(Watertown, WI)- Dave Westlake, candidate for U.S. Senate from Watertown, announced today that his campaign team is the first in Wisconsin to take the "9-12 Pledge." The 9-12 Pledge is fashioned after Glenn Beck's "9-12 Project."

"Signing this pledge was simple for me, because this is what our campaign has stood for from the very beginning. It's not a Republican thing or a Democrat thing--it's an American thing." Westlake said. "It's not uncommon to hear some candidates take pledges for 'this-or-that' throughout a campaign--and many of those are gimmicks that they have no intention of sticking to. The 9-12 pledge, however, is a way of life that we've been committed to long before we ever considered a candidacy...I believe these are fundamentally good tenets that most Americans--regardless of political affiliation--instinctively believe in."

The 9-12 Project, started by radio and TV talk show host Glenn Beck, is widely considered to be the main impetus behind the "tea party" movement throughout the country. The pledge was sent to all current elected officials for consideration prior to being offered to candidates, and calls for leaders to commit to the 9 Principles (1. America is good. 2. I believe in God and He is the center of my life. 3. I must always try to be a more honest person than I was yesterday. 4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I are the ultimate authority, not the government. 5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it. 6. I have a right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, but there is no guarantee of equal results. 7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable. 8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion. 9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.) and 12 Values (1. Honesty 2. Reverence 3. Hope 4. Thrift 5. Humility 6. Charity 7. Sincerity 8. Moderation 9. Hard Work 10. Courage 11. Personal Responsibility 12. Gratitude) outlined in Beck's "9-12 Project."

Senator Feingold, Westlake's 2010 opponent, has not signed the pledge.

"Being the first candidate to sign this pledge is an honor--and I'm having more and more interested citizens who meet me for the first time ask about the pledge before anything else" Dave said. "Clearly, this is an important representation of how you will conduct yourself in office and voters are more in-tune to that than ever before. I expect to see many more Wisconsin candidates take this pledge before too long."

The 9-12 Pledge can be found online at www.912candidates.org. Dave Westlake’s campaign website is www.davewestlake.org.