October 20, 2008

This chat has already taken place. Read the transcript below.

Moderator:

Hi, I am reporter Christine Metz, and we are here today with U.S. Senate candidate Jim Slattery to talk about his campaign just two weeks before the election. Thanks for stopping by Jim.

Jim Slattery:

Christine....great to have a chance to visit with you and other on line guests!!! I spoke at the KU Law School earlier today and had a great time visiting with some very well informed voters !!! We are within two weeks of election day....actually two weeks from tomorrow! I think we are going to have a record voter turnout in Kansas and I predict some big surprises! Many Kansans are very upset with where our country is headed and want change! Kansans are surprised to learn that Senator Roberts has voted to deregulate the financial markets in 1999 and 2000. This was a terrible mistake that contributed greatly to the financial mess we are in...They are also surprised to learn he has voted to add more than 3 Trillion dollars to our national debt since 2001!
I want to enact sensible new regulations of our financial markets to restore public confidence and work to balance our budget as quickly as possible....The spend and borrow fiscal policy must end!!!! Welcome comments!!!! Jim S.

Moderator:

Well, Jim let's get started with some questions. We have quite a few submissions today. We'll begin with an issue that you've already hit on and one that is on a lot of people's mind right now the economy.

LogicMan:

How would you have voted on the Bailout Bill, as finally worded (400+ pages)? Why? Thanks.

Jim Slattery:

I recognize that something had to be done.....Had everybody voted "no" and gone home I believe we could have had an international financial meltdown worse than we had!!!! This could have resulted in hundreds of thousands of Kansans seeing their retirement accounts lose much more value than they have already experienced! But I must tell you I am furious with the extraneous provisions added to this bill! I would have offered an amendment to remove the extraneous provisions. I would have insisted that the taxpayers get equity positions for any loans or credit extended to the financial institutions......I also believe that loans should be extended to the banks instead of just buying their worthless assets....The financial institutions must be forced to help manage this clean up mess......Last point,Sen Roberts supported the Commodities Futures Modernization Act in 2000 that deregulated the financial markets and made credit default swaps totally unregulated....This incredible legislation made clear that neither the CFTC or the SEC or the States could regulate these instruments that were a crucial tool used by the out of control financial institutions. This deregulation was a big cause of the current mess ...Chris Cox the Chair of the SEC is saying these financial instruments must be reregulated....I agree.......Politicians who voted for this crazy legislation in both parties should be held to account....I know that Pres. Clinton signed this legislation into law...Roberts supported it...They were both tragically wrong....We are now cleaning up the mess....It will cost the average Kansas family about 10,000 dollars........Time for accountability!!!!!!!!!!!!! Jim Slattery

Moderator:

We've got lots of questions today - ranging from gay marriage to the war in Iraq - but let's take a basic one from user rapiiid.

rapiiid:

What is the key issue that differentiates you from Sen. Roberts?

Jim Slattery:

Several key issues....Roberts has voted for the Bush Cheney policies about 90% of the time. I sharply disagree with him on fiscal policy...He voted to add more than 3 trillion dollars to the deficit since 2001....I oppose this and favor "pay as you go" rules...So does Sen. McCain and Sen. Obama but Roberts has opposed these important budget rules that helped balance the budget in the 1990"s. I favor balanced budgets as soon as possible.....Roberts voted to deregulate the financial markets as I just described...I favor re regulating them.....Roberts opposed giving Medicare the authority to buy drugs in volume at discounted prices ...I support this bi partisan legislation and so does Sen. McCain. As Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Roberts helped lead our nation into the War in Iraq and then helped block the investigation to determine who was responsible for the intelligence screw up!!!!! I have spent two thirds of my adult life in the private sector....Roberts has been in Washington for more than 40 years....He has done some good things for Kansas but on the BIG ISSUES of the day he has been tragically dead wrong...Time for accountability......Jim

coldandhot:

What is your view on the government's role in our lives? Secondly, what is your energy plan, if you have one...please don't give me the same politico answer about solar, wind etc...that is not enough.

Jim Slattery:

You can go to our website at WWW.Slatteryforsenate.com for more details on my energy plan...Long story short...I favor drilling in the U.S. but not in Anwar....I would favor production tax credits to encourage wind and solar....I support biomass...I recognize that none of these approaches solves our dependence problem ...we must have a comprehensive approach....Conservation is the key!!! When 70% of the oil we import goes into our vehicles it tells me we must dramatically improve the fuel efficiency of our vehicles....I favor hybrid electric vehicles where possible....Roberts and I sharply disagree on this point...He voted five times against improving the fuel efficiency of our vehicles until this election year when he supported a modest improvement......Regarding government role in our lives....We can debate this for an hour...We all want good services from the government. national defense, education, highways, medicare, Social Security etc.....If the federal government was paying for all its spending there would be more discipline on the spending side....We need real accountability in Washington...When the politicians can continue to spend our kids money and run for re election bragging about all their spending and tax cuts....we will continue to see government grow because the bills are being handed to our children......Jim

Koolaid:

Jim,
Nancy Boyda has voted to protect gun owner rights in Kansas. Senator Roberts gets and A from the NRA. You however voted for the Brady bill and your vote imposed some of the strictist gun laws upon citizens in our nations history. Why should I vote for you if you aren't going to represent Kansas values concerning gun rights and gun ownership?
Bob Busk

Jim Slattery:

I support the 2nd Amendment....Always have...I did support the Brady Bill and I voted for the Assault Weapons Ban. As you know the assault weapons ban has expired...It was a 10 year ban...I never voted to take away anybody's guns...I have always opposed gun registration.....I will not be supporting any more gun control legislation.....I did not understand how strongly some Kansans opposed the assault weapons ban. 75% of the people supported it....I have learned a painful lesson.....Jim

stuckinthemiddle:

In an ad that Sen. Roberts is running it is claimed that while in the House of Representatives that you voted for amnesty for illegal aliens. Wasn't that the bill supported by President Ronald Reagan.

Jim Slattery:

Roberts has been hammering me for supporting the Simpson Mazzolli Act that was passed in 1986. It was supported by Senator Dole, Kassebaum and signed into law by Pres. Reagan. Had it been enforced we would not have the immigration problem we have today.....I do not favor "blanket amnesty." I do favor passing comprehensive legislation that will focus on getting our borders under control and developing a bi partisan approach to dealing with the 12 million undocumented workers in the U.S...Many of these people should be moved toward a legalization track and some should be deported......This is part of the Roberts "attack to distract" campaign strategy that is designed to distract voters from the fact that he has made some terrible judgments on our behalf....His campaign is being financed in large part by the huge special interest like Big Oil, big financial institutions and the big drug companies......Jim

chewyfally:

What is your stance on gay marriage? And on a related note, Lawrence implemented the state's first domestic partnership registry, which is a good step for the gay community. How do you feel about more domestic registries in the state?

Jim Slattery:

As you know the State recently passed a referendum on this point. I support local communities addressing this issue like Lawrence has done...I oppose discrimination against any group of people...jim

sshapiro:

What steps are you taking to counter the negative ads from your opponent, Pat Roberts?

Jim Slattery:

We are doing the best we can with the limited resources we have.....We need to raise more money to effectively counter the very misleading ads...would appreciate any and all help on this front. Let me use this opportunity to respond to several of his ads.....One....I had a 97% attendance record while I was in congress until 1994 when I missed votes over a two or three month period when I was running for governor. Senator Brownback, Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain all missed votes while they were running for president....Two....Roberts claims I voted to raise the fuel tax 30%. Fact I voted in 1993 to raise the gas tax 4.3cents to pay for highway improvements in Kansas when gas was about 1 dollar a gallon....Three...I discussed the amnesty issue above...This was a law passed in 1986 that was signed into law by Pres. Reagan......The big tax increase he refers to was the Clinton Deficit Reduction Act passed in 1993 that helped balance the budget and set the stage for a great economy in the 1990's ...It did not raise taxes on the middle class except for the 4.3 Cent gas tax......Hope this is helpful...It is amazing what an entrenched incumbent can do with unlimited special interest money to create misleading impressions....Just don't forget Roberts has taken more than $300,000 from Big Oil, nearly 1 million from financial institutions and more than $200,000 from the big drug companies....None of these groups have given me a dime!!!!!! Kansans can decide what they think about all of this....I am just presenting the facts........Jim

Moderator:

Well, that is all the time we have today for your questions. Thanks everyone for sending them in and thanks JIm for answering them.

Jim Slattery:

I always enjoy these opportunities......It is too bad that Senator Roberts refused to debate me in open public forums where the people can come and see us debate the issues....We have had several joint appearances...only one...at the Hutch State Fair....was opened to the public....but we have not had any prime time.....6:30 to 8:30...televised debates....This is a disgrace!!!! Roberts agreed to joint appearances before the Johnson County Chamber of Commerce and the Kansas Assoc. of Broadcasters..... The broadcasters in Kansas need to put the heat on Roberts for ducking prime time debates....and so do the newspapers.......We have the duty to debate before the people of Kansas.....Lets get out from behind the slick ads paid for by the Washington special interests!!!! I need your help.......Thanks.....Lets take back our country on November 4th.......Jim Slattery