Patrick Wiesner is one of a handful of Democrats running for the party’s nomination to run for the U.S. Senate.

Moderator

Hello and welcome to this Election 2010 chat with U.S. Senate candidate Patrick Wiesner. Patrick, welcome, and thanks for joining us today.

Patrick Wiesner

Hello Jonathan

Patrick Wiesner

My pleasure to be here

Moderator

We have a couple questions already but are still taking more. If you’d like to submit a question, you can do so at any time. With that, we’ll jump right into questions.

jrk

The Democrat candidate will have a tough road in front of them. How can you persuade voters that you are the best candidate to take on Jerry Moran or Todd Tiahrt.

Patrick Wiesner

I will confront them with energy and facts. This election will be in part about how they cannnot say no to lobbyists

Moderator

I received this question via e-mail:

Mr. Wiesner, why did you decide now was the time to run for office.

Patrick Wiesner

The Senate is a place to address federal questions. I have experience and passionate interests in tax, bankruptcy, and military spending. I believe I can represent Kansas on these issues. On a personal level, both of my children are now out of college and I have finished two long tours in Iraq as an army reserve lawyer. So the time is right for me.

Moderator

Let’s expand on that answer real quick. How will your experience in Iraq influence the type of lawmaker you hope to be?

Patrick Wiesner

My experience as a fiscal law attorney in the Green Zone and at Camp Victory is unique. No other senate candidate in the country has this. Our leadership, President Obama, Secretary Gates, and General Odierno have done all they can to set the government of Iraq up for suceess. The Iraqis are not cooperating and will ask us to stay beyond the December 31, 2011 deadline for withdrawal. I will be the advocate for us to leave Iraq as agreed.

Moderator

What would be your top three priorities, were you to be elected to the senate? And what sets you apart from the other Democratic candidates?

Patrick Wiesner

My top mission is to see we get out of Iraq by December 31, 2011 as agreed to by both governments. The second thing is to stop this “in plain sight” bailout of mortgage companies that is going on by having Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae buy or guarantee bad mortgages. The taxpayers are going to get stuck will foreclosure losses. The third isssue is a the need to balance our budget, all federal agencies will need to take less money. We need a surplus to repay our debt

Moderator

And what sets you apart from the other Democrats?

Patrick Wiesner

I am different from the other candidates in the respect that none of the three have experience in federal matters. By the way, I find Lisa, Charles, and David all to be fine candidates.

jrk

You mentioned Iraq, but what do you think is the answer in Afghanistan? And how does that play in your priorities?

Patrick Wiesner

I can’t speak with experience on Afghanistan. All I know is that democracy has never worked in that area of the world. They don’t have natural resources for a free market economy. They don’t have the economy that can support the security forces to maintain themselves as a sovereign nation. That country will need our assistance for a long time.

Moderator

Who would you say your major influencers are, in your life?

Patrick Wiesner

In my life, my influences have been my father, President Johnson, and Pete Maravich. Now I am motivated by purposes. Getting us out of Iraq, balancing the budget, solving tax problems for clients

Moderator

You’ve mentioned balancing the budget several times. What spending would you target to accomplish that?

Patrick Wiesner

All federal programs need to be cut. I will ask agriculture to give us crop subsidies entirely. This is a mature industry. These programs have been going on for 80 years. We can sell products to high population countries such as China and India. You can be worth millions of dollars and still be paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in crop subsidies. This is the first area that can be targeted.

Moderator

Lawrence is a college town and has a number of younger voters. How do you think your campaign can reach out to youth voters, and convince them to support your candidacy in a general election?

Patrick Wiesner

My appeal to them is that I am here to solve problems now so that they can focus on building their families, advancing their careers, and working on a healthly lifestyle. The deficit and debt problems we have now are baby-boomer responsibilities. I want to have off the country to the next generation with as little debt as possible

Patrick Wiesner

that is hand off the country to the next generation

Moderator

That’s all the questions I’ve received via the website, via my e-mail as well as a couple of questions I thought were important to ask. Patrick, would you like to make any closing comments?

Patrick Wiesner

Thank you for the opportunity to address voters. I would like to be the democrat you vote for on August 3. For more about me, go to my website www.patrickwiesnerforussenate.com. You can count on me to work hard.

Moderator

Thanks to those who submitted questions and to Patrick for answering the questions. Remember, advance voting is underway now at the Douglas County Courthouse. Election day is Aug. 3. We have two more chats today. If you’d like to take part you may submit questions in advance at LJWorld.com/chats.