St. Louis, MO -- (ReleaseWire) -- 01/09/2008 -- Independent U.S. Presidential Candidate Blake Ashby released a whitepaper today on the role of government in a democratic society. (www.ashby2008.com).

“To my mind, the most fundamental role for government in a democratic society is to extend equality of opportunity, to insure that each individual has the tools necessary to take control and choose the course of his or her life.” said Ashby. “I am running for President because I believe that we as a nation are losing sight of this role for government, and our government is starting to fall short of fulfilling this most basic responsibility.

“If we continue down our current path, the rare level of freedom and control that this country has achieved will slowly seep away, likely never to return. If we allow this to happen, we, this generation, will have failed as stewards of our country - through neglect, we will have ceded our special place in history, and the United States will go the way of Ancient Rome or the British Empire. “

About Ashby 2008
Blake Ashby is a life-long Republican who is running as a cranky Independent Presidential Candidate because he has become frustrated with the fiscal irresponsibility and misplaced social conservatism of the Republican Party. He believes, as so many Americans do, that the strength of our nation's government has been weakened by political hypocrisy on the parts of both major parties, and their neglect of the critical issues that affect America most is making our nation vulnerable. Ashby’s goal is to stimulate debate on the hard issues facing our country, and hopefully to help force the Republican Party to return to its roots.