Marie,

Have you seen Rep. Gallegly at any events since you have started campaigning? Have you ever met him before?

No, I have not seen Rep. Gallegly since I started campaigning. But, that isn't altogether unusual. I am focussing on Democratic voters.

I have met Mr. Gallegly. I met him this past February in the Elections Office at the county. We were both there making inquiries.

Marie,

What's the most important endorsement you have earned in the last month? How has that endorsement helped you?

Probably the endorsement of Julia Brownley. After that, I earned the endorsement of a couple of other well respected women in the region, former State Senator Sheila Kuehl and Carmen Ramirez, formerly with CAUSE.

Marie,

What have you learned from the campaigns of previous candidates that have run against Rep. Elton Gallegly? Have you met with any of them?

Before I decided to run, I met with Anita Perez Ferguson, who ran against Mr. Gallegly twice in the early '90's, and with Michael Case, who ran against Mr. Gallegly in the early 2000's.

Ms. Perez Ferguson emphasized that I needed to focus on the big picture, what is it that I would like to accomplish. She suggested developing alternative paths that would lead to the same goal.

Mr. Case emphasized that I needed to be true to what I believe in this process. And, he commented that the fund-raising is never-ending. This is very true!

Marie,

What do you think of Barack Obama's nomination of Elana Kagan for the US Supreme Court?

I am delighted! In an decision-making body you want a diversity of views represented in order that the best decision can arise from the group. I think that coming with a strong academic background, Ms. Kagan brings a perspective on the theory of the law that will benefit her colleagues on the bench. I suspect that she probably also has a more global perspective on where the law is moving in this country. Additionally, I am pleased that the president chose a woman. As you probably know, we as a nation are losing ground in the advancement of women to higher offices and elected offices. Again, it comes back to the necessity of having a variety of perspectives in order to arrive at the best decision possible.

Marie,

I have often read that many Northern European nations have closer to parity between genders in their legislatures.

Do you think there would be a single vote that you would cast differently then your main opponent because of your gender? If not, how is gender important in this campaign?

Whether there would be any issue that I might vote differently on than my main opponent because of gender is difficult to answer. I don't know him that well to be able to address this. However, if I was to take a guess, I suspect that differences in how we might vote would be more likely due to differences in basic politics and our backgrounds and experiences, which, of course, is influenced by gender.

I don't think that the question is how is gender important in this campaign, but rather why is it important in any campaign? I would suggest that because of differences in life experiences, women tend to ask different questions than men and focus on different issues than men. One approach/perspective isn't better than the other. Again, it comes back to the importance of differing perspectives. It prevents group think and the concerns of other constituencies are validated on a different level.

The fact that only 17% of Congress is female means that there are questions that remain unasked, that should be asked, and that there are concerns that don't rise to the level that they would if more women were a part of the legislative body.

Marie,

Social Security is looking at a demographic timebomb. Do you think we should alter social security by raising the retirement age, raising taxes, or cutting benefits?

We have to remember what the purpose of Social Security is. It was established for older Americans to ensure that they would have a source of income for the necessities of life when they were no longer working.

Today we have older Americans who have had their entire life savings wiped out due to the greed and corruptness of some elites at the top who have no clue how hard the average American works. Social Security is as necessary today as it was when it was first established.

Your question on how are we going to pay for it is legitimate given the aging population of baby boomers. No one answer or fix is going to remedy the situation.

1. Raising the retirement age - The oft heard suggestion is to raise the age to 70. Some folks can work until 70, some can't. A possibility is a different level of benefit for those who work until 70.

2. Raising taxes - The middle class can't afford the taxes we currently have. Until we get the economy on track, we are going to have to look to other sources of revenue than a general tax increase. Perhaps, a tax on the bonuses of those in the higher tax brackets?

3. Cutting benefits - Cutting benefits across the board, no. There are too many Americans for which Social Security is all that stands between them and the street. Perhaps, a different perspective on Social Security though. Social Security is often seen as an entitlement. Perhaps, viewing it as a safety net that ensures that older Americans are taken care of at some basic level.

Brian,

Thank you for the opportunity here to express my points of veiw. I appreciate your time. I know that you are busy with your job and your family. Thanks for taking the time.

I need to grade. The term is over, and students are looking for their grades.

See you 'round!

Marie

Marie,

Have fun on the campaign trail and if you win take a day or two off. Thanks for coming on my blog and answering my questions. I appreciate your time.