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Clint Didier said Wednesday that the values of perseverance, dedication and hard work that he learned from his parents while growing up on an Eastern Washington farm helped him get all the way to the Super Bowl.
And now he's hoping they'll take him to the U.S. Senate. Didier, who announced last month that he's running for the seat held by Democrat Patty Murray, talked about his years on an Eltopia farm and in the NFL during the monthly meeting of the Benton Franklin Mainstream Republicans in Kennewick.
About 60 people attended the Wednesday night event at the Lampson Building to hear Didier lay out his platform and field questions.
"I have been blessed by this great nation my entire life. Now it's time for me to give back," Didier said of his decision to run.
The former professional football player who now farms north of Pasco is entering the 2010 primary with the hope of beating out the other Republican candidates to face off against Murray in the November general election.
His nine-point "game plan" if elected includes freezing congressional salaries and pushing for an audit of the Federal Reserve, he said Wednesday.
Didier also pledged to halt tax increases and lower taxes and said the country needs to go back to basics in honoring the Constitution, including the Second Amendment.
He said government has gotten too big and needs to be scaled back. For example, he said he'd like to see the U.S. Department of Education eliminated, with its responsibilities going back to the states.
The country is deep in debt with people's life savings and retirement portfolios being washed away in the economic crisis, he said.
"At the heart is that the government and its agencies have been living high on the hog for too long," Didier said.
Didier said the country needs energy independence. He also said providing for military personnel is a top priority.
He spoke for about 20 minutes and then answered questions from the audience on everything from Social Security to the definition of a small business.
He said he's not a career politician and instead is running because he wants to serve the state and country.
Didier spent nearly a decade in the NFL and now farms and owns an excavation company. He also coached football at Connell High for several years before resigning to run for the Senate.
Several other Republicans also are vying for the seat; Didier said he's the only one from Eastern Washington.
* On the net: clintdidier.org
