Entry

Looks like some of the questions were a little too much for Marie.

Daniel,

What question do you think she didn't answer?

She didn't answer my questions.

If she were on the House floor at vote time. How would you vote on the following?

1. The stimulus package: American Recovery and Reinvestment act of 2009.
2. Healthcare Reform with a public option and mandate for all Americans.
3. A full withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Daniel,

When I request interviews I tell people they are just between myself and them.

I deleted your questions that you keep posting because it isn't an open discussion on that entry.

You have good questions and I might ask some of them. Don't be the Kanye West of my blog.

There is no Daniel here. Only DennertsEvilTwin.

And yes, please do steal my questions like you do my videos.

I'm not sure this is the best vehicle for an interview like this. Cover it live would have allowed you to have a moderated discussion with her in real time without anyone else intervening. You can embed it into a blog post so that people can participate in real time, then archive it for everyone to read and comment on in the future.

As to the substance of the interview, I thought it was quite good, though I'd like to get more of a sense of where she falls in the progressive spectrum and whether she's assertive enough to stand up for the people in this county.

Rep. Gallegly did not view the health care debate as an issue important to his constituents, despite the demonstrations that took place around his district. He doesn't even list it as a priority on his official website, and everything he published with regard to health care reform was aimed at seniors.

I could only conclude that Rep. Gallegly does not believe he represents anyone who isn't over the age of 65 and Republican. For that reason, I will throw my vocal support behind the best Democratic candidate in a full-tilt effort to defeat him. I believe we need a representative who feels duty-bound to engage in debates and issues important to his constituents.

Daniel,

Thanks for reading and commenting on my blog.

You should ask Rep. Gallegly for an interview.

Marie, welcome onboard to the Barack Obama job destruction crew
....hope you make it...there are still some good private sector jobs which need killing.....such as all the health care jobs....

How are we going to get back the $13 trillion stolen from the American treasury by Bernanake,Geithner, Paulson, Goldman Sachs, Bush, Obama, wall street, banskters??

I have checked your website, Mary. You have had a social security-exempt job with the government for 19 years.....a community college teacher.

All kindergarten-community college teachers are exempt in california...plus other public employees we don't know about.

Mary, will you work to get the 5 million public employees across the usa ....who are exempt from social security taxes....onboard the tax train and start paying their fair share...which you haven't?

andyLevinson

You realize that teachers that do not pay into Social Security don't get the benfits?

andyLevinson

How are we going to get back the billions and billions stolen from the Treasury to give to Black Water (XI), Caci, Halliburton and KBR?

RE:You realize that teachers that do not pay into Social Security don't get the benfits?

You realize that is what I just said....they are exempt from a tax which exemption isna't available to the taxpayers....a private sector employee would go to jail if he didn't pay social security....

Now, buried in saturdays Star, I see the City Of Port Hueneme has signed a deal with their city workers, to pay the emplyees sides of social security and medicare taxes for them, and they say most cities pick up the tab for their city employees

What an outrage.....

Brian, what do youthink about all these government folk, even around these parts, who are either exempt from social security.....our or have the taxpayers puck up the tab for them?

It's disgraceful

RE:How are we going to get back the billions and billions stolen from the Treasury to give to Black Water

I guess by electing people to office who have had a government
job their whole lives without ever paying a dime of social security

Nice interview Brian, particularly the Afghanistan question.

Scott,

I remember when this blog was just a few of us arguing with each other.

Thanks for your feedback. I will use it in future interviews. Did you like her answer?

I appreciate you reading and commenting on my blog.

Those were the days. :)

I was surprised by the answer. She wrote, "The mission is unclear, the enemy is unclear, and the there are no clearly defined goals. I am not optimistic about our long term mission."

The President outlined his mission back in February. This is from CNN back in February.

"All 17,000 troops announced Tuesday will go to the southern region of the country where Afghanistan borders Pakistan, with the goal mainly being to stop the flow of foreign fighters, according to a U.S. military official with direct knowledge of the deployment and military plans for Afghanistan.

The troops will also train Afghan army units.

The military operations will set up a string of bases and smaller combat outposts, allowing the troops to move around and engage in counter terrorism against foreign fighters and counterinsurgency operations against the Taliban and other local enemies, the official said.

The goal is to have enough troops to "seize and hold" territory and maintain basic security, which hasn't been possible under current troop levels, the official said. The Taliban continues to maintain at least half a dozen safe areas inside Afghanistan, which are prime targets for the U.S. military."

I'm just not sure one can make the case that President Obama was being unclear about the mission and that the goals were not clearly defined.