grosse Pointe Park.</FONT></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP COLSPAN=2 HEIGHT= 28 WIDTH="185"><div> The ERC has made no endorsement in any of the November 8  2005, races.</div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div> <I><B>“I Don't Need a Job”</B></I></div> <div> Butler, pastor and founder of the 21,000-member Word of Faith Church based in Southfield, Michigan, said, “I don't need a job.” The Southfield church employs over 200, and has a multi-million dollar annual budget.</div> <div> He was graduated from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and sees his private sector experience as a plus. Butler said, “Our founding fathers didn't believe in a privileged political class -- they called for citizen/politicians.”</div> <div> The motivation to run, he explained, was his desire to help future generations. Butler said, “We can help the State of Michigan and the United States of America.” >><A HREF="http://keithabutler.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://keithabutler.com/"><U><I>Butler for Senate link</I></U></A><I>.</I></div> <div> <I><B>Michigan & U.S. Economic Environment</B></I></div> <div> “Michigan is an inhospitable place to do business,” Butler said. “As a result, Indiana is raiding Michigan jobs,” he added. “We have the toughest regulations, the roughest, toughest legal environment,” he noted.</div> <div> “You can't have employees without employers,” Butler observed.</div> <div> Pointing to another reason for Michigan's troubles, Butler said, “Our education systems are not functioning well -- we need world class education again.” He believes one way to promote improvement is to offer choices. “Competition is a good thing,” he said.<IMG SRC="119c96980.jpg" border=0 width="150" height="152" ALT="Keith Butler with Pres. Reagan" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></div> <div> Looking beyond his native Michigan, Butler said, “Education is a national security issue.”</div> <div> On taxation, Butler said, “The U.S. tax code is Byzantine, containing nine million words.” He argued that the rules are so complex they hinder the U.S. economy. The combined annual taxpayer cost to complete forms, he said, totals $223 billion -- equivalent to three million U.S. jobs.</div> <div> On the subject of U.S. capital investment and job creation in a world economy, he noted, “Our multi-national companies are at a disadvantage.” He said corporations are encouraged to keep capital offshore as the result of the punitive U.S. tax code.</div> <div> Offering one solution, Butler said, “I want a flat tax, low enough to compete with other nations.”</div> <div> Butler also said he favored introducing the requirement for a 60% super majority, before federal taxes could be raised.</div> <div> Addressing the present economic trouble of some Michigan-based corporations, Butler said, “Management bears some of the responsibility.” He said businesses must operate with a long-term outlook, instead of worrying only about next year's stockholders' meeting.</div> <div> Expressing his views on U.S. energy needs, Butler said he favors independence from foreign sources, and sees the U.S. refinery shortage as the result of regulation issues, tort and legal issues, and radical environmentalism.</div> <div> With the appointment of federal judges in the news, Butler said that as a U.S. senator, he would support judicial appointment of strict constructionists who would not use the courts to “legislate from the bench.”</div> <div> Butler said, “I support the President, but I have to disagree with him on some issues.” He noted, “The number one job of government is protection of its citizens.” Butler doesn't oppose legal immigration, and acknowledges, “We all came from somewhere.” But he called the present state of America's porous borders “dangerous.”</div> <div> <I><B>Making A Difference</B></I><IMG SRC="119daf730.jpg" border=0 width="175" height="115" ALT="Pres. George H.W. Bush greets Keith Butler" ALIGN="RIGHT" HSPACE="4" VSPACE="2"></div> <div> In 1991, the nation witnessed the beating of Rodney King by police officers in Los Angeles. President George H.W. Bush invited Butler to provide valuable input regarding the White House response to this event and the ensuing L.A. riot. The following year Butler served on the national GOP platform committee.</div> <div> President Bush also selected Butler to be deputy chair of the Republican National Convention at which he delivered the introductory speech for then congressman, Newt Gingrich.</div> <div> Butler has appeared on national and local TV and radio news programs to discuss political issues facing the nation and metropolitan Detroit. He is a contributing writer to <I>The Detroit News</I>.<IMG SRC="119ec8980.jpg" border=0 width="200" height="152" ALT="Butler with extended family" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="2" VSPACE="2"></div> <div> <I><B>Leader and Family Man</B></I></div> <div> Butler was a member of American Dreamers, the late Heinz Prechter's GOP fundraising committee supporting the 2000 presidential nominee, now President George W. Bush. In addition, Butler has served as member of the Michigan Republican State Committee. He also served as a 2004 co-chair for Bush/Cheney.</div> <div> Butler is founding pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center Church with headquarters in Southfield.</div> <div> In addition to his U of M degree, Butler completed theological studies at Rhema Bible Training Center, Tulsa, Oklahoma.</div> <div> Butler has been married 29 years to his wife, Deborah. They have three children. The Butler family resides in metro Detroit.</div> <div> >><A HREF="erc_meeting_dates.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Events"><U><I>More events</I></U></A>.</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="#top_of_page" TITLE="Keith Butler"><U>back to top</U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>