During the past five years, average Americans have suffered the consequences of the incompetent, corrupt, immoral, radical right, regressive Republican administration of George W. Bush. Every step of the way he has been aided and abetted by Republican rubber stamp cohorts in Congress like Jo Ann Davis (R-VA-01). The results have been a devastating disaster for our country.
Now, we have an exlusive, in-depth interview with the man who's going to replace that "Republican rubber stamp" in just 11 months - Shawn O'Donnell. It's long (but highly informative and interesting!), so we've divided into two parts - the first four questions Wednesday, the second set yesterday, the last four today. Enjoy...and PLEASE support Shawn O'Donnell, because with all our help, we can take back that Congressional seat and start taking back America from the right-wing extremists!
9) What is your view of the PATRIOT Act? In general, what is your view of the tradeoff between security and civil liberties, 4 years after 9/11?
As a Democrat, I?m a great believer in the Bill of Rights including the First Amendment that was designed to protect our individual ability to debate the issues and offer critical dissent from government policies and actions. It also allows us freedom of assembly, the press, and supports our society?s tolerance for different forms of political and religious beliefs. The Fourth Amendment is supposed to protect privacy. The Fifth Amendment promises due process of law and the Sixth Amendment the right to counsel and to confront witnesses. The Eighth Amendment prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment recognizes that coercion often taints the truth and the Fourteenth Amendment guarantees equal protection under the law. All of these rights we hold dear were impacted by the passage of the ?PATRIOT Act.?
Unfortunately the original ?PATRIOT Act of 2001? was passed under the cover of darkness, with many members of Congress not even having one day to read and consider the legislation?s text. I believe some sections like 215 that allow our government to demand library, medical and other records without a court order and Section 213 with its ?sneak and peek? provisions should have been stricken. I agreed with the position of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Manufacturers Association that significant alterations were needed to protect businesses and individuals.
With regard to the tradeoff between security and civil liberties, Benjamin Franklin said it best: ?Those who are willing to sacrifice their basic liberties to assure their security deserve neither.?
10) Given that we are at war and are running huge budget deficits, would you support a repeal of President Bush's tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans? How about a call to sacrifice by the American people in general in a time of "war?"
Since 2001, Republican fiscal policies have effectively looted and plundered the federal treasury of trillions of dollars. They call themselves ?conservatives? when what they really advocate is legal thievery. The fiscal health of the nation was excellent when Bush and Jo Ann Davis took office. Projected revenues outstripped expenses with surpluses ?as far as the eye could see.? They quickly set about borrowing billions and rewarding the wealthy few and their corporate cronies. Even after 9-11, Iraq, and Katrina they failed to reverse their course and to this very day continue to pursue policies of ?borrow and plunder.?
Today federal government borrowing has grown from $4.67 trillion dollars in 2001 to over $8.13 trillion dollars. The very security of the nation is at stake. First, we should move to stop the plundering by repealing tax cuts for the wealthy, then reinstitute a truly progressive tax system, and reform the tax code to pay our nation?s bills. That approach would call upon those in our nation who have benefited the most, to sacrifice a fair and just amount of their accumulated and accumulating wealth and prosperity to secure future national security and economic viability for all Americans.
11) If elected to Congress, what would you do to address the health care crisis in this country? Specifically, how would you advocate covering the 45 million Americans who currently are uninsured?
Health care in the United States is indeed in crisis, in part because so many Americans are uninsured and underinsured. Health care coverage has skyrocketed so that, for many Americans, it has become unaffordable. By 2006 yearly health insurance premiums will reach nearly $15,000 for the average American family, more than double since 2001. The plain fact is the United States does not have the best health care, or the best health care coverage, but it does have the costliest.
When elected to Congress I intend to work to open the doors of health care to every American and to tackle the health care crisis from a business perspective.
12) Which past President do you most admire and why?
I am a great admirer of our 33rd President, Harry S Truman. He was a real grassroots Democrat who made tough decisions, held himself and others accountable, and shouldered the responsibilities of his office as a professional. For him ?the buck stops here? was not just another slogan. Truman made some of the most crucial and dramatic decisions in the history of the United States and presented to Congress a 21-point program known as the ?Fair Deal? which included expanding Social Security, a full-employment program, and even a permanent Fair Employment Practices Act.