Jan 30 2010
You’ve Got Questions; They’ve got Answers… maybe
Last summer I sent a questionnaire to all the NCGOP state chair candidates so y’all would know where they stood. Looks like some of our guests would like me to do the same thing for the Republican candidates in N.C.’s 8th Congressional district race.
Well why stop there? I’ll also send one out to the Republican candidates seeking the nomination for Heath Shuler’s seat and Brad Miller’s seat. I’ll also send it to Patrick McHenry and his two challengers, as well as anyone else that pops up on my radar screen.
Only question is… what should my questions be? Is there a squirm-inducing query that you’d just love to ask a congressional candidate? Is there a particular something you must know about someone before you can vote for them? Well, post your question suggestions below and if I like it, I’ll include it in my questionnaire. Remember that these are federal, not state, candidates. Please submit your questions by Sat., Feb. 6th.
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I would like to know where any and all candidates stand on the 5 pledges that Glenn Beck has posted on his website. They are as follows:
1. I believe in a balanced budget and therefore will vote for a freeze in government spending until that goal is realized.
2. I believe government should not increase the financial burden on its citizenry during difficult economic times therefore I will oppose all tax increases until our economy has rebounded.
3. I believe that more than four decades of U.S. dependence on foreign oil is a travesty therefore I will support an energy plan that calls for immediately increasing usage of all domestic resources including nuclear energy, natural gas and coal, as necessary.
4. I believe in the sovereignty and security of our country and therefore will support measures to close our borders except for designated immigration points so we will know who is entering and why and I will vehemently oppose any measure giving another country, the United Nations, or any other entity, power over U.S. citizens.
5. I believe the Unites States of America is the greatest country on earth and therefore will not apologize for policies or actions which have served to free more and feed more people around the world than any other nation on the planet.
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How about we not parrot Glenn Beck talking points?
The first question I can think to ask would be, “If elected, how many terms do you envision yourself serving before returning to the private sector?”
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I’m not a big Beck-phile either (I’ve honestly never seen his show), but that doesn’t mean that those aren’t pretty good questions up there.
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Those aren’t questions, they’re black and white pledges, at least three of which Ronald Reagan would have proudly broken.
It’s info-tainment nonsense to expect a candidate to pledge anything in a post 9/11 world other than “Read my lips… none of us know what the future may hold, but I’ll respond to an increasingly complicated world like a thoughtful, complicated grown-up, not a two-dimensional talk show host demagogue.”
I don’t know how many billions went into the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2002, but I assure you the number wasn’t “conservative” and probably not nearly enough.
As for the questions to candidates, I think there should be both general questions to all for comparative purposes and unique questions by District tied to the area. The latter may require input from local parties. I certainly don’t know all the issues.
For the general questions:
Who would support for Speaker of the House? Not who do you oppose, but who would you support?
What aspects of the existing stimulus, if any, do you support for your District? Are there any tax dollars you would defend or fight to increase coming back to your constituents? What services would you reduce or take away?
How specifically do you plan to create jobs in your District?
And since you want a “squirm-inducing” question…
Is your campaign currently running debt? Since you’d like control of the People’s checkbook, please tell us how you intend to balance your own books?
As for the local District questions, I’d ask those in the 8th and 11th where they stand on Lumbee recognition.
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If elected, which committees would you prefer to be assigned to and why?
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Excellent LC. Committee assignments begs a larger question I was obviously getting at.
The only job of Congress is the checkbook. The main job of a committee member is advocating for that group, much like a Representative must for his/her District. I’d wager good money that advocating an across the board freeze on spending won’t get you on many committee assignments in Washington, much less make you effective for constituents, but that’s just me and history talking.
I have no answers. Just more questions. Compelling conundrums aren’t they?
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When is the last time you voted? Was it a primary or general election, state or federal election, etc, something along those lines. If a person doesn’t even bother to vote it always says a lot about that person, at least to me.
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We can look that up if they lie, but GOOD!
“When is the last time you voted? ”
The “where” they voted is what hurts most people. A-hem. Hi to Patrick. And all your campaign staff.
Now let’s get down on some 8th District essentials.
Where do you candidates fall on the following statements?
5) “I think Michael Steele is an awesome Chairmen and do what he says, since he has my party’s best interests in mind.”
4) “I tolerate Michael Steele, because I hate losing.”
3) “I am black, and part of the new GOP recruitment effort to not be so white!”
2) I had a roommate in college named Mike, and knew a guy named Lou.
1) SCREW THAT GUY!
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This is a great service to provide to your readership, Press 7 for Celtic. While I doubt we agree on much politically, it’s certain that we agree on three things:
- Knowledge is power
- Elected officials are accountable to the people
- Good blogs offer quality content
Thanks for doing what you do.
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Gordon! How is life on city council?
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Oh Jebus, that guy: http://scrutinyhooligans.us/
Back to the adult table.
So, NC-8 frontrunner D’Nunnzio joined BlueNC tonight: http://www.bluenc.com/tim-d%E2%80%99annunzio-advocating-armed-insurection%3F#comment-126646
And was promptly called out. Over and over. And http://www.bluenc.com/open-invitation-tim-dannuzio
Over again.
Nice. Considering he was WINNING!
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaking/story/1219236.html
I just don’t get tea baggers I guess. We all know Scott Brown was a confessed pro-CHOICER right? What’s the delusion here?
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Bane,
It’s good. I’m drinking from the proverbial firehose, and it’s exciting to learn so much and meet so many who work hard to make AVL a great place.
See you around!
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What specific policy proposals are you in favor of for reducing unemployment in the 8th district as well as nationwide?
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Okay, I’m going to throw some curve balls now. I appreciate a sense of humor in my Reps. Let’s see if they have one.
Where was our President born?
How old is the earth?
What is your favorite book? If you don’t read, then favorite Die Hard movie?
What was your favorite course in College, or conversely, why didn’t you go?
When did you stop beating your wife?
And seriously, are you ready for Kissell? Andy Griffith had many flaws, none of which were not looking good while being screamed at by hillbillies throwing rocks.
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What kind of message does it send to the voters that you are willing to spend so much of your own money in a primary in an attempt to get elected to Congress?
I think this one mainly applies to D’Annunzio, and Huddleston to a lesser extent, but it’s always interesting to me why someone would be so willing to lose so much of their own money to get elected to a position that only pays 174K a year…
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Press 7, this is your baby. Toss a draft out here or just send it on unedited and straight up town hall. Be sure to include Libertarian candidates.
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Victoria:
Beck is an ass.
If you were in my class (which you are not) you would be given a failing grade for not thinking for yourself and posting someone else’s work (although you do attribute it to the ‘author’, who has overly simplistic ‘answers’ to larger issues).
Balanced budget? Who the hell is Beck kidding? We have too many legislators brokering for private industry to do that. We have a corporatocracy, just like the Supreme Court says we do. Quite naive of Beck.
Increasing the financial burden? Who is carrying that burden? Seems Bush gave a huge chunk of the future away with his tax breaks for the very wealthy. The middle class, the class that actually drives the economy, has been gutted. I guess Beck can’t see that from his house.
Our dependence on foreign oil? The answer doesn’t really lie in seeking more oil- that is a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Switching to nuclear or other sources of energy doesn’t solve the problem either. Weaning us from what was once a lifestyle based on cheap energy is the real problem. The world has changed and, try as you might, we can’t go back. Sorry, Glen, the sun has set on the Texaco lifestyle.
Number 4 of your/Beck’s list is laughable. The use of fear as a control of populations has always worked. That’s how we got the ‘Department of Homeland Security’ and the ‘Patriot Act’. You don’t scare me with your brown-skinned boogiemen, Glen.
Number 5 says more about both of you than you realize. It’s ‘My Country, Right or Wrong’. How infantile. The US has been involved with more needless death than most other countries in its short history. We have removed legitimate governments, invaded sovereign states for trumped-up reasons, practiced/practice slavery, slaughtered innocents in the name of ’security’. To deny this is to be wholly ignorant and unreasoning. Try reading Zenn’s ‘A People’s History of the United States’. Hell, try reading anything that doesn’t originate from the Heritage Foundation mindset of the extreme right.
Beck does have one thing right, though. He does know that there IS a sucker born every minute.
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Putting all that effort into a post that doesn’t even contribute to the thread and you misspell Zinn’s name. Way to honor his recent passing.
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Logic:
That it doesn’t contribute to the thread is your personal opinion.
Thanks for your ‘help’. Your contribution is to my post is noted.
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*ping*
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Swamped with work. I’m workin’ on it…
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Want help with emails? I can do that.
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Oh Jebus, even the Libertarian has a form and no email.
http://www.thomasbhill2010.com/id3.html
Apparently I can’t help. No one can.
This is over.
*Gone Zombie*
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Don’t waste your time Press 7.
http://christswar.blogspot.com/2010/02/condescension.html
It’s done.
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What exactly is done? There are still other candidates running in the 8th District that I would like to hear from besides the author of the blog linked above. And let’s be fair, it’s not like he’s as crazy as the guy they let participate in the Charlotte Mayoral race last year.
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I was tired, impatient and disappointed. I apologize. Again, your baby. I’ll shut up.
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*ping*
Just got interesting and went national.
http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/02/how_not_to_resp.php
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Great find, Crush. I’m actually starting to feel sorry for the guy. This all started bc he shaved the ’stache in my opinion, never shave the ’stache…
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Flavor saver or not, I’m sucked in. This race is AM radio gold, and god knows we need the attention in NC8.
12 percent unemployment. 12 percent!
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Primary is when now?
I kinda doubt this will matter soon.
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Early voting starts April 15 if I’m not mistaken and the primary is May 4.
http://www.sboe.state.nc.us/content.aspx?id=52
There’s most likely going to be a run-off in the 8th District race bc I don’t see any candidate breaking the 40% barrier at this point.
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