http://www.theunionleader.com/articles_showa.html?article=3110020 questions:
What to ask the Presidential candidates
1. How do you think Britain, Spain, Italy, Australia, Poland and America’s other allies in the Iraq war and the War on Terror would react if they knew that in your campaign rhetoric you have completely ignored their contributions to these efforts and repeatedly insisted on characterizing President Bush’s foreign policy as entirely “unilateral,” as if no other nation joined America in defeating the Taliban and Saddam Hussein?
Answer? - While Britain has indeed been an Iraq War booster, the other countries mentioned give little relative to the total effort required, and in many cases give their support under mercenary agreements.
2. Four years from now Baby Boomers will begin to retire. Not long after that retirees in America will greatly outnumber those who pay Social Security taxes. Specifically, how will you keep Social Security from running out of money?
Answer: As the Bush Social Security System telephone information message notes, the system is solid to 2043, so the above are just scare words meant to justify cutting today's SS benefits so as to fund the tax cuts for the rich with even more social security surplus funds - covering up this theft via the call for private accounts. The Clinton add-on private account concept is certainly a good idea, but the idea of guaranteed return SS accounts, with reduced SS taxes made up for by general revenue transfers, should of pass the fiscal reality test of the media.
3. Would you ever use military force without United Nations approval, and if so, under what circumstances?
Of course I would, in the case of imminent threat -but not in the case of any pretend response to terrorist activity based on "He tried to kill my Dad".
4. Should the United States always wait until attacked before using military force against an enemy?
Again the answer is the same as the above question number 2 - it requires an imminent threat to attack first.
5. As President, what, if any, business regulations would you attempt to repeal?
Under Clinton, Al Gore reviewed business regulations to remove those that did not make cost/benefit sense, and that process would continue under my administration
6. Do recent medical advances allowing unborn children to survive outside the womb sooner than ever before require any re-examination of abortion policies?
No - The current policy for any fetus - regardless of term - is that its life be preserved if it can live outside the womb. There is no change needed in that policy.
7. Will you pledge never to appoint a pro-life federal judge? What other litmus tests would you apply to the judiciary?
The US Supreme Court has shown that the political bias of a Judge can influence his decision. I see no point in appointing judges that would try to end our civil liberties.
8. Should sales over the Internet remain tax-free?
The sales tax, as implemented in most states other than Vermont, is a regressive tax that should be replaced by an income tax. I see no reason to add a sales tax to internet sales.
9. If the rich should pay a larger portion of their income in taxes because they can afford to, shouldn’t they also receive fewer Medicare, Social Security and other benefits from the federal government?
Social Insurance by definition is not means tested or welfare program, and never should become one. These folks are not welfare recipients - they have earned the benefits provided. The few dollars that the rich receive do not affect the budget or cost in any meaningful way, and indeed the SS wage base should be eliminated, with the 15% top end benefit calculation factor extended to all income earned - including investment income - as the payroll tax is extended to all income earned, including investment income.
10. Does every qualified American have the right to attend college, with government subsidies if necessary?
I will not reduce current government programs that try to make that happen, but health care will be my administrations first priority.
11. Are pharmaceutical companies good corporate citizens?
Any corporate citizen, if under regulations that put the common good above price gauging, is a good corporate citizen.
12. In what areas of life would you prevent the federal government from interfering?
Any and all areas that do not require Federal "interference" in order to protect the civil rights and common heritage of American citizens are areas where Federal "interference" should not exist.
13. Regardless of whether it is a federal issue, has the time come for gay marriage?
Civil rights for all is always a current priority - but to move from civil unions to a status called "marriage" is to offend many of us that see marriage as a religious commitment - and there is nothing gained in terms of civil rights by the use of the word "marriage".
14. Will there ever be a day when affirmative action is no longer needed?
I doubt that mankind will ever lose its preference to hire "those like me" - but if it does, Affirmative action will be no longer needed
15. Name a war that America has fought for oil.
Sinclair Lewis said of World War 1 that it was fought for corporate and national economic goals, but there are always many reasons for a war.
16. Is it appropriate for the billionaire George Soros, one of the richest men in America, to spend his money trying to discredit and oust a President?
One does not discredit a President Bush by spending money telling folks how President Bush has discredited himself.
17. To what degree did Bill Clinton’s behavior in office damage the presidency?
Bill Clinton’s behavior in office did not damage the presidency - it reflected poorly on his ability to keep martial vows. The impeachment vote damaged the credibity of the GOP controlled House of Representatives to claim they put America's future first in making their decisions.
18. Why have Americans elected a Republican President and Congress?
A large part of the answer to "Why have Americans elected a Republican President and Congress?" are the biased treatment of Democratic Party candidates by media owned and controlled by those with right wing beliefs, and the lack candidates that are able to point out the difference in direction a vote for the Democratic candidate would make.
19. In every other nation in which health care is paid for by the national government, that care is rationed and citizens must wait months, even years, for treatment. How would you avoid this outcome in the United States?
Heath care in the US is rationed - by economic status - leaving us with a public health result below much of the industrial world.
20. Suppose you win the nomination. If, in the general election, President Bush wins the popular vote by a few hundred thousand votes, but you win the Electoral College vote, will you concede the election to Bush, as so many Democrats said President Bush should have done for Al Gore in 2000?
That is not the argument I have heard from Democratic Party members relative the 2000 election where folks felt Gore Won Florida, and the 5/4 USSC vote denied him the presidency.
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
