On The Right

I would like to thank Mr. McPadden for taking the time to answer some policy question for my blog. I wish him luck in the 5th District Republican Primary. You can check his Campaign website here, his campaign twitter here, and his facebook page here.

1. Do you believe that we should increase defense spending and concentrate more of it on 21st century weapons systems and on irregular warfare capabilities, so that we can be more prepared to counter terrorist threats?

Mike McPadden: Yes I support 4% GDP as a minimum expenditure on defense. We must identify the threat and then prepare for it.

2. You have stated that you are against military intervention; does this apply to attacking terrorist groups or nations that harbor terrorists?

MM: I am not against intervention I am against unconstitutional wars. I do not like the idea of attacking within the borders of sovereign nations. Let them help us.

2. How would you punish countries that harbor terrorist groups that attack the U.S. or U.S. interests overseas?

MM: If this happens it is an act of war and needs to be dealt with in a constitutional manner.

3. How do you feel the detainees at GITMO should be handled and are they entitled to Constitutional rights?

MM: They are in my opinion spies and sabatours and should have been dealt with accordingly. They are combatants and do not have constitutional rights. They should be tried with military tribunals.

4. What ways would you support in deterring Iran from obtaining nuclear arms?

MM: Diplomatically, China and Russia must be brought to heel on this issue. This can be done with some arm twisting. We must help the next revolution but no invasion.

5. Since the U.S. spends 4.6% of its GDP on education, this equates to over $10,000 per student per year, but test scores have been flat since the 1970′s. Would you support legislation that gives parents a choice in schools, such as tax credits for private school tuition, charter school programs, public school choice, or virtual learning programs?

MM: Not a federal issue but I do favor school choice.

6. Since nuclear energy provides clean energy, would you support legislation that would streamline the permitting process for new nuclear power plants or new reactors at current nuclear facilities?

MM: Yes, we must double our nuclear capabilities as a start.

8. Bob McDonnell championed offshore drilling off the Virginia coast, as well as nuclear power and other types of energy exploration in Virginia, will you support this from a federal standpoint and will you support legislation that makes all sources of energy in the U.S. accessible?

MM: Yes, enthusiastically.

9. The U.S. is more and more becoming a welfare state, since the 1930′s there have been over 70 different types of “means tested” welfare programs created, how can people on these programs be empowered out of them?

MM: Free market reforms.

10. In the last year the federal government has wasted $13 billion on earmarks, $25 billion on unused federal property, $60 billion in cooperate welfare, and $55 billion in annual program over-payments, how do you propose to end these forms of waste of the taxpayers’ money?

MM: Waste will always be an integral part of the government. The smaller the government the less the waste.

11. Do you feel terrorism should be treated as a criminal matter, where terrorist are indicted by a grand jury, captured, then tried and sentenced in American courts or as a military matter where they are found and eliminated or tried by military tribunals?

MM: Military tribunals.

12. At least 26 terror plots have been broken up since 9/11, some due to the use of “enhanced interrogation”, what is your stance on “enhanced interrogation” of terror detainees?

MM: I support water boarding.

13. NAFTA and other free trade agreements have increased competition and job creation and spurred economic growth or recovery; do you support more free trade agreements?

MM: I support free and fair trade.

14. The U.S. pays $5 billion to the United Nations a year, while the U.N. goes against the U.S.’s interest in the world at times and is controlled by corrupt nations; how could this relationship, where we are the single-largest contributor to the U.N., be reformed?

MM: Cut the payments and the salaries. We just can’t afford it anymore.

15. Employee health benefits are not taxed, but those who buy insurance not through an employer have to use after-tax wages, how do you feel this issue can be fixed and do you think employee health benefits should be taxed?

MM: Tax health benefits paid by employers and allow payments for any health care be tax deductible by individuals.

16. You support the fair tax plan, but the chance of that being signed into law any time soon is slim to none, what other ways could be used to reduce American’s tax burden? Do you support abolishment of the death tax? Do you support cutting taxes on international businesses who locate in the U.S.?

MM: First we must cut taxes across the board to jump-start the economy and then work on the Fair Tax.

17. Do you support Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner’s proposal to create the Consumer Financial Protection Agency and why or why not?

MM: No. What we don’t need is another worthless government agency.

18. With groups such as ACORN and other groups being involved in voter fraud and voter registration fraud, do you support a law requiring all voters in federal elections to provide a state, federal, or local government ID in order to vote?

MM: YES, this is just common sense.

19. In Virginia, there have been issues with voter registrars not sending absentee ballots out to military personnel until a week or two before an election; would you support a federal measure that requires absentee ballots to be sent out 45 days or more before an election, so that they can be returned in time?

MM: Yes or just allow them to go online.

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