With the 2008 presidential primary more than a year away, the virtually unknown John Cox of Illinois is quietly moving through political circles in New Hampshire, Iowa and South Carolina in an effort to build possible support for his long-term campaign for the White House. Accompanying his efforts is his book, Politic $, Inc.: Principle, Not Profit: Why We Need Statesmen, Not Career Politicians, which outlines his thoughts on the career politicians who frequent the halls of Congress, while exposing his personal philosophy of conservatism. .

John Cox http://www.cox2008.com is a 50-year-old businessman, tax attorney, accountant, school board president, and former Chicagoland Democrat who believes the time is right for a true political “outsider” to take control of the executive branch, two decades after its much-admired President Reagan bid farewell to Washington. Mr. Cox, who failed to serve in Congress in 2000 and the Senate in 2002, believes his time has finally come.

In Politic$, Inc., Cox argues that the current political model is broken because professional politicians are more concerned with personal advancement and financial gain than with national interests. Throughout the book, the Chicago businessman draws on his experience of dealing daily with cumbersome tax codes, bureaucrats who forget who they work for, and legislators who have turned office into personal feuds.

His 224-page paperback offers his solutions in a no-frills style that will strike a chord with conservatives frustrated by the runaway spending of a Republican-controlled Congress and White House. His message should also resonate with those readers who have been similarly dismayed by the thoughtful stance Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert recently took in defense of the Democratic representative. William Jefferson of Louisiana and the political hypocrisy of people like Republican Senators Arlen Specter and John McCain.

Author Cox asserts in Politic$, Inc. that free market principles, not government dependency, should be used to combat the looming problems of Social Security, health care, and the deterioration of America’s educational system. Government, Cox continues, is an obstacle to progress, even more so by professional politicians who choose to ignore difficult and sometimes ugly solutions in lieu of political commitment, thus wasting the opportunity to solve our country’s most important problems.

Politic$, Inc. will appeal to a constituency hungry for true conservative leadership. Cox concludes in his letter that term limits are necessary because lawmakers have repeatedly shown themselves incapable of political restraint. The advantages of incumbency are enhanced by compromising examples from those already in office. He points to senatorial examples like John McCain and Alan Specter.

John Cox, whose father abandoned his son and mother, is staunchly opposed to abortion on demand and against amnesty for illegal immigrants. The author advocates a missile defense system to stay one step ahead of rogue nations that might seek nuclear weapons. He is also committed to implementing a free market model for health care, education and environmental costs that is fair and accountable, which means minimal government interference.

Politic$, Inc. is not a flawless recitation of solutions to the nation’s ills. Much of Mr. Cox’s proposals and solutions depend not only on a more responsible type of public servant, but also on a more responsible electorate. Kicking out career politicians like Senator Specter, for example, would require political courage: courage to back true conservatives, at the risk, conservatives argue, of temporarily putting Democrats in office. (Ironically, it can be argued that Specter’s re-election put a Democrat in office.)

Although he lacks any real political exposure, Cox has the advantage of having spent his entire professional life in business, dealing with government regulations and the rules and red tape of bureaucrats. By not holding a position, he is not included in any group either. He has earned his fortune for his account, a self-made man. If his book resonates with readers as brilliantly as his ambition, Politic $, Inc.: Principle, Not Profit: Why We Need Statesmen, Not Career Politicians, could be his ticket to political office.