James Burkee

James Burkee is a candidate in the fifth congressional district of Wisconsin for the U.S. House of Representatives, author of numerous articles relating to reform in U.S. politics, is a history professor at Concordia University Wisconsin, and is a public figure in southeast Wisconsin on national politics. He is most notably a critic of many prominent national politicians who he characterizes as disconnected from the American public in both personal and political priorities, and he frequently speaks out on issues of fiscal responsibility in government.

Personal life

James Burkee was born in San Diego, California on January 11, 1968, but was raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which he considers his hometown. He resided there until moving back to San Diego where he attended Lutheran High School of San Diego, graduating in 1986. Burkee’s father, who was on board the USS "Kearsarge" on tour in Vietnam at the time of Burkee’s birth, died in 1978. cite web |url= http://www.responsibilitypac.org/riw/index.php?section=18 |title=ResponsibilityPAC Founders |accessdate=2007-01-19]

Education

Burkee then attended Concordia University Wisconsin, graduating with degrees in business, marketing, and history in 1990. cite web |url= http://www.cuw.edu/Alumni_Friends/Alumni/news_from_alumni/archives/1990s_archive.html |title=1990s Alumni News |accessdate=2007-01-19] Burkee then worked in the manufacturing sector and other jobs while his wife was in graduate school at New York University. After attending Northwestern University’s graduate school, where he earned his Ph.D. in American History in 2003, Burkee began his career of teaching. cite web |url= http://www.history.northwestern.edu/graduate/placement.htm
title=Northwestern University History – Graduate Placement |accessdate=2007-01-19]

Career

Burkee has taught at two schools within the Concordia University System, Concordia College, Bronxville and Concordia University Wisconsin, the largest Lutheran school in the nation by enrollment, where he currently teaches.

On July 23, 2007, it was reported that Burkee intends to run for Representative in Wisconsin's 5th congressional district in 2008, a seat currently occupied by Republican James Sensenbrenner. As Burkee is running as a Republican, he will face Sensenbrenner in a primary before the general election [ [http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=636631 JS Online: Campaigning across the aisle ] ] . On July 24, Burkee launched a campaign website for the congressional race, and formally announced his candidacy on August 9.

Political views

Burkee is characterized as a political conservative, and while he identifies himself as a Republican, he often protests what might be described as the elite establishment of Washington, D.C.

For example, in a January 2006 article in the Wisconsin State Journal, Burkee criticized Congress for the ballooning national debt, which he says is a product of politicians failing to address important issues for the sake of pleasing their personal political interests. cite web |url= http://www.madison.com/archives/read.php?ref=/wsj/2006/01/08/0601070195.php |title=A Spending Spree That Can’t Go On |accessdate=2007-01-19] He has also criticized leadership that push for more entitlements, like prescription drug benefits, which he says are unaffordable. cite web |url= http://www.responsibilitypac.org/riw/index.php?section=35 |title=Responsibility PAC Issues-National Debt |accessdate=2007-01-19]

These views have led Burkee to describe most of Washington politics as the politics of irresponsibility, bent chiefly on serving personal interests and reelection rather than the interests of constituents. In January 15, 2007, he publicly announced the launch of Americans for Responsibility in Washington, a political action campaign, but he has since taken down the Internet site and redirected it to his congressional campaign website.

References

External links

* Jim Burkee for Congress [http://www.burkeeandwalz.com/] .
* Concordia University Wisconsin [http://www.cuw.edu/] .