Email interview series:
2006 Senate candidates interviewed by 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     Rae Vogeler: Women have the right to control their bodies.     Rae Vogeler: Require health insurance to cover contraception and abortion.     Rae Vogeler: Require abortion-related medical services for women.     Rae Vogeler: Reinstate family planning aid in foreign aid.     Robert Lorge: I am the strongest Pro-Life Candidate in America.     Robert Lorge: Stem cell research is Frankenstein science.     Chris Lugo: Women’s right to privacy is fundamental to our society.     Dwight Grotberg: Every unborn child is a human being.     David Redick: A fetus has no rights as a separate person until born.     Brian Macdonald: Opposes abortion, but focuses on reducing abortion demand.     Daniel Vovak: Pro-choice in 1st trimester; pro-life in 2nd trimester.     Kevin Scott: Abortion is a woman’s right.     Kevin Scott: Keep abortion rare; promote abstinence and adoption.     Kevin Scott: Abortion traumatizes women and falls heavily on minorities.     Jean Hay Bright: Abortion is a woman’s right.

Budget & Economy     Rae Vogeler: Focus on reducing budget deficit instead of tax cuts.     Robert Lorge: Balanced Budget amendment then 5% cuts every year.

Civil Rights     Rae Vogeler: Require pay equity.     Rae Vogeler: Fund support programs for single mothers.     Rae Vogeler: Supports affirmative action and Reparations.     Rae Vogeler: End official racism like under-funding of schools & services.     Rae Vogeler: Strengthen LGBT anti-discrimination laws.     Rae Vogeler: Extend domestic partnership rights to more GLBT workers.     Rae Vogeler: Support the right to marry for same-sex couples.     Rae Vogeler: Support legal protections for LGBT families.     Rae Vogeler: Support LGBT youth in the schools.     Carl Sheeler: Meditation ok in schools; prayer is not.     Michael Cavlan: Equal hiring & equal pay for women & minorities.     Robert Lorge: Support minority hiring, with incentives not quotas.     Robert Lorge: One-man-one-woman definition of marriage.     Robert Lorge: Constitutional ban on flag burning.     Robert Lorge: Ban affirmative action but enforce discrimination laws.     Robert Lorge: Don’t add sexual orientation to the definition of hate crime.     Chris Lugo: Affirmative action is instrumental for social equality.     Chris Lugo: Embrace gays and lesbians in their quest for full rights.     Howie Hawkins: Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws.     Bo Heyward: No mandates on who companies hire.     Bo Heyward: People aren’t born gay; no special protections needed.     Jack Carter: Personal freedoms include sexual orientation.     Dwight Grotberg: Opposes requiring minority/women hiring.     Dwight Grotberg: No civil rights protections for sexual orientation.     Jack Carter: Existing legislation satisfactory on affirmative action.     Jack Carter: Sexual orientation is protected by civil rights laws.     David Redick: Social engineering for minority hiring doesn’t work.     David Redick: No laws about sexual orientation--they interfere with rights.     Brian Macdonald: Encourage affirmative action, but no government intervention.     Brian Macdonald: Protecting homosexuality opens the door to worse.     Daniel Vovak: Avoid regulating hiring practices.     Daniel Vovak: No regulation of marriage, not even gay marriage.     Kevin Scott: Opposes mandated affirmative action.     Kevin Scott: Ban flag-burning of US flags and all flags.     Kevin Scott: Create society where affirmative action can be phased out.     Jean Hay Bright: Require companies to hire more women & minorities.     Jean Hay Bright: Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws.

Corporations     Robert Lorge: Bankruptcy reform law creates permanent indentured servitude.     Kevin Scott: Corporate corruption attacks heart of capitalism.

Crime     Rae Vogeler: Moratorium on federal executions.     Rae Vogeler: “Three strikes” locks away otherwise productive people.     Rae Vogeler: ‘Tough on crime’ policies bankrupt our state budgets.     Carl Sheeler: Life imprisonment instead of death penalty.     Carl Sheeler: Opposes mandatory Three Strikes sentencing.     Michael Cavlan: Death penalty is flawed and doesn’t teach nonviolence.     Michael Cavlan: No justice in incarcerating minor criminals for life.     Robert Lorge: Strongly opposes the death penalty.     Robert Lorge: Three Strikes sentencing laws have been abused.     Robert Lorge: Opposes death penalty because 100% pro-life.     Robert Lorge: Repeal federal speed limits.     Robert Lorge: Promote faith-based rehabilitation in prisons.     Chris Lugo: Strongly opposes the death penalty.     Chris Lugo: Strongly opposes “Three Strikes” sentencing laws.     Howie Hawkins: Opposes mandatory sentencing.     Bo Heyward: Supports giving violent criminals harsher sentences.     Dwight Grotberg: Supports the death penalty.     Dwight Grotberg: Strongly supports mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.     Daniel Vovak: One strike is plenty.     Jack Carter: Death penalty acceptable fair trial & representation.     Jack Carter: Judges should have some judicial authority.     David Redick: Death penalty is subject to error & doe not deter.     David Redick: Don’t take judgment away from judges.     Brian Macdonald: Supports death penalty only for killing officers.     Brian Macdonald: Supports mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.     Daniel Vovak: Swift and immediate death penalty.     Kevin Scott: Opposes the death penalty.     Kevin Scott: Child rapists deserve life sentences.     Jean Hay Bright: Strongly Opposes the Death Penalty.     Jean Hay Bright: Strongly Opposes Three Strikes sentencing laws.

Drugs     Rae Vogeler: Decriminalize marijuana; save money and stop wasting lives.     Rae Vogeler: Drug addiction is a medical problem, not criminal.     Rae Vogeler: War on Drugs is an excuse for massive rights violations.     Carl Sheeler: Drug use is a health issue, not a moral issue.     Michael Cavlan: War on Drugs is really war on the poor and minorities.     Robert Lorge: Drug abuse undermines family, society, and culture.     Robert Lorge: Combat drug abuse since it destroys families and communities.     Chris Lugo: Eliminate convictions for drug use.     Brad Klippert: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it.     Bo Heyward: Keep drug use illegal.     Dwight Grotberg: Drug use is immoral; enforce laws against it.     Daniel Vovak: Drug use is immoral, but marijuana ban is more immoral.     David Redick: Use of drugs & alcohol is none of the government’s business.     David Redick: Making drugs illegal just raise the price & causes crime.     Brian Macdonald: Prohibition failed; legalize drugs like alcohol.     Kevin Scott: Drug use is immoral.     Kevin Scott: Less drug abuse means less crime.     Kevin Scott: Sports “natural high” makes for less drug abuse.     Jean Hay Bright: Opposes enforce drug laws based on morality.

Education     Rae Vogeler: Prayer does not belong in public schools.     Rae Vogeler: Opposes parents choosing schools via vouchers or charters.     Rae Vogeler: Increase teacher and staff pay.     Rae Vogeler: Expand access to tuition-free post-secondary education.     Rae Vogeler: Equalize school funding between districts.     Rae Vogeler: Repeal the “No Child Left Behind Act”.     Rae Vogeler: Get the military and corporations out of our schools.     Rae Vogeler: Fund life-long adult education.     Michael Cavlan: Supports teaching values in public schools.     Michael Cavlan: Vouchers were invented to privatize education.     Robert Lorge: Teach family values in public schools.     Robert Lorge: Tuition Tax Credits repaid from lifetime earnings.     Robert Lorge: Supports $11B for education improvement.     Robert Lorge: Supports school vouchers in poor performing schools.     Robert Lorge: Supports school prayer but opposes Thought Police.     Chris Lugo: School prayer breaches church-state separation.     Chris Lugo: Supports vouchers AND full public school funding.     Bo Heyward: Permit school prayer, but don’t force it.     Bo Heyward: School choice ok if done at the state level.     Jack Carter: Teach Reading, Writing and Rithmetic, not values.     David Redick: School prayer inappropriately inserts unshared religion.     David Redick: Vouchers are a step in the right direction.     Brian Macdonald: Permit prayer in public schools, but school choice better.     Brian Macdonald: Give every parent a real choice for children's school.     Daniel Vovak: Move to private control of schools instead of gov’t control.     Daniel Vovak: Prayer is a First Amendment Right, even in schools.     Kevin Scott: Supports prayer and moral standards in school.     Kevin Scott: Vouchers for students in failing districts.     Kevin Scott: Encourage language and music in schools for “Mozart effect”.     Jean Hay Bright: Opposes permitting school-sponsored prayer.     Jean Hay Bright: Opposes school vouchers.

Energy & Oil     Rae Vogeler: We need to move away from oil as our energy source.     Rae Vogeler: Crash program for clean energy; end oil drilling.     Rae Vogeler: Retire nuclear power reactors as soon as possible.     Robert Lorge: Supplement coal & oil with solar & nuclear & others.     Robert Lorge: I support liquid fuel including oil, Ethanol, and Bio-Diesel.     Robert Lorge: Approve Yucca Mt. nuclear waste repository.     Chris Lugo: Invest in hybrid vehicles, biodiesel & public transportation.     Brad Klippert: Tax incentives for new oil refineries.     Jack Carter: Reliance on foreign oil destabilizes our economy.     Daniel Vovak: Move towards ethanol-based fuel.     Jack Carter: Replace coal & oil with alternatives.     David Redick: Supports high market prices for instant conservation.     Brian Macdonald: Oil is not an infinite resource.     Kevin Scott: Foreign oil dependence hurts national security.     Kevin Scott: Promote wind, solar, & renewable energy.     Jean Hay Bright: Favors reducing use of coal, oil, & nuclear energy.

Environment     Robert Lorge: Supports good stewardship, not radical environmentalism.     Robert Lorge: Opposes desert protection; let local habitats evolve.     Robert Lorge: More road-building in the National Forests.     Robert Lorge: Share costs between EPA & businesses for Fox River cleanup.     Kevin Scott: Expand recycling, promote energy efficiency.

Families & Children     Robert Lorge: Let Boy Scouts regulate their own hiring.     Dwight Grotberg: Teach family values in public schools.     Jack Carter: Some family values should be taught in schools.     Kevin Scott: No marriage tax penalty.

Foreign Policy     Rae Vogeler: End the economic blockade of Cuba.     Rae Vogeler: Work with the UN to resolve conflicts non-militarily.     Robert Lorge: Slave Trade nation Communist China must be contained.     Robert Lorge: Cap foreign aid and reduce aid to IMF.     Robert Lorge: Embargo Cuba & Vietnam; minimize aid to Africa.     David Redick: UN not needed for US military action, but int’l law is.     Brian Macdonald: Link human rights to trade with China.     Kevin Scott: Promote mutually beneficial economic partnerships.     Jean Hay Bright: Favors linking human rights to trade with China.

Free Trade     Rae Vogeler: Free trade has been anything but free to workers.     Rae Vogeler: Renegotiate NAFTA, CAFTA & GATT.     Rae Vogeler: Remake the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.     Robert Lorge: Trading with our enemies approaches treason.     Robert Lorge: Free trade is slave trade; supports exports not imports.     Robert Lorge: Trade agreements ok with Oman, Singapore, & Chile.     Robert Lorge: Impose trade sanctions on Japan until markets open.     Chris Lugo: Withdraw from NAFTA; oppose CAFTA.     Howie Hawkins: Repeal NAFTA & CAFTA.     Brad Klippert: Opposes free trade.     Bo Heyward: Free trade weakens the economy.     Jack Carter: Trade competition forces efficient behavior.     Dwight Grotberg: Strongly supports expanding free trade.     Daniel Vovak: Favor trade, but not be blind to burden on manufacturing.     Jack Carter: Support & expand free trade.     David Redick: Trade should be without government regulation.     David Redick: Don’t link human rights to trade with China.     Brian Macdonald: Free trade encourages economic growth abroad.     Kevin Scott: Foster exports for free and fair trade.     Jean Hay Bright: Strongly Opposes expanding free trade.

Government Reform     Tom Martin: 2,000 signatures for major parties; 67,000 for 3rd parties?     Rae Vogeler: Full public financing of elections.     Rae Vogeler: Proportional representation instead of winner-takes-all.     Rae Vogeler: Establish Instant Runoff Voting.     Rae Vogeler: Replace the Electoral College with direct election.     Rae Vogeler: Take politicians out of redistricting.     Rae Vogeler: Election day holiday, or multi-day voting.     Michael Cavlan: Limit amounts and sources of campaign donations.     Robert Lorge: Limit campaign donations to $100 per person.     Robert Lorge: Limit PACs to $100 and abolish 527 organizations.     Robert Lorge: The Pro-Incumbent system is broken.     Robert Lorge: $100 per person or PAC per entire campaign.     Chris Lugo: Public funding of campaigns at all levels of government.     Howie Hawkins: Supports publicly financed campaigns.     Brad Klippert: Limits on political campaign funds.     Bo Heyward: Much stricter limits on political campaign funds.     Dwight Grotberg: Oppose stricter limits on political campaign funds.     Daniel Vovak: Undecided on campaign finance reform.

Gun Control     Rae Vogeler: Possession ok for self-defense; but not concealed carry.     Carl Sheeler: Prior felonies should restrict gun ownership.     Michael Cavlan: Gun ownership is a Constitutional right, but with limits.     Robert Lorge: 2nd Amendment protects against Tyranny.     Chris Lugo: Fundamental right to gun ownership, with limits.     Bo Heyward: I strongly support gun ownership.     Jack Carter: Owning guns is Constitutionally enunciated personal freedom.     Dwight Grotberg: Strongly supports absolute right to gun ownership.     Jack Carter: Supports 2nd Amendment absolutely, except for felons.     David Redick: Absolute right to guns, if used safely by non-criminals.     Brian Macdonald: Supports the right to own a gun.     Daniel Vovak: Just read the Second Amendment.     Kevin Scott: Supports gun ownership.     Jean Hay Bright: Neutral on absolute right to gun ownership.

Health Care     Rae Vogeler: Single-payer system eliminates administrative waste.     Rae Vogeler: Supports universal national single-payer health care system.     Robert Lorge: Same sex marriage undermines Healthcare Insurance delivery.     Robert Lorge: Supports healthcare tax credits, not Socialized Medicine.     Chris Lugo: Ensure Universal Health Care.     Brad Klippert: Tax incentives for competitive healthcare.     Brian Macdonald: Work with private sector to reduce health care costs.     Daniel Vovak: Merge national health care into one department.     Jean Hay Bright: More federal funding for health coverage.

Homeland Security     Rae Vogeler: Our civil liberties are disappearing.     Rae Vogeler: Repeal the Patriot Act.     Rae Vogeler: Military spending has not made us safer nor better-off.     Rae Vogeler: Shift military spending to social programs at home.     Carl Sheeler: Patriot Act harms civil liberties.     Carl Sheeler: More spending on armed forces.     Michael Cavlan: Patriot Act is simply a means to control the people.     Michael Cavlan: Transfer military funding to veterans’ benefits.     Robert Lorge: Patriot Act needs sunset before future presidents.     Robert Lorge: Reauthorize the PATRIOT Act with sunset clauses.     Robert Lorge: Deploy National Missile Defense ASAP.     Robert Lorge: I am a Military HAWK; my opponent is a peacenik.     Chris Lugo: Patriot Act harms civil liberties.     Chris Lugo: Less spending on armed forces.     Chris Lugo: Create a cabinet-level Department of Peace.     Howie Hawkins: Halve defense spending & use funds domestically.     Brad Klippert: We need the Patriot Act for the war on terror.     Bo Heyward: Simplify the Patriot Act.     Jack Carter: Should not run our armed services on a shoe string.     Dwight Grotberg: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties.     Dwight Grotberg: Strongly supports more spending on armed forces.     Daniel Vovak: Let Senate Intelligence Committee decide military spending.     Jack Carter: Reallocate resources within the armed forces.     David Redick: Reduce military spending by having fewer political wars.     David Redick: Supports missile defense system.     Brian Macdonald: More spending on armed forces.     Brian Macdonald: Supports missile defense system.     Kevin Scott: Aggressively monitor terrorists but not US citizens.     Jean Hay Bright: Opposes more spending on armed forces.     Jean Hay Bright: Reduce spending on missile defense.

Immigration     Rae Vogeler: Don’t criminalize immigrants; focus on working conditions.     Rae Vogeler: Criminalizing immigrants hurts civil liberties & due process.     Rae Vogeler: Grant permanent residency to all undocumented aliens.     Rae Vogeler: Demilitarize the Mexican border.     Michael Cavlan: All who work in US should have path to citizenship.     Robert Lorge: Illegal immigrants should stand in line like everyone else.     Robert Lorge: Military enforcement of the borders.     Robert Lorge: Require guest workers to have return plane tickets.     Robert Lorge: Limit welfare for immigrants; oppose world welfare.     Chris Lugo: I support a path to citizenship for all immigrants.     Howie Hawkins: Supports path to citizenship.     Brad Klippert: No citizenship for babies born in US to illegal aliens.     Brian Macdonald: Supports legal immigration.     Daniel Vovak: Our borders are bulging.     Kevin Scott: Opposes amnesty.     Jean Hay Bright: Neutral on encouraging immigration.

Jobs     Robert Lorge: Increase & index minimum wage to end “Black Gold Standard”.     Kevin Scott: Incentives to keep jobs in the US.     Kevin Scott: Unions should focus on competitive productivity & quality.

Principles & Values     Robert Lorge: Pro-life, pro-family, pro-business, pro-labor, & pro-America.

Social Security     Rae Vogeler: Oppose efforts to privatize Social Security.     Carl Sheeler: No privatization; yes on lifting cap.     Robert Lorge: Invest a limited percentage in private investments.     Robert Lorge: Invest Social Security in municipal bonds, not federal ones.     Chris Lugo: Full funding of all entitlement programs without privatizing.     Jack Carter: Stock market too volatile for Social Security.     Jack Carter: Opposes privatizing.     David Redick: Privatizing should be option if over 40; obligatory if under.     Brian Macdonald: Opposes privatizing Social Security.     Daniel Vovak: Allow access to lifetime investment in Social Security.     Jean Hay Bright: Opposes privatizing Social Security.

Tax Reform     Rae Vogeler: Bush tax cuts shifted taxes from wealthy to working families.     Rae Vogeler: Rescind tax cuts for families making over $200,000 a year.     Robert Lorge: Tax system is broken; throw it out and start over.     Chris Lugo: Those who earn the most should pay the most taxes.     Brad Klippert: Same fair percentage tax rate at all income levels.     David Redick: Supports flat tax; and per-person user fees.     Brian Macdonald: Supports FairTax Plan and decreasing taxes.     Daniel Vovak: Eliminate all taxes on your paychecks.     Jean Hay Bright: Opposes decreasing overall taxation of the wealthy.

Technology     Robert Lorge: I am perhaps the most pro-technology candidate in America.     Robert Lorge: No funding increase for Amtrak until they reform ticketing.

War & Peace     Michael Cavlan: US military in Iraq is merely causing more dissension.     Robert Lorge: No UN troops in Iraq, and US troops under UN.     Robert Lorge: I support peace through strength, not cut-and-run.     Howie Hawkins: Replace Middle East occupation with peace.     Bo Heyward: Have the guts to truly unleash our military in Iraq.     Dwight Grotberg: Supports replacing US troops in Iraq.     Daniel Vovak: US must decide troop presence, not UN.     Brian Macdonald: Opposes UN approval for military action.     Kevin Scott: Insure against terrorists getting nuclear materials.     Kevin Scott: Partner with Europe & Russia in war on terror.     Jean Hay Bright: Favors seeking UN approval for military action.

Welfare & Poverty     Rae Vogeler: Church-based social services risks tax-funded discrimination.     Carl Sheeler: Churches providing welfare ok, if equal access to all faiths.     Michael Cavlan: Churches don’t serve all; so let government run welfare.     Robert Lorge: Cut welfare bureaucracy in half; it undermines families.     Robert Lorge: A job gets you money & ends dependency.     Chris Lugo: Faith Based Initiative breaches church-state separation.     Chris Lugo: Don’t allow churches to provide welfare services.     Bo Heyward: Do away with federal welfare, and rely on charities instead.     Jack Carter: No government funding of church-based welfare.     Dwight Grotberg: Allow churches to provide welfare services.     Jack Carter: Don’t allow churches to provide welfare services.     David Redick: Faith-based organizations are a conflict on both sides.     Brian Macdonald: Allow churches to provide welfare services.     Daniel Vovak: Supports church welfare services on church-state grounds.     Jean Hay Bright: Opposes church-provided welfare services.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Bo Heyward Independent challenger (2006) Tennessee Brad Klippert Republican Challenger (2006) Washington Brian Macdonald Republican challenger (2008) Massachusetts Carl Sheeler Democratic Challenger (2006) Rhode Island Chris Lugo Green challenger (2008) Tennessee Daniel Vovak Republican challenger (2008) Maryland David Redick Libertarian Challenger (2006) Wisconsin Dwight Grotberg Former Republican Challenger (2006) North Dakota Howie Hawkins New York Green Party Gubernatorial Challenger Jack Carter Democratic challenger (2006), previously First Son Nevada Jean Hay Bright Democratic challenger (2006) Maine Kevin Scott Republican Challenger (2008), previously Wakefield Selectman Massachusetts Michael Cavlan Green Challenger (2008) Minnesota Rae Vogeler Green Challenger (2006) Wisconsin Robert Lorge Republican Senate challenger Wisconsin Tom Martin Former Democratic Senate Candidate (2006) Pennsylvania