Pete's Take: Kennedy, Klobuchar, Fitzgerald Debate

There is a debate going on as I write this between Robert Fitzgerald (I), Mark Kennedy (R), and Amy Klobuchar (D).

I love these debates. I would hardly call them debates however, as the subjects change not based on the topics, but what the "contestants" want to say or about what they want to poke at.
Here is my view on the debate:

The Social Security question was brought up. Kennedy points out how the current deficit is partly due to the War on Terror... then from the crowd you hear commenting, and angrily hushed "no's" and "boos" by the audience... after, of course, clapping earlier for Klobuchar when she commented on moving away from Kerry’s comments (actual quote below). It is made obvious here that the people in the crowd are defiantly not Republican, nor do they have much common sense.

Klobuchar points out how she wants to cut the Bush tax cuts (ie. raise your taxes), because they are mostly for the rich. This is a great example of the socialist "Lets force everyone to be equal" crap. I wish Klobuchar would have pointed out how the Top 1% Pay 34.27% of taxes and the top 50% pay 96.54% of all income taxes.

Fitzgerald mentions that we can't deficit spend our way to fixing Medicare and social security while we are spending so much on a war... Hmmmm... Didn’t the audience boo earlier when Kennedy pointed out that part of the deficit is due to the War on Terror?

Klobuchar on embryonic steam cell research, and Fitzgerald mentions how it doesn’t make since to tie our hands on embryonic stem cell research.

To quote Wall Street Journal: Europe In their September 3, 2001 issue, page 36, by Richard Miniter:

Of the 15 US biotech companies solely devoted to developing cures using stem cells, only two focus on embryos. Embryo stem cell research is at the drawing-board stage – not for lack of funds but for lack of promising research to finance. Venture capitalists have no agenda beyond making money; if they see embryo projects that are likely to bear fruit over the next five to seven years – the usual VC time horizon – they will fund them. That the market is speaking so loudly against embryo stem cell research probably explains why embryo researchers are so eager to reverse the ban on government funding.

Kennedy says that the adult stem cells are more useful and it is not the government’s place to charge people for what they do not morally believe in.

The question on abortion: Where do you stand on the issue on abortion and why:

Fitsgerald’s answer stuck out more then Kennedy (who is against) or Klobuchar (who said she wants a reduction in the number, against all but … Fitsgerald says, and I quote: “only fanatical zealots believe that passing legislation will reduce the number of abortions.” Interesting way to word that, there, Robert. I believe that is best met with no response, because If I say anything, I will seam like a “Fanatical Zealot.”

In his closing remarks, Kennedy mentioned, in part, John Kerry’s “disparaging remarks,” and this again was met with hushed anger from the crowd, and a soft clapping when the audience was queued to clap. Earlier Klobuchar said “unlike the congressman, I don’t think the people in Minnesota are interested in going back and redoing the Kerry bush fight, they want to talk about the elections in November, and it is time for a change” where she was interrupted with clapping form the audience.

When Robert Fitzgerald finished, there was quick, louder clapping from the audience. He blathered on about minnesota’s having a responsibility to reclaim the government that’s gotten away from us. May I remind the people reading this that Minnesota is a Blue State? Oh good, it wouldn’t be complete without bashing Big Oil and Big Pharmaceuticals, that wraps it up nicely.

And Amy Klobuhcar’s remarks are typical liberal. Holy crap, friends, I can’t make this stuff up. Listen to this excerpt:

Too many of these guys are lost in their own wilderness, they’ve been led astray by the Enron’s, the Exxon’s, and the Halliburton’s, and they need a compass, they need a moral compass (light clapping), but the only problem is all they’ve got is the congressional compass, and it only points in one direction, and that toward “W” as in George W, and I can tell you this, when I’m your senator, I won’t be following the Loan Star, I’ll be following the North Star (clapping again)…

She mentions that its about "energy independence, investing in the farmers and the workers of the mid west instead of the Oil Cartels of the mid east"

Great, what a way to win on the current topics, lets point some more fingers and blame Big Oil, The Rich, and George W Bush for whatever we can. Gesh... and don't forget... "Energy Independence" from the "oil cartels of the mid east" apparently doesn't mean using our own oil (ANWR), now does it?

Man, I let these crazy liberals get to me far too often, but it can’t be helped when they say stupid stuff like that.

Go Mark Kennedy. You’ve got my vote.