I also had the opportunity to interview Don. I asked 10 questions, some of which came from calls I made for questions from commenters at Daily Kos, MyDD, and Daily Kingfish.
1. What's your background - where did you grow up, go to school, law school, etc?
I grew up and have spent most of my life in Louisiana's 6th Congressional District. I grew up in New Roads, Louisiana - a small town founded in the 18th century that's famous for hosting the oldest Mardi Gras celebration outside of New Orleans. After graduating from high school in New Roads, I headed down the road to Baton Rouge to earn my BA and a Master's in Psychology from LSU. I earned my law degree from Georgetown in 1991.
As a prosecutor, I never lost a jury trial and put hundreds of criminals behind bars. I prosecuted violent, petty and white collar criminals alike. I always stood up for the little guy. I even beat an insurance company in court when they refused to pay hospital bills for seniors.
I was first elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 1999 and was one of the only freshmen appointed to the appropriations committee. In the legislature, I passed an increase in teacher pay, expanded early childhood education to include all at risk 4 year olds, and made historic investments in Louisiana's roads. I also passed tough ethics legislation that curbs the influence of lobbyists on the political process.
2. Okay, let's get into the issues: First, there is a bill in the State Legislature, I'm not sure of the Bill #, but it will shorten the hours that the polls are open in Louisiana on Election Days. Are you for that or against it? (Hat Tip to wojeaux at Daily Kingfish)
I believe that voting is a right of citizenship and we should protect it. There are lots of middle class people in Louisiana who work long or
irregular hours and we should make sure that they have an opportunity to vote - that's why I will not support efforts to shorten voting hours. In
Congress, I will support legislation that both protects the integrity of our elections and ensures that eligible citizens have an opportunity to participate.
3. What is your stance on the current proposal for an I-10 loop around the Baton Rouge Metro area? If you are not sold on it, what alternatives are you prepared to put forward, if any?
Traffic isn't just a nuisance - it also impacts our economy and our quality of life. The more time we spend in traffic, the less time we spend being productive and that's not good for the economy. It also means less time that we can be spend enjoying our kids, our parents and our grandparents. I support the I-10 loop because it'll reduce
congestion and make it easier for Louisianans to reach their destinations.
4. What is your position on wetlands loss in coastal Louisiana? Are you willing to step forward and LEAD on this issue, even if it means explaining that we need to spend a LOT of money, given that we face a potential catastrophe if the wetlands loss continues at its current pace? Do you have any specific policy ideas on this issue? (Hat Tip to darkhat at Daily Kos)
For many Louisianans, conserving our wetlands is about preserving our quality of life. Louisiana's vast wetlands are a place where Louisianans have fished, hunted, trapped and lived for generations and we need to conserve this precious resource so that our children and their children can enjoy it. Our wetlands have also served as an important buffer against catastrophic hurricanes and that's yet another reason why it's important to protect them.
There's no denying that we're losing wetlands. Our state has lost 1,500 square miles of wetlands since the 1930s and we're projected to lose up to 500 square miles more by 2050, if we don't act. In the Louisiana legislature, I coauthored legislation that allows certain federal revenues generated from Outer Continental Shelf oil and gas activity to be credited to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Fund. And, in Congress, I'll continue the fight to stop the loss of wetlands.
The key to replenishing our wetlands is effectively managing the Mississippi River. We need to ensure that freshwater and sediments
remain in the wetlands to bolster marshes and barrier islands instead of losing resources to the Gulf of Mexico. This necessary reform costs
money and I will work to ensure that an effective and cost efficient wetlands management plan is in place and that Louisiana gets its fair share from the federal government for wetlands renewal.
5. There are some progressive folks who are very disappointed in the language on your website about illegal immigration, as you are against amnesty. The policy that presidential candidate Barack Obama has advocated is to allow illegal immigrants who are in good standing (which I believe means if they were attempting to come in legally, they would not be barred from admittance under our immigration laws) to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens, which is essentially the same stance that Hillary Clinton has on this issue. Do you agree with them? If no, where do you differ? (Hat Tip to populista at Daily Kos)
I think everyone would agree that our immigration system is broken and we need to fix it. I also think that most Louisianans agree with me that
amnesty is not the answer. Unfortunately, too many in Washington prefer gridlock and, as a result, nothing gets done. When dealing with illegal
immigration, I believe that the first step is to pass laws that will both secure our border and crack down on corporations that knowingly
hire illegal immigrants.
6. Where do you stand on free trade agreements like CAFTA, NAFTA, and the current trade bill in limbo in Congress - the Colombian Free Trade Agreement? (Hat Tip to populista at Daily Kos)
I support fair trade agreements that raise labor standards for all workers - both here in the United States and abroad - while ensuring
that American businesses remain competitive. I will vote to close tax loopholes that reward companies for moving our jobs overseas. I oppose
the Colombian Free Trade Agreement in its current form and believe that we need to renegotiate CAFTA and NAFTA to include more protections for
our workers.
7. Do you believe that we need to invade Iran, like some Republicans are proposing? (Hat tip to andydupre at Daily Kingfish)
The current Iranian regime represents an extremist political ideology and is unpopular even in Iran. I believe that we must continue to put pressure on the current regime and simultaneously embolden Iranian moderates to bring about reform. At this moment, I am deeply concerned with their sponsorship of terrorist activities and while I believe that the military option should be the last option, I believe it's unwise to take any option off the table.
I also believe that we must refocus our resources on combating al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations.
8. If elected, would you keep the child tax credits and the lower tax brackets that help working class Americans? Would you vote to return the tax rate for the wealthiest 1% of Americans back to where it was under President Bill Clinton?
I am a strong supporter of fiscally responsible tax cuts for middle class families. In the Louisiana legislature, I voted for millions in
tax cuts for middle class families including an increase in the child tax credit. And, in Congress I will continue to support sensible tax relief for small businesses and middle class families.
I am a real fiscal conservative and I believe that spending in Washington is out of control. Our deficit and national debt is unsustainable and it would be irresponsible to burden our children with
our debts. As such, I believe in a balanced budget and I support pay-go policies that will reign in spending and make our government fiscally
responsible.
I also believe that corporations and the wealthiest 1% should pay their fair share. That's why I want to crack down on tax loopholes and
offshore bank accounts that some use to cheat our tax system.
9. On health care, you have stated that you would have voted for SCHIP, which would have expanded the program to allow 80,000 more of Louisiana's children access to health care. You want to reform the prescription drug plan for seniors - Medicare Part D. How do you propose lowering the costs of health care?
I think President Bush's veto of the expansion of SCHIP was wrong for Louisiana families and I will vote to expand SCHIP so that children in middle class families can obtain health care coverage.
On Medicare Part D, I believe that we need to eliminate the donut hole coverage gap and make sure that our seniors have access to the prescription drugs they need to live healthy and happy lives. In terms of controlling costs, I support allowing Medicare to negotiate with
pharmaceutical companies to bring down the high cost of prescription drugs and save seniors and taxpayers money.
Health care costs are out of control. One way to lower costs is by leveraging technology to make our health care system more efficient. Even
polar political opposites - Newt Gingrich and Hillary Clinton - agreed on this point. Eliminating bureaucracy and improving the flow of health care information will help reduce costs for consumers. Another way to lower health costs is by making preventative treatments more widely
available. Preventative medicine and early detection can save individuals - and our health care system - huge sums of money.
Our health care system is too costly and doesn't help enough people. One major problem we face is that those who don't have health care use the
costliest form - the emergency room. Increasing access to quality, affordable health care will drive down the cost of premiums for everyone.
10. Republicans like to make a big show of how they are the better supporters of our troops and veterans. Yet every time a proposal to fully fund the VA, or to make it a non-discretionary item of the federal budget is before the Congress, Republicans have overwhelmingly voted no. Would you vote to make VA funding non-discretionary?
I am a strong supporter of our troops and our veterans and I believe we have a fundamental obligation to make sure that the brave men and women who served in uniform have access to the health care they need and have access to programs that will help transition them back to civilian life.
As for the VA funding issue, I will carefully review each budget and ensure that the VA has the funding it needs and that the money is getting to our veterans that need it - and it's not being wasted on unnecessary bureaucracy. As for the non-discretionary funding question, I would like more time to study proposed and past VA budgets before I take a position on non-discretionary funding.
I've got to say, Don was quite impressive. He's easily one of the more thoughtful candidates I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.
Also, this race is heating up. The Republicans have turned to a shadowy issue advocacy group run by former RNCC operatives called Freedoms Watch to get their message out, as the NRCC is strapped for cash. And Freedoms Watch? We have NO idea how much money they've got, nor whom their donors are, save the fact that they are a far-right wing group bent on promoting a far-right conservative worldview. Don is going to need every single cent he can raise to win this one.
