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l33tminion) wrote2012-09-22 11:48 am
l33tminion) wrote2012-09-22 11:48 am
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MA Senate Debate
Taking some time to watch the MA Senate Debates between Sen. Scott Brown and Prof. Elizabeth Warren. Though it might be informative to write up my summary. All responses are heavily paraphrased.
Q1: Is character an issue in the election?
B: Yes, and my opponent is a liar who claimed to be a Native American in order to get into Harvard. As the audience can clearly see, that's a lie. [ed: What's he expect, feathers and face-paint?]
W: Look, according to my family my mother is half Lakota and half Cherokee, that was a cause of strife between my parent's families. That's an important part of my heritage, and I'm not demanding documentation from my own parents. I was hired on my accomplishments.
Q2. MA unemployment rate is on the rise. How and where will the most new jobs in MA be created next year, and how will you help with it?
W: In the long run, we need to level the playing field for small business. In the short run, we need to put people to work. Surprised that Brown voted against jobs bills. There's work that needs to be done.
B: Jobs bills would have raised "your taxes" by billions. The rejection of the bills was bipartisan. They were just put up for votes to "score points". The jobs bill I'm proud of voting for is that crowdfunding bill. I vote on jobs bills that don't raise taxes but "get money out the door".
W: Those jobs bills would have been paid for by a fractional tax on those making more than $1M per year, and would have made real jobs in MA.
B: Businesses don't hire because they're afraid that taxes will be raised. Her policies would cut 700,000 jobs, 17,000 in MA.
W: I just want to be clear that my opponent's numbers are completely made up. And he has voted for tax raises on middle-class families. He voted against extensions of middle-class tax cuts without breaks for rich.
B: My opponent opposed Obama's compromise bill (which extended tax cuts for everyone). Therefore she'd let taxes go up for everyone in order to tax the rich.
W: Whereas you'd hold everyone else hostage in order to secure tax cuts for the rich.
Q3. What about the fiscal cliff?
B: I call it "taxmageddon". People are "very scared". Need to "step back" from sequestration. And cut taxes. I'm the only one "bipartisan" enough to deal with this.
W: Need to avoid the cliff, but that requires an "abandoned approach". Cut agriculture subsidies, defense budget, "fraud and abuse", oil subsidies (which Brown voted to protect), billionaires should pay at least same tax rate as secretaries (which Brown opposes).
B: MA has optional higher income tax rate, and Warren who is always "placing blame, raising taxes" didn't choose to pay more. I'm no friend to big oil, I'm a friend to the motorists. We need an "all of the above" approach. If we change anything, oil and gas will be expensive this winter.
W: He talks about cutting the deficit, but my policies would cut the deficit more.
B: Deficit, shmeficit. I cut taxes.
Q4. Would you ever vote for a Supreme Court nominee who opposes Roe v. Wade? Any other "litmus tests" for judicial nominees?
W: I would not. Roe v. Wade is settled law. Women should be able to count on this. Brown voted against Kagan (pro-choice and from MA), which concerns me.
B: Kagan lacked judicial experience, which is why I voted against her. I work on legislation that protects women against domestic violence, protects women in the military, makes sure that women receive the care they deserve. I'll oppose a judge who has "made it clear that they will oppose Roe v. Wade". We're both pro-choice.
W: Brown voted against equal pay for equal work. He co-sponsored a bill against insurance coverage of birth control. And he voted against a female, pro-choice SCOTUS nominee the one chance he got. The women in MA deserve a senator they can count on all of the time.
B: Stop scaring women. I'm for the rights of Catholics too. Not going to pit women against their church. I'm for a conscience exemption.
W: The legislation already protected religious institutions. The Blunt Amendment gives any employer or insurance company with any vague objection to birth control the ability to kill that coverage.
B: You're mis-characterizing the Blunt Amendment. As far as equal pay, I'm in favor of equal pay for equal work, but didn't want to unleash the lawyers.
W: Senator Brown can say that all he wants, but the voting record speaks for itself.
Q5. In what circumstances would you favor military intervention? Does Afghanistan qualify?
B: I'm on the armed services committee. I supported the surge, and support the withdrawal (object to the timing). Congress has to be involved in the process to unify this country. Lots of unsettling things are happening overseas.
W: We need to deploy troops when our interests are threatened, but deploy them with a plan. Need to use defense, diplomacy, and development.
B: We can't have a "nuanced approach" with Iran (as Warren suggests) in order to protect Israel. Need to draw a line in the sand.
W: We cannot have a nuclear Iran. Obama is using all tools and taking nothing off the table, which is great. I support Obama, unlike my opponent, who supports Romney.
B: It's important to support Israel. I've encouraged Obama to visit the Israeli Prime Minister. Israel is under incredible stress, a few in the Senate (including Lieberman) understand that.
W: Israel is a friend, but we need a democratic Israel commited to the rule of law. The real issue is who you think should be commander in chief.
Q6. The US has more than 100,000 janitors with college degrees and 16,000 degree-holding parking lot attendants. Does that mean some people shouldn't go to "conventional" colleges? Other ideas for higher ed?
W: Maybe those college-educated people are taking low-skill jobs because the economy is weak. We need a well-educated workforce to build the future.
B: I understand the high cost of education, which is mostly high administrative costs and salaries. My opponent is raking it in at her university job. Universities need more transparency. Warren wants to raise taxes to subsidize student loans, I found a way to do it without raising taxes.
W: My first teaching job I made $18k, so forgive me for being successful now. I paid $50 a semester at a commuter college because US was investing in public education. I was suggesting closing a tax loophole used by millionaires and billionaires, not a "small business" tax.
B: Millionaires and billionaires? It's all about the S-corps. What about when you defended Travelers Insurance to deny people benefits after they were poisoned by asbestos?
Q7. Do you believe climate change is real, and what should the government do?
B: Yeah, it's real, partially man-made. We need an "all of the above" energy policy. Warren opposes the Keystone XL pipeline, which would let us "get more of our energy on the world market" and stabilize prices. She wants to put wind turbines "in the middle of a national treasure down on Nantucket sound", which I oppose.
W: Brown is about a rigged playing field. Oil subsidies work against clean energy. Clean energy would produce more jobs than similar investment in a pipeline. This race is about control of the Senate, and if the Republicans control the Senate, Jim Inhofe gets his way on energy policy.
B: Hey, you're running against me, not Inhofe!
W: You're not shy about that "control of the Senate" bit when you're using it to raise money from Republicans around the country.
Q1: Is character an issue in the election?
B: Yes, and my opponent is a liar who claimed to be a Native American in order to get into Harvard. As the audience can clearly see, that's a lie. [ed: What's he expect, feathers and face-paint?]
W: Look, according to my family my mother is half Lakota and half Cherokee, that was a cause of strife between my parent's families. That's an important part of my heritage, and I'm not demanding documentation from my own parents. I was hired on my accomplishments.
Q2. MA unemployment rate is on the rise. How and where will the most new jobs in MA be created next year, and how will you help with it?
W: In the long run, we need to level the playing field for small business. In the short run, we need to put people to work. Surprised that Brown voted against jobs bills. There's work that needs to be done.
B: Jobs bills would have raised "your taxes" by billions. The rejection of the bills was bipartisan. They were just put up for votes to "score points". The jobs bill I'm proud of voting for is that crowdfunding bill. I vote on jobs bills that don't raise taxes but "get money out the door".
W: Those jobs bills would have been paid for by a fractional tax on those making more than $1M per year, and would have made real jobs in MA.
B: Businesses don't hire because they're afraid that taxes will be raised. Her policies would cut 700,000 jobs, 17,000 in MA.
W: I just want to be clear that my opponent's numbers are completely made up. And he has voted for tax raises on middle-class families. He voted against extensions of middle-class tax cuts without breaks for rich.
B: My opponent opposed Obama's compromise bill (which extended tax cuts for everyone). Therefore she'd let taxes go up for everyone in order to tax the rich.
W: Whereas you'd hold everyone else hostage in order to secure tax cuts for the rich.
Q3. What about the fiscal cliff?
B: I call it "taxmageddon". People are "very scared". Need to "step back" from sequestration. And cut taxes. I'm the only one "bipartisan" enough to deal with this.
W: Need to avoid the cliff, but that requires an "abandoned approach". Cut agriculture subsidies, defense budget, "fraud and abuse", oil subsidies (which Brown voted to protect), billionaires should pay at least same tax rate as secretaries (which Brown opposes).
B: MA has optional higher income tax rate, and Warren who is always "placing blame, raising taxes" didn't choose to pay more. I'm no friend to big oil, I'm a friend to the motorists. We need an "all of the above" approach. If we change anything, oil and gas will be expensive this winter.
W: He talks about cutting the deficit, but my policies would cut the deficit more.
B: Deficit, shmeficit. I cut taxes.
Q4. Would you ever vote for a Supreme Court nominee who opposes Roe v. Wade? Any other "litmus tests" for judicial nominees?
W: I would not. Roe v. Wade is settled law. Women should be able to count on this. Brown voted against Kagan (pro-choice and from MA), which concerns me.
B: Kagan lacked judicial experience, which is why I voted against her. I work on legislation that protects women against domestic violence, protects women in the military, makes sure that women receive the care they deserve. I'll oppose a judge who has "made it clear that they will oppose Roe v. Wade". We're both pro-choice.
W: Brown voted against equal pay for equal work. He co-sponsored a bill against insurance coverage of birth control. And he voted against a female, pro-choice SCOTUS nominee the one chance he got. The women in MA deserve a senator they can count on all of the time.
B: Stop scaring women. I'm for the rights of Catholics too. Not going to pit women against their church. I'm for a conscience exemption.
W: The legislation already protected religious institutions. The Blunt Amendment gives any employer or insurance company with any vague objection to birth control the ability to kill that coverage.
B: You're mis-characterizing the Blunt Amendment. As far as equal pay, I'm in favor of equal pay for equal work, but didn't want to unleash the lawyers.
W: Senator Brown can say that all he wants, but the voting record speaks for itself.
Q5. In what circumstances would you favor military intervention? Does Afghanistan qualify?
B: I'm on the armed services committee. I supported the surge, and support the withdrawal (object to the timing). Congress has to be involved in the process to unify this country. Lots of unsettling things are happening overseas.
W: We need to deploy troops when our interests are threatened, but deploy them with a plan. Need to use defense, diplomacy, and development.
B: We can't have a "nuanced approach" with Iran (as Warren suggests) in order to protect Israel. Need to draw a line in the sand.
W: We cannot have a nuclear Iran. Obama is using all tools and taking nothing off the table, which is great. I support Obama, unlike my opponent, who supports Romney.
B: It's important to support Israel. I've encouraged Obama to visit the Israeli Prime Minister. Israel is under incredible stress, a few in the Senate (including Lieberman) understand that.
W: Israel is a friend, but we need a democratic Israel commited to the rule of law. The real issue is who you think should be commander in chief.
Q6. The US has more than 100,000 janitors with college degrees and 16,000 degree-holding parking lot attendants. Does that mean some people shouldn't go to "conventional" colleges? Other ideas for higher ed?
W: Maybe those college-educated people are taking low-skill jobs because the economy is weak. We need a well-educated workforce to build the future.
B: I understand the high cost of education, which is mostly high administrative costs and salaries. My opponent is raking it in at her university job. Universities need more transparency. Warren wants to raise taxes to subsidize student loans, I found a way to do it without raising taxes.
W: My first teaching job I made $18k, so forgive me for being successful now. I paid $50 a semester at a commuter college because US was investing in public education. I was suggesting closing a tax loophole used by millionaires and billionaires, not a "small business" tax.
B: Millionaires and billionaires? It's all about the S-corps. What about when you defended Travelers Insurance to deny people benefits after they were poisoned by asbestos?
Q7. Do you believe climate change is real, and what should the government do?
B: Yeah, it's real, partially man-made. We need an "all of the above" energy policy. Warren opposes the Keystone XL pipeline, which would let us "get more of our energy on the world market" and stabilize prices. She wants to put wind turbines "in the middle of a national treasure down on Nantucket sound", which I oppose.
W: Brown is about a rigged playing field. Oil subsidies work against clean energy. Clean energy would produce more jobs than similar investment in a pipeline. This race is about control of the Senate, and if the Republicans control the Senate, Jim Inhofe gets his way on energy policy.
B: Hey, you're running against me, not Inhofe!
W: You're not shy about that "control of the Senate" bit when you're using it to raise money from Republicans around the country.
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