Forum features Didier, Rossi and their views
by Lois Krafsky-Perry and Sue Forde
Citizen Review Online
Vancouver, WA – June 11, 2010 – A forum held at the Red Lion Hotel in Vancouver, WA starting at 2 p.m. featured U.S. Senate hopefuls Dino Rossi and Clint Didier, who articulated their views and responded to questions.
The forum was sponsored by Reagan Wing’s invitation, with Doug Parris and Michele St Pierre facilitating the event.
Dino Rossi arrived around 2:30, and was greeted enthusiastically by the approximately 300 person crowd.
The first question to Rossi was why he decided to run. He said he thought long and hard about joining the race for the U.S. Senate (he was a latecomer to the race), and flew to Washington D.C. to meet with Senate Republican leadership. He said he challenged them about whether the Party had enough guts to return the “fiscal train” to the tracks. “The way you’ve been going there is not much left,” he stated. “We are on a fiscal cliff; I don’t have confidence the Republican plan has enough guts to put the fiscal train back on the tracks,” he declared to them.
He said they responded, “We need fresh conservatives like you, back here.” He said when he was deciding whether to run, his wife raised with the question, “What kind of a country do we want our children to grow up in?”
“My wife is 100 % behind me”, he said.
“We are at the crossroads—it is time to pick,” he said, referring to his run against U. S. Senator Patty Murray (D). He said, when he entered the race, he surpassed her on Facebook within 48 hours. He said she had 10,000. “We had over 20,000 ‘friends,” within that time, he stated. “It is just the future of the free world that is at stake,” he said.
He referred to Chinese and Saudi money out. When interest rates go up, 6.4 percent interest, 85 percent will be for debt service.
He said if we do not restore our direction, we could become like France or Germany or Greece.
Asked whether he supports the Arizona law (illegal immigrants), he said, “I actually read it…. “It is a reaction to complete total failure of our borders.” He said we need a “high gate and tall fence”. He said his parents were immigrants, but legal Italian immigrants. He does not favor amnesty.
Asked about pro-life, legal protection and conception to natural death. “I believe every soul has a value,” he said, stating he is Catholic and that is his belief. He said he also fought for the mentally ill and those in nursing homes.
About auditing the Federal Reserve question, he said that auditing the Federal Reserve is a federal issue. He believes in Sunshine - open up, look, audit, and then see what is there. “They don’t want you to see,” he remarked.
Responding to a question about the U.S. and its relationship to the United Nations (UN), he stated that we should not leave the United Nations since the U.S. has a veto vote there.
Asked about funding for Iraq and Afghanistan, he said “Make sure military are supported….If I am going to be voting to send men and women into harm’s way, I want to see an exit strategy, before I would vote for something like that---“before we step offshore—how to come back”.
He commented on financial problems of the nation, referring especially to the “unconstitutional” federal health care bill. The health bill passed – it’s out of control - does this make sense? he queried. “What next?” he asked.
Asked about overcoming King County influence, he responded that in elections “We ran 8 points ahead of Bush in ‘04---11 points ahead of McCain in ‘08. We need to “outvote them,” he said.
The moderator asked if Rossi should not receive enough votes in the primary, would he would support the Republican candidate: he responded that he would.
Clint Didier was unable to appear at the same time as Rossi, due to a last-minute meeting with Sarah Palin. He arrived back at 4:30, entering the room to a standing ovation and energized response, and began answering questions at approximately 5 p.m.
He reported that he had a good meeting with Sarah Palin: she told him to "forge ahead".
When asked about why he decided to run, he said has a brand new granddaughter - and that her portion of the national debt when she was born is $380,000. Smaller government is the answer, he said.
He said his first bill will be to get rid of the Department of Education - where the indoctrination of our children is taking place. This has got to stop - and God needs to be back in the schools, he added.
We need to get back to the Constitution, he said, as he pulled a copy from his pocket.
Asked whether he was in favor of the Arizona immigration law, he responded, “Yes Ma'am” he’s 100% behind the Arizona law. The federal government needs to take up its responsibility about illegal aliens. California has the same law but fails to follow it, he said. States’ rights supersede the federal government, he added.
He was asked if he is pro-life? Didier responded that he is 100%, from conception to natural death. “We need to acknowledge who is the Author of life” - it will be a litmus test for any Supreme Court justice on my watch, he said.
Responding to a question if he favored the “Audit the Fed” bill, he said the reason Congressman Ron Paul voted against the bill is that they included all kinds of other bills into it. We need to have one-item bills. Keep is simple - first audit the Federal Reserve, then get rid of it and get back to the gold standard, he said.
What about unconstitutional agencies? the moderator asked. De-fund them, he said - including Dept. of Education, Dept. of Energy, Public Broadcasting System and others.
What about the relationship with the United Nations? He said it’s one of his pet peeves. Get the US out of the UN - get UN out of the US, he said. Why do we want to sit with anti-life, anti-women, anti-American people? Build our military, become more powerful - no one picks on the one with the muscle, he asserted.
What is your view on the wars, he was asked. Our brave men and women - we can't call this a war; it’s not been authorized by Congress. Follow Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution - Mark and Reprisal. Give McCrystal the troops he wants, take care of business, and then get us out, he said.
Because Didier responded quickly to the answers posed within the time limit, more questions were asked of him than of Rossi.
Responding to a question about the Patriot Act, he responded that it was created because of terrorists - but with the people in office today - it's become a real intrusion of our liberty.
Didier said his highest priority is jobs. A big union in the Seattle area has asked him to come and talk to them about solutions to this problem, he said, even though he’s a Republican. We need to support small business, he said. “If employers don't stay in business, there are no jobs.”
About benefits for illegal immigrants, he responded that 85 hospitals bankrupted in California because of this problem. He said the 14th amendment – which in this case creates “anchor babies’” benefits causes separation of families. Our country is based on family, he said. “This is a separation of families.” We need military at our border - we have terrorists coming in - it's a breach of security – we need to stop them from coming.
How would he determine whom he would endorse as GOP candidates? He said it would be based on whether they're true Americans, who will live up to what our founding fathers stood for.
He was asked how to restore the economy? He responded: “Get rid of the myriad of regulations that shackle small business. They shackle us with regulations and the fees”. Fifty percent of our food now comes from overseas; we need to "unshackle our industries".
Question: How to overcome King Co. influence? “Do they think differently than us? The movement is on - we need to unite - one force in one direction,” he said.
The question was asked, What is the difference between controlling spending vs. cutting spending? “Don't give $50 billion to Greece - that's controlling spending,” he said. Don't keep extending unemployment - it's going to be tough - and will take some pain to fix the problem - or we will become the socialist/Marxist form of government those in power want.
The moderator said, “This question was to go to Rossi, but we'll ask it of you. What is your relationship with The Nature Conservancy?” Didier responded: “I believe in private property rights – it’s one of the most important things - and greatest sin is to borrow money. You sell off assets when bankrupt. But our government is doing a land grab instead.”
“Free enterprise is the backbone of the country,” he said. The lobbyists are there because of all the regulations. Let the private entrepreneur alone, and the economy will begin to return and prosper, he said.
A question came from the audience: What about armed citizenry? Didier responded: The Second Amendment is #2 for a reason - to protect each of us from enemies foreign and domestic.
Another question from the audience: What assurance can you give us when we send you to Washington, D.C. and not compromise your principles? He responded, I would assure you with my children and my grandchildren.
Someone asked, in closing, “How much money do you need?” Didier said, I don't know about the money - what I need are a bunch of votes.