Posted on 05/14/2010 9:10:18 AM PDT by pissant
Fellow conservatives, please welcome US Senate candidate from the great state of California, Lt. Colonel Chuck DeVore!
Chuck is THE candidate in the race for the GOP Senate nomination who has a proven track record of both fiscal and social conservatism. He is pro-life, pro-gun, pro-God, and equally important, strictly pro-Constitution. He is currently serving his third term in the California Assembly and is a Lt. Colonel in the US Army Reserve.
Chuck also was a Ronald Reagan appointee to serve as Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs in the Pentagon from 1986-88. And Chuck shares the Gipper’s philosophy on governance and politics. Some of the folks who have endorsed Chuck’s campaign for US Senate include SC Senator Jim DeMint, radio superstar Mark Levin, California congressman Tom McClintock, and recently retired rock-ribber, Duncan Hunter.
If you have seen the debates, you know that Chuck is quick on his feet, self assured, and most importantly, a genuine conservative
Chuck has been married to his wife Diane for the last 22 years, and they have two wonderful daughters, Amy and Jennie.
So stop by, say hello, and ask any follow-up questions you want. Chuck will be here for about an hour and will answer as many as he can in that time. He can always come back and answer the ones he does not have time for today. And please consider supporting this man, who will vastly improve the US Senate from the moment he walks in the door.
(NOTE: The first 10 questions were answered this AM by Chuck and I included them below for expediency)
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So here are the initial 10 Q&As:
1) Some of your opponents’ supporters have tried to slander you as having a ‘Ron Paul’ foreign policy when it comes to Islamic jihadists, particularly in regards to Afghanistan. Will you please tell us how you would like the US to act in Afghanistan, and furthermore, how you want us to go after the terrorists worldwide?
Afghanistan is not Iraq. The challenges there are very different. Nation building will be a long, open-ended and arduous task. I have constantly said we need to remorselessly kill our enemies, rather than nation-build in a hostile land. For this, we need special forces, human intelligence and drones, not a large conventional force that we promise to soon pull out. Nation-building in Afghanistan will be costly and frustrating. Meanwhile, do to cost pressures, the Obama Administration has canceled a host of important weapons modernization programs.
2) What would you like to see happen with the US relationship to the UN? Keep it the same? Get out altogether? Something in between?
The UN is more trouble than it is worth. If we want to be part of an international organization, why not a group of democracies who enjoy rule of law?
3) In one of your interviews recently, you noted that a real existential threat to the US is China. Former Congressman Duncan Hunter sees the same thing. What changes would you work for as Senator regarding the United States policy and relationship with China?
I would like to consider going back to annual most favored nation status votes. China is a growing strategic threat, both militarily and economically. They have historical grievances with their neighbors and the West. They are rapidly modernizing their military. Lastly, they have manipulated their currency and tax laws to gain a built in export advantage over their trading partners.
4) Do you support the Right to Life Act, defining personhood and therefore conferring Constitutional protections to unborn children? Would you support a constitutional amendment defining such if the courts vacated the Right to Life Act (assuming it passed)?
Yes, but it will be very tough to enact, needing a two-thirds vote to pass out of the Senate and House. In the meantime, we need to do all we can to curtail abortions in America.
5) What is your belief regarding the original intent of the Second Amendment? And do you support that today?
The Second Amendment, part of the Bill of Rights, confers an individual right to keep and bear arms. I have a proven “A” rating from the NRA in six years of voting in Sacramento.
6) Your answer during the debates regarding a ‘pathway to citizenship’, better known as McCain’s Amnesty, was superb in that you want to require illegal aliens to leave and get in back of the line. However, once deported, they very often then sneak right back in. Do you support the original Secure Fence Act that was designed to put up another 854 miles of double fence with a Border Patrol road between throughout the smuggling corridors of the SW states? Also, what other enforcement activities, if any, do you recommend to curtail the illegal border crossings?
We need to complete a physical barrier – the virtual fence is virtually worthless. We need to maintain the size of the Border Patrol, not reduce it and, when and where needed, we need to augment the border once again with the National Guard.
7) Most members of Free Republic have their own lists of Federal Government Departments and Bureaus they would like to see eliminated. Can you identify a few Departments or Bureaus or programs you would like to see either eliminated altogether or devolved to the States?
Let’s return education dollars back to the states by eliminating the middle man, the Department of Education. The Department of Energy is also very wasteful, send the stewardship of nuclear weapons back to the Department of Defense and eliminate the Department of Energy.
8) What is your criteria for voting in favor of confirmation for a Supreme Court Justice? Or conversely, what would keep you from confirming a SCOTUS nominee?
One determiner: what is their view of the Constitution and the role of government as defined by it? Example: when Sonia Sotomayor said “empathy” played a big role in her decision making, that was a red flag for me as empathy has no role in rule of law. Further, her overturned decision in Ricci v. DeStefano (the firefighter case) was very revealing. I am the only Republican running who has consistently said from the start that I would have voted against confirming Sotomayor.
9) What role, if any, should the Federal Government have in education?
There is no specific Constitutional role for the federal government for education – although, as we saw in the Northwest Ordinance, the early Congress did see education as important. Education is best left up to the states and localities.
10) What are the top three attributes that you believe you possess that recommends you over your two primary opponents in the race to face Barbara Boxer for the US Senate election?
Philosophical clarity and confidence, combined with a tenacious ability to communicate a vision of limited government in a compelling way.
I give a lot of thought to this — beginning with the premise that such a revival cannot be led by government or even politicians. Culture and faith shape society far more. Individual political leaders can help (think Reagan) but they cannot be the prime movers of revival. Mainly, we should seek first to do no harm with our public policies.
Why do Republicans continue to allow the Democrats to blame the Republicans for the US economic meltdown when it was the Democrats who caused this mess?
What is your opinion of the Delta Smelt issue?
I have made no public announcement of my preferences for governor — other than “not Jerry Brown.”
lurking non-Californian
LTC Devore,
First of all, I want to thank you for your service!
I am not a citizen of California, but would like to ask nevertheless (perhaps as a means of setting a baseline for what other GOP candidates across the country *should* be doing?)...
What five *specific* things - operational, tactical, legislative, whatever - do you think are most important for the GOP to do to turn back the tide of socialism that seems to be sweeping this country?
Mr. DeVore, have you spoken with Sen. Cornyn about his inappropriate and premature intrusions into GOP primary politics?
Thanks!!!
Hoping and praying you knock out Boxer!
“I supported the Arizona law from the start and I believe the boycotts are foolish. Arizona is simply enforcing EXISTING federal law. “
We Arizonans thank you, sir.
Glad to have you aboard!
Best of luck to you!
They don’t call the U.S. Senate the “world’s greatest deliberative body” for nothing. I support the Senate rules as they currently exist.
The American public needs to know that their paychecks are about to be taken to the cleaners when the tax cuts expire and it is a winning campaign platform for Republicans. People understand their paychecks, they don't understand things such as 'earmarks'. The Republicans need to get on it.
Chuck thanks for being here. Your candidacy is refreshing!
Good Luck out there in CA. Here in PA we have some big battles too.
Good morning Chuck. Several fronts have opened up against Obamacare, What do you believe are the chances of killing this monstrosity?
Lack of philosophical confidence, mainly. One must be sure and bold before one can defend what is right with confidence.
Can you get on O’Reilly’s show and others to hammer home your differences with your rivals on important issues like illegal immigration and your support of Arizona’s legislation?
It’s really a hot button issue now thanks to LA city council’s idiot boycott of AZ.
The others are afraid to address the issue with clarity.
Which do our favor more
Fair Tax
Flat Tax
Progressive Fair Tax
Current tax system
Thanks, good luck, and best wished to you and your family.
Yes, welcome Assemblyman DeVore. Thank you for joining us here.
We need to amend the Endangered Species Act to take people into account. Ironically, the Delta Smelt population has been hurt by a non-native invasive species that is continually planted by the California Department of Fish and Game: the Largemouth Bass.
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