Email interview on 2000 Senate race with OnTheIssues.org

EXPLANATORY NOTE by OnTheIssues.org:

We at OnTheIssues.org ask all candidates for answers to our 20 questions in our VoteMatch quiz. The following Senate candidates have responded in detail. Responding to press inquiries like ours shows a level of openness that augurs well for the candidate in office, regardless of party affiliation.

Almost always, the incumbent ignores our requests, indicating that they don't want their constituents to know their issue stances. We track their voting records accordingly, and infer their VoteMatch responses based on those. We also collect up public statements and book excerpts, and include those in our VoteMatch quiz results as well.

Below are the responses from this year's candidates.

-- Jesse Gordon, jesse@OnTheIssues.org

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Abortion     Scott Howell: Supports “Abortion is a woman’s right”.     Gail Lightfoot: Supports “Abortion is a woman’s right”.     Gene Kelly: Strongly supports “Abortion is a woman’s right”.     Charles Johnson: Strongly supports “Abortion is a woman’s right”.     Carla Howell: Neither subsidize nor penalize; neither condemn nor condone.     Carla Howell: Neither subsidize nor penalize; neither condemn nor condone.

Budget & Economy     Jim Dexter: Pork bills make politicians look good.     Jim Giles: Current budget is beyond Constitutional bounds.

Civil Rights     Gail Lightfoot: Supports “Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”.     Gail Lightfoot: Neutral on requiring companies to hire more minorities.     John Gillespie: Opposes “Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”.     John Gillespie: Opposes requiring companies to hire more minorities.     Mary Ruwart: Opposes requiring companies to hire more minorities.     Mary Ruwart: Supports “Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”.     Willie Logan: Favors requiring companies to hire more women & minorities.     Charles Johnson: Favors requiring companies to hire more women & minorities.     Charles Johnson: Supports “Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws”.

Crime     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes the death penalty.     Gail Lightfoot: Oppose mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.     John Gillespie: Supports mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.     Mary Ruwart: Opposes the death penalty.     Gene Kelly: Supports mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.     Gene Kelly: Supports the death penalty.

Drugs     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes “Drug use is immoral”.     Mary Ruwart: Opposes “Drug use is immoral”.     Willie Logan: Supports “Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it”.     Gene Kelly: Supports “Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it”.     Charles Johnson: Opposes “Drug use is immoral”.

Education     Gail Lightfoot: Supports parents choosing schools via vouchers.     Gail Lightfoot: Supports Organized Prayer In Public Schools.     John Gillespie: Supports parents choosing schools via vouchers.     Mary Ruwart: Supports parents choosing schools via vouchers.     Mary Ruwart: Neutral on Organized Prayer In Public Schools.     Willie Logan: Supports Organized Prayer In Public Schools.     Willie Logan: Supports parents choosing schools via vouchers.     Gene Kelly: Supports Organized Prayer In Public Schools.     Carla Howell: No federal money for education, and no federal rules.     Carla Howell: $10,000 “voucher” via ending income tax.

Energy & Oil     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes spending resources to stop Global Warming.     John Gillespie: Opposes spending resources to stop Global Warming.     Mary Ruwart: Opposes spending resources to stop Global Warming.     Gene Kelly: Supports spending resources to stop Global Warming.     Charles Johnson: Supports spending resources to stop Global Warming.

Foreign Policy     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes linking Human Rights to trade with China.     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others.     John Gillespie: Supports continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others.     John Gillespie: Supports linking Human Rights to trade with China.     Mary Ruwart: Opposes continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others.     Mary Ruwart: Opposes linking Human Rights to trade with China.     Gene Kelly: Supports linking Human Rights to trade with China.     Gene Kelly: Opposes continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others.     Charles Johnson: Supports continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others.     Charles Johnson: Opposes linking Human Rights to trade with China.     Tom Burrell: Supports continuing Foreign Aid to Russia, Israel, & others.     Carla Howell: Interventionist foreign policy IS the problem.

Free Trade     Gail Lightfoot: Supports expanding Free Trade.     Gene Kelly: Supports expanding Free Trade.     Charles Johnson: Supports expanding Free Trade.     Carla Howell: Let goods cross borders freely and troops won’t have to.     Eugene Douglass: Closing Chinese market hurts US; admit them to WTO.     Jack Robinson: Admit both China and Taiwan into WTO.     Jim Dexter: Keep China--and everyone--out of WTO.     Jim Giles: China in WTO; free trade always good.     Louis Wein: China out of WTO; no trade with abusers.     Richard C. Green: China has not earned the right to enter WTO.     Stuart Starky: China is too repressive for WTO.

Government Reform     Carla Howell: Limit government to constitutional functions.

Gun Control     Gail Lightfoot: Supports absolute right to gun ownership.     Willie Logan: Supports absolute right to gun ownership.     Gene Kelly: Opposes absolute right to gun ownership.     Charles Johnson: Supports absolute right to gun ownership.     Carla Howell: Guns let single moms protect themselves.     Carla Howell: Puts the Second Amendment first, with no exceptions.     Carla Howell: Gun control is an abuse of government power.     Carla Howell: Repeal all federal gun laws; no exceptions.

Health Care     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes More Federal Funding for Health Coverage.     John Gillespie: Supports More Federal Funding for Health Coverage.     Mary Ruwart: Opposes More Federal Funding for Health Coverage.     Charles Johnson: Supports More Federal Funding for Health Coverage.     Tom Burrell: Supports More Federal Funding for Health Coverage.

Homeland Security     Gail Lightfoot: Supports spending on Missile Defense (“Star Wars”).     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes more spending on Armed Forces personnel.     John Gillespie: Supports more spending on Armed Forces personnel.     John Gillespie: Supports spending on Missile Defense (“Star Wars”).     Mary Ruwart: Opposes more spending on Armed Forces personnel.     Gene Kelly: Supports more spending on Armed Forces personnel.     Gene Kelly: Supports spending on Missile Defense (“Star Wars”).     Charles Johnson: Opposes spending on Missile Defense (“Star Wars”).     Charles Johnson: Supports more spending on Armed Forces personnel.     Carla Howell: Military intervention makes things worse.

Immigration     Gail Lightfoot: Opposes “Immigration helps our economy”.     John Gillespie: Supports “Immigration helps our economy-encourage it”.     Willie Logan: Supports “Immigration helps our economy-encourage it”.     Gene Kelly: Opposes “Immigration helps our economy”.     Charles Johnson: Supports “Immigration helps our economy-encourage it”.

Jobs     Jim Dexter: End federal agricultural subsidies.     Jim Giles: End federal agricultural subsidies.     Louis Wein: End federal agricultural subsidies.     Richard C. Green: End federal agricultural subsidies.

Principles & Values     William Redmond: Supports Organized Prayer In Public Schools.

Social Security     Gail Lightfoot: Supports privatizing Social Security.     John Gillespie: Opposes privatizing Social Security.     Mary Ruwart: Supports privatizing Social Security.     Willie Logan: Supports privatizing Social Security.

Tax Reform     Gail Lightfoot: Supports making income tax flatter & lower.     John Gillespie: Supports making income tax flatter & lower.     Mary Ruwart: Supports making income tax flatter & lower.     Gene Kelly: Supports making income tax flatter & lower.     Charles Johnson: Supports making income tax flatter & lower.     Carla Howell: Ending income tax gives average taxpayer $10,000 annually.     Carla Howell: Abolishing income tax enriches communities & families.

Welfare & Poverty     Gail Lightfoot: Supports allowing churches to provide welfare services.     John Gillespie: Supports allowing churches to provide welfare services.     Mary Ruwart: Supports allowing churches to provide welfare services.     Willie Logan: Supports allowing churches to provide welfare services.     Gene Kelly: Supports allowing churches to provide welfare services.     Charles Johnson: Opposes allowing churches to provide welfare services.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Carla Howell Libertarian Challenger 2002 Charles Johnson Independent Challenger (Former) Eugene Douglass Republican Challenger (Former) Gail Lightfoot Libertarian Challenger California Gene Kelly Former Democratic Challenger (2006) Texas Jack Robinson Former Republican Special Election Challenger (2009) Massachusetts Jim Dexter Libertarian Challenger (Former) Jim Giles Independent Challenger (Former) John Gillespie Republican Challenger (Former) Louis Wein 2000 Constitution Party Senate challenger Mary Ruwart Libertarian Challenger (Former) Richard C. Green Former Natural Law Challenger Scott Howell Democratic Challenger Utah Stuart Starky 2004 former Democrat challenger; also ran for Senate in '00 Arizona Tom Burrell Independent Challenger (Former) William Redmond Republican Challenger (Former) Willie Logan Independent Challenger (Former)