The Better Way

This will end in 10 minutes, but my battery is dying

so no more blogging…

Candidates question each other

CS to CP: What would you do in Congress to promote the provincial team reconstruction model.

CP: It has been good, but we need to improve because it hasn’t worked for 6 years. Some of the things you want over there aren’t happening here, and I think we need to spend more money here.

CS: No rebuttal

CP to CS: People are angry and want change. You want to continue the old policies. How are you a change? (note: she starts to go negative)

CS: We need tax cuts.

CP: No rebuttal

CS to CP: Sportsmans issues are a big deal. People come from out of state to shut down sportsman use. How do you feel on those issues?

CP: I sponsored a large land acquisition bond. I am proud of my hunting friends. Yay for killing animals.

CS: No rebuttal

CP to CS: Capital gains. You want a 2 year moritorium, which is more extreme than John McCain. Most benefit would go to people making over 200K. Looks like more of the economics that didn’t work. Why?

CS: It would put money back in the hands of individuals. Free market would respond well.

CP: Obama tax plan works well to put money back into middle class pockets

CS: The “wealthiest” are making $200K. They are small business owners and they help build the economy. We must help them.

Citizen questions

Email from Ross Little: People are sick of negative ads. Say something nice about each other.

CP: CS has integrity and served in Iraq honorably. Good guy.

CS: CP is deeply committed to public service, and has faced up to challenges with courage.

Video question: Matthew Beck from South Portland wants something better than NAFTA and CAFTA.

CS: Free trade is important, but we need to trade with a mirror tax. Fair trade is good. Economic patriotism. Try and keep jobs here.

CP: I would have opposed the trade agreements. Standards are not properly enforced, and we feel the pain in Maine. Wal-Mart is outsourcing their work and we subsidize it.

Jim from Wiscasset on Health Care

CP: I would vote for single-payer, but I would support the Obama plan too. Expand the government plan, but also allow people to keep private plans. We pay too much for too little. Small businesses in Maine are getting hurt by costs.

CS: Single-Payer is bad. We can’t afford what we have now. Tort reform is necessary. Small business health plan legislation to allow state line crossing. Too many monopolies. Make health care deductable.

Nancy in Brunswick: Student loans are prohibitive. How can we relieve the burden.

CS: We need colleges, both 4 year, 2 year, and technical. National service corps should be created. Will strengthen the community.

CP: Serious issue for Maine. More funding for Pell grants and university systems. Reform the loan system, because of its similarities to the credit markets.

Video from Sean at Bowdoin: How would deal with a presidential request for war with Iran?

CP: I would have opposed Iraq because we didn’t ask the serious questions. Must be a last resort, not an aggressor nation.

CS: War must be last resort and we must improve diplomacy. We need a plan before war and definitly an endgame. Patreaus has done well. People are seeing the end of the war.

Email from Andrew in East Boothbay: Has Constitutional government been compromised?

CS: The document is strong, although it is compromised every year. We must continue to follow it.

CP: It is hard to be a role model when our country has had trouble following the constitution. Citizens are concerned about oversight. i would take that seriously. We must be seen as a country which respects the rule of law.

Debate #4

Charlie, do you support privatizing SS?

CS: No, I changed my position during the meltdown.

Chellie, where do you cut the budget and expand SS and healthcare?

CP: Let’s roll back Bush tax cuts and end the war. Major savings there.

Charlie, was the stimulus a success?

CS: Jury is out. It helped a bit, but we need to enact tax laws letting them keep more money. Tax cuts are good. Farm subsidies are bad. Taxes and Regulations should be minimal, so that small businesses can grow.

Chellie, what are republicans doing right now that you like?

CP: Pricing of prescription drugs. I would work with both parties to help negotiate prices.

Charlie, what about the PATRIOT act?

CS: Private conversation evesdropping should be stopped. Since PATRIOT and 9/11, no more attacks. Editors note: Post hoc, Ergo propter hoc logical fallacy

Chellie, why did you take big wall street donations?

CP: I knew that I needed money to be competitive, and I knew that I would always vote my conscience. I have been the president of Common Cause and will push for public financing of elections. Until we change the system, I play by the rules.

Debate pt 3

Environment: How do we get off oil?

CP: Let’s cut back on fossil fuels and sufficiently assist with winterizing etc. Wind power is promising. We can use them to create jobs. It will take federal government input in the form of tax credits, R&D etc. It will be good for Maine. We have to show where our priorities are, and we should stop subsiding the oil industry. I would mandate Cap & Trade and Efficiency Standards.

CS: Alternative is good. Maine uses a lot of oil, and we need to explore for gas and oil here. Invest in R&D. Take alternative out of alternative energy. We are less secure when importing oil. Cap & Trade is bad. Credits for people who don’t pollute. Alternative forms of transport. Amtrak is good. Deduct interest off of loans on alternative vehicles.

CP: Drilling in Maine. I can’t imagine it. It would kill fishing and tourism. Wind or tidal power would bring jobs without the baggage. 10 years before you could even get to drilling oil. They should drill on existing leases.

CS: National security/economic security. Canadian neighbors have been drilling safely for a long time. Need new ways of addressing this, not NIMBYism. Embed an EPA person at every site.

More debate…

Should the U.S. negotiate with regimes that we believe to be terrorists or rogue regimes.?

CS: Lower level negotiations important. Good realtime info necessary.

CP: More negotiation than we have now. Presidents policies were misguided, and talked about war too much. That is wrong. We ended cold war with diplomacy. Foreign countries don’t respect us and we should change that. Need more troop strength. Going into Iran would be implausible. We cannot afford Iraq, and we certainly can’t afford Iraq.

CS: Iraqi’s, Syrian’s, and Jordanian’s respect us and our military.

CP: Better diplomacy

What about the attack in Syria?

CS: Justified—they were attacking our troops.

CP: Nuanced policy from the Bush administration. This makes our life harder.

1st CD debate at Bowdoin!

Good Evening.

We will be liveblogging the debate between Charlie Summers and Chellie Pingree tonight. Also check out Darren Fishell’s liveblog at bcuria.com.

Aaaaand we’re off!

Jennifer Brooks and Susan Sharon are moderating.

Format will include candidate-to-candidate responses, follow ups, and questions from the public.

3 broad questions to start. Pingree gets first question.

#1: Economy is the number one issue. Both of you opposed bailout. Do you support bailing out automakers?

CP: We are losing jobs and need economic help. Auto industry should have done more, but we will need to help them, with conditions, as they are a major employer in the U.S. Opposed bailout because it wasn’t clear on the return to the taxpayer. There should be aid to states in a second stimulus package. Invest in infrastructure.

CS: I’ve worked 30 jobs around the district and I can wash hair. DC doesn’t take care of Maine Street or Wall Street, just themselves. Too much pork in the bailout. Needed more detail and taxpayer protection. Must be credit for small businesses. Must protect jobs and create manufacturing jobs in the US. CEO of bailout company will get $1 salary. Auto industry? Maybe tax incentives too companies, but no large stimulus.

CP: Trade difference. I am concerned about NAFTA, need better labor standards, environmental standards. We need to get back some manufacturing jobs.

CS: Free trade must be fair. Exports are good, but we need to avoid taxes. Mirror taxes are good. Environmental standards are also good.

What a Night!

Well that was something…

We had the great privilege of entering the Pepsi center tonight for the first time, and did we ever pick a great night to do it! We heard from Lily Ledbetter, the courageous worker whose fight for justice in payment for men and women has captured national attention. We heard from Gov. Mark Warner, who spoke of the race for the future and America’s need to win it. Gov. Warner spoke in the same speaking slot as Senator Obama did in 2004, and we all know what happened after that!

Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts gave a moving testament to the great American story, telling his own tale of rising from poverty to national prominence. Montana’s own Governor Brian Schweitzer then gave a witty, yet powerful speech on the importance of responsible environmental policy, and the dangers of Sen. McCain’s proposed plans.

But that was nothing compared to what came next.

Simply put—go watch Sen. Clinton’s speech. Our own words will not do it justice.

We came away inspired, deliriously happy, and feeling certain that if we all work hard enough, knock on enough doors, make enough calls, and talk to enough people, Sen. Obama will be President Obama on January 20th, 2009, and will have a Democratic majority, reflected not only in the houses of Congress, but in the values of individuals and families across America. As Sen. Obama says, this is our moment.

YES WE CAN!!!

Denver: Sunday

It’s been three full days and there is much to report. Yesterday, we attended numerous training sessions about how to organize, create a message, and run a campus campaign. We learned a lot, and are excited about bringing some of this knowledge back to campus this fall. This morning, we had the privilege of hearing some remarks from Cory Booker, mayor of Newark. Mayor Booker has an inspiring story, and is a demonstration of how people-power can beat an entrenched political machine. For more info on his story, check out the documentary “Street Fight.” Later on today, we will be hearing from another people-powered politician, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. Today also featured an interfaith service, LGBT caucus, and many other events. More to come…stay tuned!