I grew up reading comic books wanting to be a superhero. Comics taught me that those who speak the truth are heroes, all the rest are liars.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Questioning John Kline's Leadership

Minnesota's DFL (Democratic–Farmer–Labor) Party has a press release that offers Republicant John Kline the opportunity to answer some debate questions (below) in advance of this afternoon's 2nd CD debate with challenger Steve Sarvi...

My personal favorite is question 2 because Kline just today released a TV ad about those evil earmarks that he will save us from but neglects to tell us they make up less than 1% of the federal budget...Rather like the captain of the Titanic complaining about the lack good dance music while the ship sinks...wrong priorities...wrong leadership!


"DFL Party Offers Debate Questionnaire for Kline"

St. Paul (October 13, 2008) — Today, in advance of this afternoon’s Second Congressional District debate, the Minnesota DFL Party released a questionnaire of potential questions for Representative John Kline.

The Minnesota DFL Party released the following statement from Associate Communications Director Eric Fought:

“This afternoon’s debate provides a rare opportunity for Second District voters, since it’s highly unusual for Representative Kline to appear in a public forum and answer questions. Given that Second District voters are out of the habit of being able to question their member of Congress, we’ve decided to offer them a helping hand.”


Debate Questionnaire for Representative John Kline


1. Given the current chaos on Wall Street and in global financial markets, do you still support the privatization of Social Security and putting Social Security savings into the stock market? Or do you now acknowledge that doing so is too risky?

2. Earmarks make up less than one percent of the federal budget. Yet if one follows your public statements and campaign advertising, one might think that you believe earmarks are the worst problem facing our country. Realistically, how do you propose to balance the federal budget and get our country back on track financially?

3. Health-care costs have more than doubled since George Bush took office. This issue affects not only families and individuals but business as well. What is your solution for making health care more affordable? And do you support John McCain’s plan to tax employer-provided health-care benefits as income for the first time?

4. Time and time again you stood with President Bush and in the way of providing health insurance for Minnesota’s uninsured children. Why did you vote against expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) over and over again?

5. Minnesota’s unemployment rate is at the highest level in 23 years. What have you done to create jobs in Minnesota and what do you propose we do in the future to reverse this trend?

6. Do you support the continuation of No Child Left Behind? If so, do you believe it should be fully funded by the federal government?

7. In your last term, you have held exactly one public forum in the Second District in which your constituents have been able to ask you questions directly. Why haven’t you met with your constituents more?

8. Serious times like these require Americans to come together to seek real solutions for restoring middle-class prosperity, yet you have been a strong Republican partisan in Congress. How can you work across the aisle when you have supported the Republican Party line 97 percent of the time over the last six years?

9. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects many war veterans as they return home. You have questioned the need to aggressively treat veterans who show signs of PTSD and other mental-health concerns, yet the lack of concern for PTSD resulted in at least one Minnesotan veteran’s committing suicide. Please explain your position on this issue.

10. Many Minnesotans agree that it is time for the U.S. to begin withdrawing troops from Iraq and to focus on the war in Afghanistan, capturing Osama Bin Laden once and for all. Do you agree? Why or why not?

11. Why, when we have earmarked billions of dollars for building infrastructure in Iraq, should we not ensure that we earmark dollars for much-needed projects here in the Second District, like the Hastings Bridge or the Cedar Avenue busway?

12. At a townhall forum last Friday in Lakeville, you were seated next to someone who slurred Senator Barack Obama when John McCain rebuked her and disavowed her comments. The crowd then booed Senator McCain. Did you join in the booing, or do you also denounce slurs on Senator Obama?

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