Out to Pasture (2020 Election Game) Gameplay Thread

[Cabbage]

CNN COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF FORUM


Source: Wikimedia Commons

Blitzer: Good evening. I'm Wolf Blitzer, and tonight is CNN's Commander-in-Chief Forum. We invited all seventeen major candidates to this event, and we're going to here from all who chose to come. There will be three general questions, as well as a specific question for each candidate. So, without further ado, here they are:

General Questions

1) Many of you have very strong views on the President's tax cuts, which recently passed the Senate 53-47, with six of you even voting on it (all against). Would each of you care to once again clarify your position on the issue, and would the Senators explain the reasoning behind their votes?

2) Healthcare is the #1 issue Americans are concerned about this election cycle. How would each of you format healthcare under your administration?

3) Climatologists now say we have little more than a decade to roll back our global greenhouse gas input before disastrous irreversibility strikes. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, how would you move to lessen this nation's carbon footprint? If not, why do you believe it not to be the case?

Personal Questions:

Former State Rep. Abrams:

You have proposed closing down all nuclear power plants within the United States. However, many scientists now believe that the use of thorium as an alternative fuel to uranium would remove or significantly reduce nearly all the risks associated with nuclear power. Would you support this solution instead of shutting down all our nuclear plants?

Senator Baldwin:

You are the only member of the LGBTQ+ community on this stage tonight. President Pence has been accused repeatedly of intense homophobia and encouragement of discrimination against LGBT individuals. Did his ascendance to the Presidency have any bearing on your decision to run?

Senator Booker:

Former President Obama has been an early supporter of your campaign, despite the fact that most recent Presidents choose to stay above the fray in their own party's primaries. As a result, many have accused him of putting his thumb on the scale in your favor. How do your respond to these criticisms?

Governor Bullock:

Your main personal critique of President Pence's tax bill has been the more paltry cut offered to the working class. Would you support it if the President increased the cut for the poor?

Governor Cooper:

As Governor of a key swing state, you have a unique insight into the eyes of critical general election voters. What do you believe North Carolinians think of the President's proposed tax cuts?

Senator Gillibrand:

You said in your announcement speech that the President and other Republicans have made this country "a laughing stock." In what ways do you believe they've done this?

Senator Harris:

You have been described as "the next Obama," despite the fact that the original Obama appears to be supporting Senator Booker. Why do you believe the media often casts you in that light, anyway?

Senator Klobuchar:

You were one of the first candidates to sign on to the "No PAC Pledge." Do you believe this could put you at a sharp disadvantage against independently wealthy candidates like Mr. Steyer?

Senator Merkley:

You were the only Senator to support Bernie Sanders in 2016, and now, so far, he has been one of your campaign's strongest allies. What other factors do you believe contributed to your early securing of his endorsement?

Congressman Moulton:

You've been one of the staunchest critics of President Pence's tax cuts in the House. Do you believe your voice may resonate more with House Democrats than those of the other candidates in this race?

Mr. Steyer:

Some members of the "Blue Dog Coalition" have claimed you've threatened them with supporting primary challengers if they vote to support the President's tax cuts. Is there any truth to these statements, and, if so, what about this bill concerns you so that you would attack members of your own party for voting for it?

Mr. Yang:

Your hallmark proposal has been a $1000 a month universal basic income. At $12000 a year per adult American citizen, this would cost more than $2.5 trillion. How do you intend to pay for such a program?

Mr. Jones:

You have attacked what you have called the "globalist social media companies" for attempting to "censor" you because of your views. What with the recent talk on the left of such a proposal, do you believe we should break up big tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Twitter?

Senator Paul:

You cited a lack of spending cuts in your explanation of your "no" vote on the President's tax cuts. As a libertarian, how would you run tax policy in your administration?

President Pence:

No President in recent history has faced a significant primary challenge and gone on to win the general election. How do you intend to buck this trend if you are the nominee?

Senator Portman:

You stated that you would support fiscal responsibility no matter what in one of your campaign speeches, and cited this as to why you rejected the President's tax cuts. Would you, then, raise taxes in order to cut the national deficit?

Mr. Shapiro:

As a 35-year-old (37 on Inauguration Day) political commentator, many believe you are too inexperienced to be President of the United States. How do you respond to these criticisms?

Ambassador Trump:

Many of the President's supporters have complained that your presidential run "reeks of nepotism." How do you respond to these accusations?

All answers are due by the end of the day Jan. 31st, CST (1:00 AM Feb. 1 EST, 6:00 AM Feb. 1 UTC).

[KaiserDave]

EDIT: Oops, missed the general ones.

Tom Steyer Responses

Personal and Question 1


Well it's unfortunate that despite the claims we'd get to discuss policy and leadership, we're instead pursuing rumors. Look, I'm leading the fight against this disastrous tax "reform". I've been on the ground in the protests, and our campaign is rolling out bold, progressive reforms to our tax system to end the robbery of working and middle class people and to end the blatant corruption that favors the big corporations and wealthy elite. But this bill, this bill has got to be stopped. The bill is a fiscal disaster, Republicans and Democrats all agree it will balloon the deficit that's already massive, and the fact that makes the same cuts for people like me and the poorest Americans is morally bankrupt. I should not receive a tax break. This proposal is viewed by people in both parties as a catastrophe, that's because it is and we will kill this bill. I'm going to do everything in my power to kill it, and if Republicans or Democrats are afraid the popular movement that we're creating, that's too bad. It's time they listen to their constituents and not the lobbyists in Washington. That's what my campaign is about.

2
We have a crisis of un-insurance, it's not an exaggeration when we say that people are dying are the streets. People can't pay for the drugs they depend on, they're taking desperate measures, they're going up to Canada just to stay alive. We cannot go back to the past, like President Pence would take us and what President Trump tried to do. The past was worse than the present, which is hard to imagine. Obamacare took us further, it expanded access for millions-but not enough. We need Universal Healthcare, so let's finish the job. I support a public option that offers comprehensive, affordable care for every American. We're gonna slash premiums and co-pays to pieces, and end this crisis unfolding on our streets.

3
I 100% agree, we have a Climate Crisis, and human activity is causing it. This is not an opinion, this is a scientific fact. We must act quickly and decisively. One day one of my presidency I'll declare a National Emergency on Climate Change. I want to achieve 100% clean electricity by 2040 and invest over a trillion dollars in infrastructure modernization to bring America into the future and declare war on unemployment. At the same time we will take measures to provide clean air and water, honor the contributions and sacrifice of workers in fossil fuel industries and not leave them behind like fossil fuel executives have, and prioritize justice for communities that have been treated as environmental dumping grounds for far too long. We will put people and communities before polluting corporations through a truly inclusive planning process. We will make sure Americans have all the necessary resources to support stronger, more resilient communities.

[McGovernite]

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/10/politics/kirsten-gillibrand-town-hall-takeaways/index.html

General & Personal Questions

1.

I was proud to be the first candidate to call out the President on this Tax Plan. He told me to read the bill, well, Mr. President I did read the bill. I know what you're doing, Mr. President. You are trying to cut taxes for your friends in the Cayman's instead of the hardworking mothers and fathers across the country. It's shameful. I will never vote in favor of this tax legislation, as it stands. The President needs to meet with Senate and House Democrats and negotiate this Tax Bill. You cannot pass this by yourself, Mr. President, you need the Democratic Party to agree on this bill.

2.

I have always stood for a Medicare for All Healthcare System. Even though I support Medicare for All, I do not support the abolition of Private Insurance. I believe that every American should have the access to Quality, Affordable, Healthcare, but if you want to keep the insurance that your employer provides, you should be able to do that. I am for Liberty, and Freedom, and that includes our Healthcare System. I met a little girl in Des Moines, Iowa a couple days ago. Her mom had just lost her job, which meant that little girl didn't have Health Insurance. That little girl had got sick and needed medicine critically. When they went to the pharmacy, guess how much that medicine cost? $800. $800 for medicine, because they didn't have Health Insurance. Are you kidding me? This is absolutely disgraceful. There has to be major change in this country. I am willing to say on Day One, we will pass Universal, Medicare for All, and finally establish a Fair Healthcare System in this country

3.

I am proud to be endorsed by one of the authors of the Green New Deal. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed my campaign, and has joined me in Iowa for multiple campaign events. Listen, we've got to do something. Ecosystems are being destroyed, animals killed, families damaged, and so much more. Just think about the people living in the Amazon, or the families living in Australia right now. Their home is on fire. The only way of life that they remember, and know, is burning. Yet, our citizens look to the President, and what does he do? Nothing. He continues to allow our ecosystem to be destroyed, and our world continues to burn. Our home is on fire, and we have to change it. On Day One, I will declare Climate Change a National Emergency, and immediately meet with members of Congress to develop comprehensive, and effective Climate Plans. I will always fight for our environment, and will advance our agenda of putting Climate First.

Personal Question

Well, Wolf, they've made our Government look life a laughing stock. President Pence has done nothing except demean our people, destroy our environment, sell out our workers, and completely destroy the image of our country. We've always been known as a strong nation, but under this Administration, we aren't seeing that. I cannot believe that he is sitting there, day by day, and just watching this. In the Senate, I've presented bills and motions throughout my careers to actually do something. Advance our Gun Safety Laws, Protect our Environment, Raise the Minimum Wage, Protect Workers' Rights, and so much more. I have always fought for this country, and the things that our Founding Fathers stood for. As President, I'll restore dignity to our country, and get things done. I know the Republicans and President Pence are scared of me, because they know that I can get things done, and that I will fight for the American People, something they haven't been doing for year.

[VirginiaAaron]

ABRAMS TOWN HALL ANSWERS


Credit to the Wikimedia Commons for the photo above

1) Many of you have very strong views on the President's tax cuts, which recently passed the Senate 53-47, with six of you even voting on it (all against). Would each of you care to once again clarify your position on the issue, and would the Senators explain the reasoning behind their votes?
As per usual, Republicans are buddying up with their millionaire and billionaire pals. This is essentially rubbing salt into the wound of Americans that are living paycheck-to-paycheck. Back when I was the Georgia House Minority Leader, I did the response to the State of the Union. I said to the American people, many of who were just meeting me for the first time, “The Republican tax bill rigged the system against working people, rather than bringing back jobs, plants are closing, layoffs are looming, and wages struggle to keep pace with the actual cost of living.” I stand by that, and every day as I travel through Iowa, South Carolina, Nevada, and a whole bunch of other states, I see the effects of the 2017 tax bill. I talk to the people affected by that and the trade war, and they’re not happy. I hope that the House will come to their senses and reject this bill. I also have a message for a few of the moderate Republicans that decided to stay with their party on this issue: Look, we are a democracy. I guarantee that the vast majority of your constituents don’t want this bill to become law. What they do want is tax cuts for the middle and lower classes. Too many innocent Americans are living paycheck-to-paycheck. I disagree with some of my fellow candidates that are calling for a wealth tax. It’s a good idea, in theory. Every country that’s established a wealth tax ends up scrapping it because it doesn’t work. I would instead equal the playing field by increasing taxes on the wealthiest, as well as squashing loopholes to make sure no one is sitting on the sidelines being run over by the rich and powerful.

2) Healthcare is the #1 issue Americans are concerned about this election cycle. How would each of you format healthcare under your administration?
Healthcare is an extremely important issue. It’s personal to me, it’s personal to the American people. My nephew, Michael, we call him Mikey, has a pre-existing condition. When he was 3 years old, he tested positive for diabetes. Unfortunately, he could not get the healthcare he desperately needed. When President Obama signed the Affordable Care Act in 2010, it was a blessing to my sister, to Mikey, and all of our family. But since then, President Trump and now, President Pence have been putting bills up and lawsuits to call the ACA “unconstitutional.” It breaks my heart to see how far people will go to take healthcare away from people. When I am elected President, the first thing I will do is to ask Congress to pass a revised version of Obamacare that keeps all of the good stuff that we all love: slowing the rise of healthcare costs, protecting pre-existing conditions, letting children stay on their parents’ plan. And we get rid of the bad stuff: taxing people who don’t get covered by the ACA, people not being able to keep their doctor, the individual mandate, etc. We’re gonna establish a public option. You can have your private health insurance if you want. If not, have some free government healthcare. The goal here is to make the government healthcare be so good that no one will want private insurance. But, we are America. We’re a country vested in choices and the freedom of choice.

3) Climatologists now say we have little more than a decade to roll back our global greenhouse gas input before disastrous irreversibility strikes. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, how would you move to lessen this nation's carbon footprint? If not, why do you believe it not to be the case?
First of all, I just want to preface with the fact that one of my least favorite things is when politicians think they know more than the experts. So, I believe the scientists, the experts, are correct. I believe their assessment. It started in 2006 when Al Gore warned us that if we don’t change the way we are, then we will get to a point of no return and that we will suffer the consequences. A few of us listened, most of us ignored him. Now we’re starting to see the consequences. Hurricanes Florence, Harvey, Irma, Maria, the melting of the polar ice caps, longer heatwaves, our devastating wildfires, diseases spreading easily. One of the reasons we have such a big carbon footprint is the stranglehold that big businesses have on our government. We’ve got to educate the public because the way that we reduce our carbon footprint is by doing this one person at a time. If you live in a big city, maybe don’t drive your car every day, go to work or school by bus, by train, by bike, walk there, find some other way that’s better for the environment. Another way, if you’ve got the money, is to buy hybrid or electric cars. There’s a variety of solutions to this big problem. There’s an article in the New York Times from Livia Albeck-Ripka, about how we all can one-by-one reduce our carbon footprint. When I am president I will announce a state of emergency for the climate crisis and have bi-weekly public meetings with the Secretary of Energy and other leaders to discuss what we can do to combat the climate crisis.

Personal Question) You have proposed closing down all nuclear power plants within the United States. However, many scientists now believe that the use of thorium as an alternative fuel to uranium would remove or significantly reduce nearly all the risks associated with nuclear power. Would you support this solution instead of shutting down all our nuclear plants?

The audience members here will be shocked to hear the politician say these words “I was wrong.” Crazy, right? That platform was really to show a brief look at my views and what I want to do as President. As I said with the last question, I’ll have bi-weekly meetings with the Secretary of Energy and other leaders in the fight against the climate crisis to discuss energy policy and where to go next. By the way, I’ll also give Greta Thunberg the Medal of Freedom.

[Grassroots]

(Ideastream)

Rob Portman Forum Answers

Many of you have very strong views on the President's tax cuts, which recently passed the Senate 53-47, with six of you even voting on it (all against). Would each of you care to once again clarify your position on the issue, and would the Senators explain the reasoning behind their votes?

There's no debate in that tax breaks are inherently good for our economy and society, particularly for average people. But what most people don't realize is that hard tax cuts like these put us at a substantial risk of going what I call, budget AWOL. The Obama administration put us in massive debt by incessantly spending every penny. The Trump administration didn't do that, but instead they spent every penny towards tax breaks. The similarity is that neither administration has cut even a bit of spending. Due to these tax cuts, and the tax cuts from 2017, the current administration has been adding to the debt at a higher rate than Obama's did. That's just despicable, and that's why I voted no on the bill.

Healthcare is the #1 issue Americans are concerned about this election cycle. How would each of you format healthcare under your administration?

It's obvious that Obamacare has to go. In contrary to what Miss Abrams said, yes, it is massively unconstitutional. It's been far too long. I don't really believe that the government should have as much control over the healthcare system. It's too expensive and by privatizing it we could actually employ more people in the process and stimulate the economy. The benefits outweigh the cons two to nothing, so I see no reason not to privatize some of our healthcare industry. Competition will keep the prices lower than the government can by itself. I'm not saying we should completely gut the HHS, but at least privatize some of it. It's going to save us time and money going forward that we can spend towards getting rid of our debt.

Climatologists now say we have little more than a decade to roll back our global greenhouse gas input before disastrous irreversibility strikes. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, how would you move to lessen this nation's carbon footprint? If not, why do you believe it not to be the case?

The best way to solve the problem is through the free market. We need to encourage a healthy economy in general so that green energy and technology can get the investment they need to grow. By creating an economy that is friendly to green tech, we can push it even further than government funding can. I strongly believe against tearing down Nuclear, which is an extremely useful and convenient source of energy that we as a nation are lucky to have, and we would be idiots not to use it for the peaceful purposes it provides. I also don't believe in tearing down existing coal and oil plants. If we are to achieve energy independence, we are going to need all that we can get, that includes both fossil fuels and green energy.

You stated that you would support fiscal responsibility no matter what in one of your campaign speeches, and cited this as to why you rejected the President's tax cuts. Would you, then, raise taxes in order to cut the national deficit?

Not at all. It's all in our spending. All we need to do is crack down on waste and fraud, there's a ton of bad stuff going on there that has been caused by decades of inefficient, partisan bureaucracy. There's plenty of useless spending examples that we could throw out that could get us to where we want our debt situation and budget to be. No tax increases are necessary. The democrats, on the other hand, don't want to have to toughen up and do the dirty work of taking out the spending trash, instead they would rather increase taxes on regular Americans. In reality, they do that and they increase spending at a faster rate than they tax. That's what Obama did, and that's what these people you see here will do. So to answer your question, no, I'm not raising any taxes as president.

[Orwell]

Moulton TOWN HALL ANSWERS


Credit to the Wikimedia Commons for the photo above

Opening Statement

Hello, I'm Seth Moulton. A United States Representative from Massachusetts, a combat veteran from the war on terror, a recipient of the Bronze Star for valor, a graduate from Harvard, and a fan of the Boston Red Sox. If elected, I will be the youngest man elected to the office of the Presidency, and I will be the first combat veteran in over 30 years to be elected. With hard work, unity, and a clear message I believe we will defeat the Republican nominee in November, and we will renew the liberal ideas of our Democratic forefathers when we began this campaign we promised to take on the Washington insiders and billionaires and we're keeping to that same message. In the 2020's we will bring America into a clean, safe, and prosperous future this our decade America we need to step up!

1) Many of you have very strong views on the President's tax cuts, which recently passed the Senate 53-47, with six of you even voting on it (all against). Would each of you care to once again clarify your position on the issue, and would the Senators explain the reasoning behind their votes?
 
I do have a strong view on the President's "tax cuts", I was the first candidate here tonight who came out against them. what President Pence was proposing wasn't a tax cut for the American people, it was a tax cut for the billionaire donors he is beholden to. When this nation was founded there were no major corporations or Super PACs which could rule American politics and policy, so we can't look at the first amendment to decide if these groups millions are free speech, because it's simple. In a 21st century America, corporate speech is not speech, it's Electioneering simple as that. When I am President, we will finally achieve a goal of millions of Americans throughout the years, the passage of a constitutional amendment which overturns Citizens United, and enshrines the voting rights act as apart of our nation's core values.

2) Healthcare is the #1 issue Americans are concerned about this election cycle. How would each of you format healthcare under your administration?

During my time in Iraq, I met a little boy named Mahmoud, this was in a hospital in Baghdad. Mahmoud's family had been the victim of a revenge killing, because of his father's work with the United States military. A young boy no older than 10 or 11 years old watched his entire family get tortured and killed and then he was shot and left for dead, but that isn't the story of a boy who died, it is a story of a boy who lived, because of American doctors from the doctors without borders program. Under my administration, we will expand upon the Affordable Care Act and we will finally achieve what President Obama set out to achieve, every American no matter the income, race, religion, or age will receive the necessary healthcare that won't put them in crippling debt, the right to life is enshrined in the constitution, we need to send a message to the Big Pharma lobbyists in Washington, we won't be bought and we will fight for what's right! 

3) Climatologists now say we have little more than a decade to roll back our global greenhouse gas input before disastrous irreversibility strikes. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, how would you move to lessen this nation's carbon footprint? If not, why do you believe it not to be the case?


Do I agree with the statement? If I disagreed with it, it would be like if I disagreed with gravity, or if the moon was real. Apart of my first term is a massive infrastructure package that will commit $1.3 trillion dollars over the next decade to building clean, renewable, or carbon-neutral infrastructure in the United States. Already the cost of global warming is staggering, imagine a city like Jackson, Mississippi or Kansas City, Kansas being whipped off the face of the earth every year that is what climate change is doing today in 2020 imagine what it will be doing to our children or our children's children. This isn't just a solution for us, this is a solution for our children and our grandchildren. I went to Washington to offer bipartisan solutions, we won't achieve our goal if we don't work hard, and I am willing to commit to expanding green energy through renewable energy and a $10 billion commitment to the development and production of Thorium reactors.

4) You've been one of the staunchest critics of President Pence's tax cuts in the House. Do you believe your voice may resonate more with House Democrats than those of the other candidates in this race?

I've been one of the staunchest critics of the quote on quote tax cuts because they only cut taxes for people like Mr.Steyer and other billionaires. No offense Tom. My voice doesn't just resonate with the House Democrats, and it just isn't my voice. It is the people's voice, we don't need more tax cuts in this time of political instability in Washington, right now what is really needed is a new face of the Democratic party and a new leader for the past generation to pass the torch to. As President, I cannot promise you I will always do the most popular option, but I will always pick the option which is the best for the American people in my eyes. I will work to combat the deficit, I will work to combat the climate crisis, and we will work to turn America away from being the laughing stock President Pence has made it and make it again into the global power it was under President Obama.

rebuttal to Abrams

Mrs.Abrams, you never answered the question. You said, "I was wrong" you didn't say what your plan was for nuclear energy or renewable energy in general. Mrs.Abrams I ask you this if the President of the United States can't even make up their own mind on the issue of nuclear energy how will the President of the United States make up their mind on issues that are much more critical and time sensitive. 

[OBD]

Steve Bullock 2020

Reunite America

Campaign Schedule

May 17 to July 21 - The One Iowa Tour

From mid-May to mid-July, Governor Bullock will embark on an all-Iowa tour, to visit all 99 counties in the state of Iowa and build enthusiasm for his campaign. The tour will last 2 months and will cover over 200 cities and towns in the state, beginning in the Omaha suburb of Council Bluffs and ending in Dubuque, on the Mississippi River. The Bullock team has planned numerous events on the tour, including numerous town halls and meet-and-greets. Bullock intends to actively chronicle the tour on social media, to draw attention to his campaign and increase name-recognition, and will create a blurb on his website that tracks his location across the state. 

May 18: Launch rally in Council Bluffs with Gov. Vilsack and other campaign surrogates (YTBD). Hold town hall in Chautauqua.
May 19: 2-hour campaign stops in Loveland, Avoca, Oakland, and Macedonia. (Pottawattamie County)
May 20: Campaign stops in Emerson, Glenwood, Sidney, and Hamburg. Town hall in Hamburg that night. (Mills and Fremont counties)
May 21: Campaign stops in Shenadoah, Yorktown, Clarinda, Villisca, and Red Oak. (Page and Montgomery counties)
May 22: Campaign stops in Massena, Anita, Atlantic, Audobon, Exira, and Elk Horn. (Cass and Audubon counties)
May 23: Campaign stops in Harlan, Defiance, Dunlap, and Logan. Town hall in Missouri Valley. (Shelby and Harrison counties)
May 24: Campaign stops in Onawa, Whiting, Mapleton, Schleswig, and Denison. (Monona and Crawford counties)
May 25: Campaign stops in Holstein, Ida Grove, and Moville. Rally in Sioux City. (Ida and Woodbury counties)
May 26: Campaign in Sioux City area, town hall in Sergeant Bluff. (Woodbury county)
May 27: Campaign in Merril, Le Mars, Remsen, Cherokee, and Aurelia. (Plymouth and Cherokee counties)
May 28: Campaign in Sutherland, Primghar, Sheldon, Orange City, and Sioux Center. Town hall in Sioux Center. (Sioux and O'Brien counties)
May 29: Campaign in Larchwood, Rock Rapids, Sibley, and Ocheyedan. (Lyon and Osceola counties)
May 30: Campaign in Spirit Lake, Milford, Estherville, and Armstrong. Town hall in Okoboji. (Dickinson and Emmet counties)
May 31: Campaign in Emmetsburg, Ayrshire, Ruthven, Spencer, and Rossie. (Palo Alto and Clay counties)
June 1: Campaign in Sioux Rapids, Storm Lake, Albert City, Power, and Pochahontas (Buena Vista and Pochahontas counties)
June 2: Campaign in Pomeroy, Rockwell City, Lake City, Sac City, and Early. Town hall in Lake View. (Sac and Calhoun counties)
June 3: Campaign in Carroll, Glidden, Scranton, Jefferson, and Grand Junction. (Carroll and Greene counties)
June 4: Campaign in Perry, Dallas Center, Waukee, and Van Meter. Town hall in Van Meter (Dallas County)
June 5: Campaign in Bagley, Panora, Casey, Fontanelle, and Orient (Guthrie and Adair counties)
June 6: Campaign in Corning, Stringtown, Gravity, Bedford, and Plattville (Adams and Taylor counties)
June 7: Campaign in Redding, Mount Ayr, Tingley, Creston, and Afton. (Union and Ringgold counties)
June 8: Campaign in Murray, Osceola, Van Wert, Leon, and Davis City. Town hall in Decatur City (Clarke and Decatur counties)
June 9: Campaign in Corydon, Promise City, Millerton, Chariton, Russell, and Lucas. (Lucas and Wayne counties)
June 10: Campaign in Winterset, Patterson, Martensdale, Indianola, and Sandyville. Town hall in Indianola (Madison and Warren counties)
June 11: Campaign in Hartford, Norwalk, Avon Lake, and West Des Moines. (Polk county)
June 12: Campaign in Grimes, Polk City, Windsor Heights, Ankeny, Altoona, and Pleasant Hill.
June 13: Rally in Des Moines with Governor Vilsack and campaign surrogates. Rest.
June 14: Campaign in Collins, Zearing, Gilbert, and Ames area. Town hall in Ames. (Story county)
June 15: Campaign in Madrid, Boone, Ogden, Harcourt, and Fort Dodge. Town hall in Fort Dodge (Boone and Webster counties).
June 16: Campaign in Badger, Humboldt, Livermore, Algona, Bancroft, and Lakota. (Humboldt and Kossuth counties)
June 17: Campaign in Thompson, Lake Mills, Forest City, Britt, Garner, and Goodell (Winnebago and Hancock counties)
June 18: Campaign in Belmond, Clarion, Goldfield, Webster City, Blairsburg, and Jewell. (Wright and Hamilton counties).
June 19: Campaign in Iowa Falls, Eldora, Union, Conrad, Grundy Center, and Dike (Hardin and Grundy counties)
June 20: Campaign in Parkersburg, Allison, Greene, Sheffield, and Hampton. Town hall in Latimer. (Butler and Franklin counties).
June 21: Campaign in Thornton, Rockwell, Emery, Freeman, and Mason City. Town hall in Mason City (Cerro Gordo county).
June 22: Campaign in Hanlontown, Manly, Northwood, St Ansgar, Osage, and New Haven (Worth and Mitchell counties)
June 23: Campaign in Rudd, Charles City, Nashua, Fredricksburg, and New Hampton (Chickasaw and Floyd counties).
June 24: Campaign in Saratoga, Vernon Springs, Bluffton, Decorah, Jackson Junction, and Castalia (Howard and Winneshiek counties).
June 25: Campaign in Waukon and Church. Donor event on Mississippi River boat. Campaign in McGregor and Elkader. (Allamakee and Clayton counties).
June 26: Campaign in West Union, Fayette, Olelwein, Tripoli, and Waverly. (Fayette and Bremer counties).
June 27: Campaign in Cedar Falls, Hudson, and Evansdale. Canvass and Town Hall in Waterloo. (Black Hawk county)
June 28: Campaign in Traer, Toledo, Marshalltown, and Rhodes. Town Hall in Marshalltown (Tama and Marshall counties).
June 29: Campaign in Colfax, Newton, Kellogg, Monroe, Grinnell, and Deep River. Rally in Grinnell. (Jasper and Poweshiek counties)
June 30: Campaign in New Sharon, Oskaloosa, Keomah Village, Pella, and Knoxville (Marion and Mahaska counties).
July 1: Campaign in Lovilla, Albia, Moravia, Centerville, Cincinatti, and Moulton (Monroe and Appanoose counties)
July 2: Campaign in West Grove, Bloomfield, Munterville, Agency, and Ottumwa. Town hall in Ottumwa (Wapello and Davis counties)
July 3: Campaign in Maharishi Vedic City, Fairfield, Birmingham, Keosauqua, and Mt. Sterling. Drive into Iowa City.
July 4: Celebratory July 4th rally-picnic in Iowa City, with Eastern Iowa Veterans.
July 5: Campaign in Hedrick, Sigourney, South English, Williamsburg, Marengo, and South/Middle Amana (Keokuk and Iowa counties).
July 6: Campaign in Luzerne, Van Horne, Vinton, Brandon, Independence, and Hazelton (Benton and Buchanan counties).
July 7: Campaign in Manchester, Delaware, Hopkinton, Central City, Mt Vernon, and Fairfax   (Delaware and Linn counties)
July 8: Rally and campaigning in Cedar Rapids area (Linn county)
July 9: Town hall and additional campaigning in Cedar Rapids
July 10: Campaign in Swisher, Solon, and North Liberty. Town hall in Iowa City. (Johnson county)
July 11: Campaign in Iowa City area.
July 12: Campaign in Kalona, Washington, Crawfordsville, Swedesburg, Mt Pleasant, and New London (Washington and Henry counties)
July 13: Campaign in Houghton, Donnelson, Keokuk, Montrose, Fort Madison, and Wever. Hold town hall in Fort Madison (Lee county).
July 14: Campaign in Middletown, Mediapolis, Burlington, Wapello, Grandview, and Columbus Junction (Des Moines and Louisa counties)
July 15: Campaign in Conesville, Moscow, Fruitland, and Muscatine. Town hall in Muscatine. (Muscatine county)
July 16: Campaign in Muscatine, rally and town hall in Davenport. (Scott county)
July 17: Campaign in Davenport and suburbs. (Scott county)
July 18: Campaign in Lime City, Stanwood, Wheatland, DeWitt, Camanche, and Clinton. Town hall in Clinton. (Cedar and Clinton counties)
July 19: Campaign in Green Island, Preston, Maquoketa, Wyoming, Anamosa, and Monticello. (Jackson and Jones counties)
July 20: Campaign in Dyersville, Holy Cross, Peosta, Asbury, and east Dubuque. (Dubuque county)
July 21: Campaign in Dubuque. Town hall in Sageville.
July 22: Closing rally in Dubuque with Gov. Vilsack and other surrogates.

[raymundoflx]

SENATOR KLOBUCHAR TOWN HALL RESPONSES

1) Many of you have very strong views on the President's tax cuts, which recently passed the Senate 53-47, with six of you even voting on it (all against). Would each of you care to once again clarify your position on the issue, and would the Senators explain the reasoning behind their votes?

Look, I think it’s unfortunate that these tax cuts passed the Senate. As one of the Senators that opposed it, it’s deeply disturbing to see the President portrays these tax cuts as relief for everyday Americans when in reality they leave the very poorest, those who need it the most, without a platform of support. While I do think there are some adequate intents of the bill, it ultimately doesn’t aid those who need it the most which would be one of the main priorities of a Klobuchar administration, pushing for a tax code that is fair and effective. We must also acknowledge that these tax cuts lower the corporate tax rate when instead we need to do the opposite, we need to ensure that companies are paying their share.

2) Healthcare is the #1 issue Americans are concerned about this election cycle. How would each of you format healthcare under your administration?

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting someone who is here again with me today,  Nicole Smith-Holt. Nicole’s son Alec, a 26-year-old restaurant manager from the southern suburbs, aged off his parents’ health insurance. Three days short of his payday, Alec, a diabetic, wasn’t able to afford his insulin. He tried rationing it to save money. Tragically it didn’t work. He died. This disgrace should never have happened in the United States of America. Not with a simple drug that’s been around for nearly a century. The obstacle to change? The big pharma companies think they own Washington. Well they don’t own me. And they don’t own Nicole. As the lead Democrat on many bi-partisan bills in the United States, I am proud to team with members such as Sen. Grassley of Iowa to end cruel methods that put profit over people such as pay-for-delay which allows big pharma to pay off generic companies to keep their products off the market. Under a Klobuchar administration we’re going to pass meaningful legislation to bring in competitive safe drugs from other countries. We’re going to harness the negotiating power of 43 million seniors, that’s a lot of negotiating power, and lift the ban on negotiating cheaper drug prices under Medicare. And we’re going to add a public option, it’s time that Americans have access to comprehensive and affordable quality healthcare. I can get it done

3) Climatologists now say we have little more than a decade to roll back our global greenhouse gas input before disastrous irreversibility strikes. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, how would you move to lessen this nation's carbon footprint? If not, why do you believe it not to be the case?

The climate crisis isn’t happening in 100 years — it’s happening now. 2018 was the fourth-hottest year on record globally and it was another near-record year for U.S. weather and climate disasters. The dire warnings in the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the National Climate Assessment make clear that immediate action is needed. That is why I am deeply committed to tackling the climate crisis and believe that it is an urgent priority for our communities, for our economy and for our planet. I’m proud to be a co-sponsor of the Green New Deal and to have signed the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. On day one of a Klobuchar administration, we  will get back into the International Climate Change Agreement. On day two and day three, we will bring back and strengthen clean power rules and gas mileage standards that the Obama Administration put into place.  And we will put forward sweeping legislation that provides a landmark investment in clean-energy jobs and infrastructure, provides incentives for tougher building codes, promotes rural renewable energy and development, supports a landmark carbon pricing system that does not have a regressive impact on Americans, promotes “buy clean” policies, and puts our country on a path to achieving 100% net-zero emissions no later than 2050.

PERSONAL QUESTION) You were one of the first candidates to sign on to the "No PAC Pledge." Do you believe this could put you at a sharp disadvantage against independently wealthy candidates like Mr. Steyer?

Look, I have great respect for Mr. Steyer, he’s dedicated much of his financial success to raise awareness for important matters such as climate change and helping Democrats get elected throughout the country so credit where credit is due. However, many of my colleagues did not choose the same path as Mr. Steyer did, we chose one of public service and while we don’t have the financial resources as Mr. Steyer does we will do whatever possible to ensure that whoever the nominee is, they represent an agenda of tackling issues fiercely rather than serving corporations and lobbyists. I’m confident that my campaign will able to successfully permeate our message throughout the country even without investing my own wealth into national advertisements and such but rather building a grassroots campaign that is truly of, by, and for the people and not self or corporate financed.

[OBD]

Steve Bullock Town Hall Answers



Source: Creative Commons Author: Gage Skidmore

Many of you have very strong views on the President's tax cuts, which recently passed the Senate 53-47, with six of you even voting on it (all against). Would each of you care to once again clarify your position on the issue, and would the Senators explain the reasoning behind their votes?

While I believe my position on the Pence tax cuts is clear, I will reiterate again here. One of the main goals of my campaign is to advocate for the downtrodden - the Americans left behind and forgotten by our supposed representatives in Washington - and I believe the best way to do this is to oppose this irresponsible tax cut. There are many problems with this bill - most importantly, the fact that it callously denies the poor any tax relief. If we were to cut taxes - and I'm not saying that's a sound, fiscally responsible, idea - the poor are the ones who need tax cuts the most, and the Pence plan shaves only 3% of their payments - the same cuts the rich are getting! There is clearly a huge philosophical problem here. Additionally, the language of the bill is certainly vague and filled with loopholes - what are the incomes that define the middle class? Can the Americans close to these income lines - especially the rich - commit fraud to reap a massive tax cut, while others, including the government, could make much better use of that money? And these tax cuts, while a huge boon for the middle class (whatever that is), will necessitate cuts in critical government programs to prevent the debt from ballooning even further. Under President Pence's current plan, programs like Obamacare that provide for some of the most vulnerable Americans, will see cuts - adding insult to injury for the people that our government should be helping the most. And, the plan doesn't specify where other cuts - which, I remind you, are made necessary by our leaner budget - will fall. They could hurt our infrastructure programs, leaving our interstates, rails, and travel facilities worse for the wear. They could hurt our beautiful national parks and forests, as the EPA is further whittled down by representatives who believe in profits, not conservation. They could hurt other welfare programs, a cut that would cause serious grief among the working class. As a governor of a rural, working-class state, the benefits for my constituents are paltry at best, and the side effects will hurt everything from the Billings residents on Medicare to the trees and tourists in Glacier National Park. So, I cannot support it.

Healthcare is the #1 issue Americans are concerned about this election cycle. How would each of you format healthcare under your administration?

As President, I'll advocate for improved healthcare for blue-collar American, while keeping in mind fiscal considerations and other government programs and initiatives that deserve our attention- something that, sadly, some of my fellow Democrats probably won't do. Obamacare was a major step for healthcare in this country, and the expansion of Medicare in most states has been a huge boon for Americans living on the margins. However, there are still some bumps in Obamacare that need to be hammered out, and in some states, expanded Medicare has been made unavailable by politicians eating out of the hands of corporate bigwigs and Big Pharma. If I am elected, I will immediately advocate for a national Medicare-for-all-who-want-it program. This program combines the universal healthcare promise of Medicare-for-all with the freedom of choice that our current private healthcare system provides. Under Medicare-for-all-who-want-it, all Americans will get to choose between a quality Medicare plan and their (possibly current) private healthcare package provided by their employer. I would also advocate for continued improvements in Medicare quality, basic standards for private providers, as well as sensible restrictions on drug prices to keep Big Pharma in line, to bring American healthcare to its rightful place at the forefront of the world. To pay for these ambitious plans, I would back a modest tax increase for the rich and corporations, as well as a transfer in budgets from the foolish border wall to this program that TRULY benefits all Americans - especially the most vulnerable ones.

Climatologists now say we have little more than a decade to roll back our global greenhouse gas input before disastrous irreversibility strikes. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, how would you move to lessen this nation's carbon footprint? If not, why do you believe it not to be the case?

I'll readily admit that I'm no scientist, and the other candidates here on stage with me today aren't either. So, why shouldn't we all trust the overwhelming opinion of ACTUAL scientists, who say that climate change is a present and dangerous phenomenon? While the implications are horrifying and the timeline is stunningly quick, I'm prepared to take climatologists at their word, and as President, I will help lead a global push to curb greenhouse gas emissions and save our planet. As President, one of my first acts will be to create a Presidential Climate Change Commission, consisting of climatologists, scholars, and willing members of Congress - maybe people like Al Gore would be interested in this initiative. This commission will investigate the climate issue and present a report to Congress on the severity of the situation and possible remedies by late 2021. I will also re-enter the Paris Climate agreement, and pressure all nations, both friends and rivals, on the international stage to recommit to reducing emissions. A remedy that I believe particularly effective is using the government to advance renewable energy. Our oil supplies are fast running out, and our society will, currently, be destitute without it - a terrifying possibility not frequently mentioned. Renewable energy is a perfect, flexible solution. As President, I will advocate for renewable energy grants to individual states, who can decide how to spend it. States like Montana and North Dakota can use this grant to build wind turbines, to harness the powerful winds of the Great Plains to light up the farmlands free of carbon output. States like New Mexico can invest in solar power, and turn the burning desert sun into a robust power source. And, geographically diverse states like California, Texas, and Florida can use the funds to support anything from tidal power, to hydroelectric power, to geothermal power - any and all investment is a boon for both the earth and human civilization. The grants can also be given to companies in the form of tax credits - the free market is remarkable at advancing the frontiers of technology, as seen at Tesla in recent years. As a last resort, if the report from the Presidential Commission is especially dark, I might consider a carbon tax, which would help lower emissions from polluting companies and provide more tax money to spend - on anything from energy to education. Lastly, as a preventative measure, my administration will encourage states to take preventative measures, and low-lying, vulnerable states like Florida and Louisiana can apply for grants to improve levee systems, evacuation systems, and information systems, to keep the wild waves out for as long as possible.

Your main personal critique of President Pence's tax bill has been the more paltry cut offered to the working class. Would you support it if the President increased the cut for the poor?

*laughs* That's an intriguing question, Wolf, but it still doesn't affect the big picture much. I'm not disputing that a cut to the poor would be both a solid policy decision and an addition that would make the bill much more palatable, but the problems that I addressed earlier would still be there. The rich would still be getting off easy, and the budget - for which I would pursue ambitious programs to benefit the poor as President - will make further government programs impossible. In fact, it will probably require even more program cuts, given that the rich's tax bills are still getting cut as well. For Pence to win my support for this tax bill, he would need to show that the rich and Big Business aren't getting off easy, that the poor are getting a fair cut, and that valuable programs like Obamacare aren't facing potentially devastating shrinkage. Even then, simultaneously supporting a tax cut and advocating for more beneficial government programs is an impossible position to take, so I would still be reluctant to back it. I'll take this time to advocate another way to improve the lives of the working class - ending this foolish trade war with China. It's clear that communities in Montana, Iowa, Michigan, and other blue-collar states are being deeply wounded by these ridiculous tariffs, and coming to a mutually beneficial free trade agreement will be a big step in bringing prosperity back to these marginalized Americans.

Again, I'd like to thank CNN for inviting me here to share my views, and I wish everyone well on the campaign trail.

[raymundoflx]

BIDEN ALLEGEDLY ASSISTING KLOBUCHAR CAMPAIGN

Various officials close to Former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. have claimed of various talks amongst Senator Amy Klobuchar and the Former Senator from Delaware. The two have reportedly developed an intimate friendship while closely working together whipping votes for many of President Obama’s signature accomplishments. Both Klobuchar and Biden, bear an image of bi-partisanship and pragmatism for both have repeatedly worked with members of the Republican Party to pass meaningful legislation. It is rumored that Biden plans to endorse and campaign for Senator Klobuchar throughout Iowa. Biden denied a run in 2016 after his son, Beau Biden, tragically died from brain cancer.

[RGM2609]

Mike Pence's town hall answers

1. Look, I think my position here is obvious. I was the one to write this plan and I want to get it passed because it will help middle class families all across America. However, in coordination with my Administration's fiscal experts, we have decided to remove the 3% rich tax cut from there. It was more of a symbolical policy, since 3% of the previous taxes is not that much to be perfectly honest with you, to signal my commitment to cut taxes for every American, however many people got upset with it, and I get it. I get it. The tax cuts of 2017 did enough for the wealthy, now our focus should be on the lower and middle class. As such, the money that were going to be used as tax breaks for the rich will be used to raise the tax breaks for the lower class instead, raising their cut to about 10%. I will also take swift action after this tax plan passes to wipe the tax code out of special interest provisions that Wall Street put in there for themselves, and we are taking the first step by abolishing the carried interest provision. Given this modification, I think there's no question about who this bill is designed to help: the lower and middle class of America. I urge the House Democrats to pass this badly needed bill and put more money in the pockets of America people, and especially I tell to the Blue Dogs threatened by the billionaire fighting against lower and middle class tax cuts, to stay brave and do the right thing, because your constituents will be greatly helped by this bill despite everything the socialist Democrats claimed.

2. First of all, let me say this. If Obamacare was the success the Democrats claim it was, we wouldn't be discussing health reform right now, because we wouldn't need it. It was a failure by all measures: people are still left uninsured, premiums are high and raising, deductibles are high and rising, co-payments are high and raising. The failure of Obamacare shows me that more government intervention in the heath care system is not the solution. However, I will absolutely not, under any circumstances, put our Medicare and Medicaid in danger. I will put them in a "lockbox" like Al Gore famously said. No one will lose the benefits they are receiving now. It's the right thing to do. And we'll fix the health care system after the disaster of the last years. First of all, a reform that I think is badly needed is allowing health insurance companies to sell across state lines. The biggest problem for the health system right now is the lack of competition, few insurers cover a lot of people and they don't face real competition, as such they can sell with as high premiums as they want. With this, we're going to give them real competition, force them to lower their premiums. We'll also allow individuals to deduct their premiums from taxes, establish full price transparency from health care providers, we'll modify HSA rules to allow everyone to contribute into them more money than they are able to contribute now. We'll also administer Medicaid through block grants, making it more efficient. We'll also lower the prices of prescription drugs by approving an unbelievable number of generic drugs every month as well as fighting the tactics of drug companies that extend the life of patent protection. Priorities for me are also the reform of VA healthcare, with more funding, better servicies and all veterans eligible, and the expansion of mental health programs, including those to fight opioid addiction. This are common sense proposals that will make the health care system better and I trust Democrats and Republicans to help me get them done.

3. Look, this issue has gotten a bit of a rhetorical exaggeration from both sides. There is no question that the EPA massively failed to protect the environment. They passed a lot of regulations which wrecked the economy while pollution was raising through the roof. We can't go with the same old approach when it comes to do this issue. We need to be smart about this, protect the environment while not allowing this to wreck the economy and destroy lives by over-regulating or enact radical proposals to destroy entire industry sectors, and we will develop a plan to do that.

4. Look, if the 2016 election taught us anything, is that conventional wisdom on election is long overdue and the only pundits are the American people when they get to the polls. For me, I've got no doubts that they are going to vote in their best interest, ignoring the pundits and pollsters, and give me the high honor of serving them for another 4 years.

[RGM2609]

Mike Pence @presidentpence

In response to criticism we have received from many common people about the symbolical tax cut for wealthy people, the Administration removed it from the bill and the money saved this way will be used to pay for additional lower class tax breaks. Now, the tax bill is purely for lower and middle class voters. Let's pass tax relief and simplification for the common American people, despite the threats coming from billionaires opposed to it!

[RGM2609]

Pence campaign to go in the Blue Dogs constituencies ahead of crucial House vote

Mike Pence's presidential campaign has sent thousands of volunteers from nearby states in the constituencies represented by Blue Dogs and moderate Democrats. There, they will knock on doors of middle class families and to some extent of lower class families and offer to calculate their taxes under the Pence tax plan. Usually, their taxes were much lower than what they were paying at that moment. (for the lower class families not so much, but the child tax credit balanced things out) Afterwards, the volunteers told the families that this can become reality if their House representative voted for it, and they need to call their representative and tell him to vote to make their lives better. Obviously, some were more convinced then others.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Rand Paul Commander-in-Chief Forum Answers

"I will gladly answer the questions presented for me, but for a second, I'd just want to say one thing : I'm glad almost every Candidate has agreed to participate in these forums. Instead of waiting for the General Election for four endless debates, we can discuss the issues right here, right now, in front of everyone and the people can decide from there. Now, with that out of the way, I think I have some questions to answer."

1) Many of you have very strong views on the President's tax cuts, which recently passed the Senate 53-47, with six of you even voting on it (all against). Would each of you care to once again clarify your position on the issue, and would the Senators explain the reasoning behind their votes?

"Well, I've said it time and again that we need to be fiscally responsible with our budget. I am indeed all in favor for tax cuts as they give fuel for our economy and gives an incentive for the citizens to spend more, increasing cash flow. However, this bill would add hundreds of millions if not a billion or so, dollars into our National Deficit. That is something we can't afford when we're so close to a trillion dollars in a deficit as such a thing will quickly bankrupt our country. I voted against this bill because the President didn't offer any Government spending cuts to offset the costs of the tax cuts. He didn't even attempt to get the programs I suggested to be eliminated from the budget despite them being unnecessary. Had the president just attempted to get these programs cut from the budget, even if it wouldn't have succeeded, I would've eagerly voted for the bill.

Because he didn't, however, I could not, in good faith, vote for a fiscally irresponsible bill."

2) Healthcare is the #1 issue Americans are concerned about this election cycle. How would each of you format healthcare under your administration?

"First, I would get rid of Federal Healthcare entirely. Everything, when touched by the government, becomes corrupt and overly expensive due to unnecessary bureaucracy in Washington messing it up. I believe if we allow the free market to decide Healthcare, everyone will pick the best options available for them. Some of the best things that ever existed came of the free market and competition because of it. Several car companies have become successful because their opponents were selling cheaper and better products, forcing them to innovate much better and cheaper cars themselves. The same can be said for Healthcare. I already said in April of 2015 that Healthcare was over-regulated before Obamacare and it still is today. As President, I would cut out as many unnecessary regulations as possible and allow several companies to start up locally and compete with one another to make affordable and successful healthcare. My opponents, mainly the Democratic ones that are here tonight, will say that this will lead to corruption and will lead to the low and middle classes being cut out, as is always their excuse. I ask them this : Was Obamacare so much better when the premiums went up 300% in some places? There is no way any low or middle class citizen can afford such a cost and yet, the people were forced to get it.

Healthcare should be a choice and people should be free to choose the coverage they'd like best, not be forced into a coverage they didn't ask for."

3) Climatologists now say we have little more than a decade to roll back our global greenhouse gas input before disastrous irreversibility strikes. Do you agree with this assessment? If so, how would you move to lessen this nation's carbon footprint? If not, why do you believe it not to be the case?

"Didn't these same climatologists say this in 2000? Didn't these same climatologists say this in the 90s? Listen, I do believe Climate Change is a serious issue and we should act upon it, but we have to look at the simple facts. All of these so called predictions by these climatologists have been wrong so far and its time we put the fear mongering to an end. As President, I would slowly introduce green energy jobs and renewable energy but not try and force out the coal and oil industries like President Obama tried to do, as that would lead to the loss of millions of jobs. We slowly phase out those jobs and help the workers there still be able to find work even after their job is gone. My opponents seemingly have no plan for this, so I believe it is my time to offer it. If anyone would like to know my plan, they can feel free to ask me on the campaign trail but as for now, I believe I said enough."

You cited a lack of spending cuts in your explanation of your "no" vote on the President's tax cuts. As a libertarian, how would you run tax policy in your administration?

"Thanks for the question. Now, I already explained the full reasoning as to my no vote on the tax bill a few minutes ago and I won't repeat it for everyone's sake. As for how I would run my Administration's tax policy, first I would try and end wasteful government spending. People don't want to admit it, but tax costs add to the National Deficit. We simply can't afford all the costs without bankrupting ourselves. What I'll do is what any fiscally responsible person would do : I would cut the most wasteful and unneeded programs in our government and use the extra cash from those programs being cut to fund the tax cuts and help bring our national deficit to hopefully a national profit once again. I'm not saying it'll happen immediately and it might take a lot of time, but my combination of low tax and sliced spending will help our nation in the long run, more than any of the other so called fiscally responsible people in this race."

[RGM2609]

Mike Pence's campaign ad - "Not with you" airing nation-wide

Narrator: President Pence's attempts at middle class relief and tax simplification were met with full-blown resistance from the DC swamp, Democratic partisans and socialist billionaires. And your Senators, Rob Portman and Rand Paul, were right there with them, voting NAY on the bill to stimulate the economy and make your lives better.

President Pence in speech: The question is simple. Do they back the American people or not?

Narrator: The answer is clear. They're not with you.

President Pence: I am Mike Pence, and I approve this message.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Senator Rand Paul responds to President Pence's tweets

Senator Paul responds to President Pence's 'Not With you' ad[/b]

All credit goes to Prankmenot for the images.

[RGM2609]

Mike Pence @presidentpence

I don't know what lies @RandPaul is referring to! Is it not true that he opposed a tax reform bill that would have helped the economy and the working-middle class of America? Also interesting that only he and Rob Portman are finding this bill fiscally inadequate or whatever. No other GOP officeholder AND 96% of Republicans according to polls find it irresponsible, but support it and love it! Does it have to do with them running for POTUS and not wanting me to succeed?

[No War, but the War on Christmas]

Ivanka Trump Launches First Primary Ad; “America Strong”
To air in all early primary states on local networks and nationally.

I’m Ivanka Trump, and I approve this message.

Narrator: Have you seen the negative attack ads?

-Tweets by Rand Paul, Rob Portman and Mike Pence flash on screen-

-Video of Rand Paul and Rob Portman repeatedly voting ‘No!’ on the tax bill-

Narrator: While the swamp is busy tearing each other down, Ivanka Trump is hard at work fighting for you, — announcing bold new ideas like paid family leave, affordable child care, and an end to corporate influence on our elections.

-Video of Ivanka campaigning with Nikki Haley and shaking hands with crowds in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina flow across the screen-

Narrator: We need a President with the determination to get the job done. At the negotiating table (Video of Ivanka sitting in a boardroom as Vice President of the Trump Organization) in the situation room (Video of Ivanka at the United Nations Security Council, pointedly gesturing at the Russian Ambassador) and always on your side.

Ivanka Trump in Manchester NH: “ We need to reclaim our birthright as Americans, the right to the pursuit of happiness, the right to live our lives free from overbearing government, the right to raise happy, healthy families and pass onto our children a stronger and better America — a truly great America.”

Narrator: She’s a new kind of Republican, one we can trust — to get the job done.

Ivanka Trump, America Strong.

Video fades out to a picture of Ivanka campaigning with Donald Trump in 2016.


JIM WATSON/AFP/Getty Images

[Huey Long is a Republican]

RAND PAUL SPEECH #2 : AN END TO FOREIGN WARS (March 12th, 2019; Willison, Barnwell County, South Carolina)

"I want to thank you for having me, South Carolina! I am honored to be here in one of the greatest states in the nation and in one of the greatest counties of the state. However, I want to talk about issues right now, perhaps one of the most important issues in my mind. I believe it is time to bring an end to foreign wars.

I want to make it clear, as I have a feeling that the President will attempt to attack me on this, saying that I hate the military and that I want America or our embassies to be open to hostile attack. I do not and never will. I respect the brave men and women risking their lives fighting for our country and for the freedom we all owe to them for their sacrifice. However, I have seen too many Americans be killed in Afghanistan, Iraq, and various other countries to remain silent on the issue.

Ever since 9/11, we have gotten ourselves into the mess of Nation Building and the like, entangling ourselves into things that never should've concerned us in the first place. Yes, I do believe that we should've struck at Afghanistan after 9/11 due to them harboring a terrorist, but we never should've went for Iraq and after we found out Bin Laden was in Pakistan and killed him, what did we do? Nothing. What did we do when we found out Saudi Arabia was funding terrorist groups along with Pakistan that had goals to keep nations unstable and were firmly anti-american? Nothing. President Trump arrived on the scene, promising to end our intervention in these wars and the drone strikes of the Obama Administration, but he was unable to because of Congressional obstruction and President Pence has refused to say anything on the subject.

I believe it is time we pull almost all of our troops out of these countries, only keeping the minimum amount required to guard our embassies, and that we cut the funding to the governments of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and various other countries that have proven time and time again to only be using us. We should be putting all those men to work and circulating all that aid back into our economy. As President, it will be my first thing to do this. It's time to have America be first in our policy and rebuild our nation and I hope you all agree with me.

Thank you and I hope to see you on the campaign trail!"

[RGM2609]

Mike Pence @presidentpence

I invite Ambassador Trump to the White House as soon as possible to discuss some of her policy initiatives that I believe are great and will certainly be a part of the agenda of the Administration after tax cuts for middle and lower class Americans.

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Rand Paul responds to President Pence on Twitter

Senator Paul on Ivanka Trump's Ad

[RGM2609]

Mike Pence @presidentpence

1. Fear-mongering appears to be Senator Rand Paul's main campaign tactic! Otherwise I don't know why he claims that the badly needed middle and lower class tax cuts will bankrupt the country. In case he didn't know, tax cuts such as this one which is designed to boost the economy, pay for themselves in the long run. And about the 3 obscure programs Senator Paul keeps bringing up to defend himself, the time to make the budget for the FY 2020 isn't there yet. I will keep in mind his recommendations for when I will be asked to propose one.

2. I will not attack Ms Trump, I have the greatest respect for her and her family and the fresh ideas she brings to the table. I will only attack hypocrisy and when someone opposes the best interests of the American people for political gains.

[Grassroots]

Rob Portman Campaign Ad

Failure In Chief

Aired in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Vermont.

(Human Rights Campaign)

*Pessimistic shots of Washington*

Narrator: As our economy continues to not work for Americans, as our debt continues to rise, the president pushes a bill which will add hundreds of millions to our debt.

*Pessimistic shots of Mike Pence*

Narrator: Mike Pence blames others and accuses his opponents of being anti-American, all while his administration adds to the debt at a higher rate than Obama's did. That's not being fiscally conservative, not's not how the Republican party should be.

*Black and white picture of Pence with "Failure" in bold lettering covering his eyes*

Narrator: Mike Pence is leading America towards bankruptcy. Will you stand by and let him?

Rob Portman: "I am Rob Portman, and I approve this message."

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Rand Paul Ad #1 : Bring them home (To Air in New Hampshire, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia)

We see a young man sitting in a room with nothing really around him. We notice that his legs are prosthesis and he is wearing a shirt that indicates he is a Veteran

Hello...I'm Noah Gordon and I'm a US Veteran. I joined the service quickly after 9/11 and I was glad to have served my country. However, I was later sent to serve in Iraq and that is when everything began to go downhill. I was serving with my platoon against ISIS in 2016 and we were patrolling one day when suddenly, everything went to hell as those terrorist attacked us. I lost my legs in the fight after a grenade ruined both of them.

I was sent home after that and was discharged from duty. It took me sometime, but I eventually got reacquainted with normal life once again and when that happened, I began to do my research. When I was deployed, I always asked why we were in Iraq when we should've left years ago?

I eventually got my answer. The Saudis and many within our government want to see us continue this war, so they can profit off it while dozens of young men get wounded or die in countries that despise us. President Obama promised to end these wars and bring the troops home, but when he got into office, he never did as he promised. President Trump said the same thing and it truly seemed like he would get it done but Congress continued to obstruct him.

President Pence has remained silent on this issue, far too silent for me and I fear about what others may think about this issue. But Senator Paul has made his stance clear. He wants to bring the troops, my friends, my brothers and sisters in arms, home and end the foreign aid to countries that have no respect for us. He has promised to make sure this happens no matter what those in congress says. That's why I'll be voting for him. Both for the Republican Nominee and as President. It's time to bring them home.

I'm Rand Paul and I approve this message!"

[Huey Long is a Republican]

Rand Paul for President 2020 Press Statement

"The Senator is honestly too exhausted to argue with the President due to his apparent stubbornness and refusal to admit he is being fiscally irresponsible. The Senator has far more plans than his cut to government spending, however, and yet the President only focuses on the government spending issue. The Senator would rather wait to challenge the President directly on the debate stage than continue this argument on twitter."