Email interviews with OnTheIssues.org on 2012 Senate races

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     Tim Chesnut: Abortion is a woman's right.     Eddie Pirkowski: Life begins at conception, but support mother's choice.     David Ruben: Abortion is a woman's right until fetal viability.     Colia Clark: Women's right to control their bodies is nonnegotiable.     Colia Clark: Morning-after pill should be readily accessible.     Paul Sadler: It's a woman's right to make her own medical decisions.     Tim Donner: I am unequivocally pro-life.     Richard Mourdock: I am a pro-life candidate.     Peter Konetchy: Abortion is not a woman's right.

Budget & Economy     Colia Clark: $800 billion doled out to Wall Street is not acceptable.     William Capps: Keep an eye on the multinational banks.

Civil Rights     Doug LaMalfa: Supported both amendments banning same sex marriage.     Tim Chesnut: Encourage companies to hire more women & minorities.     Tim Chesnut: Supports same-sex domestic partnership.     Eddie Pirkowski: Marriage is man+woman, but respect state & individual choice.     David Ruben: Enhancing equal opportunity levels the playing field.     David Ruben: Equal treatment for consenting adults of any sex.     Colia Clark: Community-owned businesses with inclusive employment.     Colia Clark: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits and civil marriage.     Paul Sadler: Marriage equality for all Americans.     Paul Sadler: End discriminatory hiring practices.     William Capps: Affirmative action is not a federal issue.     Tim Donner: No race or sex based discrimination, like affirmative action.     Tim Donner: No same-sex domestic partnership benefits.     Richard Mourdock: No racial or gender quotas imposed on private employers.     Richard Mourdock: No same-sex marriage nor civil unions.     Peter Konetchy: Don't require hiring more women & minorities.     Peter Konetchy: No same-sex domestic partnership benefits.

Corporations     Colia Clark: Make people of the US stakeholders in business development.     William Capps: Drop the corporate tax rate to 20%.

Crime     Tim Chesnut: Death penalty ok if rarely used in certain instances.     Tim Chesnut: Opposes Three Strikes sentencing laws.     Eddie Pirkowski: Death penalty as deterrent.     Eddie Pirkowski: Supports "Three Strikes" laws.     David Ruben: Incarceration instead of capital punishment.     David Ruben: Rehabilitation for those who multiply transgress.     Colia Clark: The death penalty must be abolished.     Colia Clark: Mandatory sentencing must be abolished.     Colia Clark: Prisons should be not-for-profit.     Paul Sadler: Supports the death penalty for heinous crimes.     Paul Sadler: Vary sentencing laws based on each offense.     William Capps: Supports the death penalty.     William Capps: Sentencing should depend on the crime.     Tim Donner: Supports the death penalty.     Tim Donner: Supports mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws.     Richard Mourdock: Federal death penalty for serious crimes.     Richard Mourdock: Support mandatory sentencing.     Peter Konetchy: Death penalty only when no doubt of guilt.     Peter Konetchy: Don't necessarily require THREE strikes.

Drugs     Tim Chesnut: End the war on drugs.     Eddie Pirkowski: String enforcement against drugs; with rehab centers.     David Ruben: Get our ethics straight.     Colia Clark: Legalize medical marijuana and hemp crop production.     Colia Clark: Return nonviolent offenders from prison to community.     Paul Sadler: Enforce America's drug laws.     William Capps: Don't legalize drugs.     Tim Donner: Drug war has failed to reduce harm; and hurts privacy.     Richard Mourdock: Enforce laws against dangerous and addictive substances.     Peter Konetchy: Drug use is detrimental to society, but let states decide.

Education     Tim Chesnut: Opposes teacher-led prayer in public schools.     Tim Chesnut: No school vouchers.     Eddie Pirkowski: Strongly support vouchers at state level.     Eddie Pirkowski: Support prayer choice in schools.     David Ruben: Separate religion and publicly funded education.     David Ruben: I support choice in public education.     Colia Clark: Charter schools should not be funded with public dollars.     Colia Clark: School voucher system had racist origins.     Colia Clark: Prayer in school means pain and disrespect for some.     Paul Sadler: Opposes private school vouchers.     Paul Sadler: Prohibit mandatory prayer and teacher-led prayer.     William Capps: School prayer is not a federal issue.     Tim Donner: No teacher-led prayer in public schools.     Tim Donner: Let parents choose schools via vouchers.     Richard Mourdock: Supports student-led prayer in public schools.     Richard Mourdock: Vouchers in DC; local control elsewhere.     Peter Konetchy: Support optional teacher-led prayer in public schools.     Peter Konetchy: Support parents choosing schools via vouchers.

Energy & Oil     Tim Chesnut: Enhance and encourage wind and solar.     Eddie Pirkowski: Desalination plants and ocean floor flow conversion energy.     Eddie Pirkowski: Address global warming with cap-and-trade at state level.     Eddie Pirkowski: Nuclear plants and oil drilling ok, but at state level.     David Ruben: Fossil fuels are a limited bridge to our energy future.     Colia Clark: Energy for the Living: green sources from wind & sun.     Paul Sadler: Nationally recognized expert on wind energy.     William Capps: Open up oil exploration nationwide and at sea.     Tim Donner: Don't hinder energy exploration or exploitation.     Richard Mourdock: No subsidies for alternative energy.     Peter Konetchy: Develop oil, coal, natural gas, nuclear and any others.

Foreign Policy     Colia Clark: All foreign bases should be closed within three years.

Free Trade     Tim Chesnut: Some free trade is ok.     Eddie Pirkowski: Increase trade with China.     David Ruben: Balance trade with protections for industry development.     Colia Clark: NAFTA and CAFTA force workers to immigrate to the US.     Colia Clark: NAFTA is a hideous cancerous instrument of corporate power.     Paul Sadler: Supports fair trade policies.     William Capps: End NAFTA; tariffs against China.     Tim Donner: Few things more obvious than free trade producing wealth.     Richard Mourdock: Free trade except with rogue nations.     Peter Konetchy: Support & expand free trade.

Government Reform     Tim Chesnut: Stricter limits on political campaign funds.     David Ruben: Corporate money and politics do not mix.     Colia Clark: Full public financing of elections.     Paul Sadler: Citizens United threatens our country's democracy.     William Capps: Campaign spending reform is a trumped-up issue.     Tim Donner: Spending political money is part of free speech.     Richard Mourdock: Oppose attempts to limit political speech.     Peter Konetchy: No government approval for campaign contributions.

Gun Control     Tim Chesnut: Regional controls ok for gun ownsership.     Eddie Pirkowski: Limits only on assault rifles and military hardware.     David Ruben: Gun registration, training, licensure, and limitations.     Colia Clark: Need to set forth gun control laws is urgent.     Paul Sadler: Supports common-sense gun laws.     William Capps: Right to carry for all citizens except criminals & impaired.     Tim Donner: Right to gun ownership except for criminals & mentally ill.     Richard Mourdock: No additional restrictions on gun ownership.     Peter Konetchy: Absolute right to gun ownership.

Health Care     Tim Chesnut: Supports more federal funding for health coverage.     Eddie Pirkowski: Healthcare is a right, but no mandates.     David Ruben: I support universal health care.     Colia Clark: We need single-payer health care for NY and US.     Colia Clark: Don't force purchasing insurance from private insurers.     Paul Sadler: Supports the Affordable Care Act.     William Capps: Healthcare is not a federal issue.     Tim Donner: No more federal funding for health coverage.     Richard Mourdock: No federal control of the healthcare system.     Peter Konetchy: Oppose more federal funding for health coverage.

Homeland Security     Tim Chesnut: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties.     Tim Chesnut: Stop expanding the armed forces.     Eddie Pirkowski: More high-tech defense; more police.     Eddie Pirkowski: Follow the Constitution even with regards to terrorism.     Eddie Pirkowski: Keep PATRIOT Act at state level, with emergency exceptions.     Eddie Pirkowski: Peace through strength; keep nuclear missiles & research.     David Ruben: Patriot Act harms civil liberties.     David Ruben: Overemphasis on force to solve domestic & world problems.     Colia Clark: Immediate repeal of the USA PATRIOT Act.     Colia Clark: Cut the present defense budget by 50%.     Paul Sadler: Give armed forces the equipment they need.     Paul Sadler: Give law enforcement the tools they need.     William Capps: We are at war; Patriot Act is ok.     William Capps: Defer to generals when deciding defense spending levels.     Tim Donner: Parts of Patriot Act offensive to constitutional protections.     Tim Donner: Cut bureaucratic fat while retaining military muscle.     Richard Mourdock: Reauthorize the Patriot Act.     Richard Mourdock: Maintain our current level of military readiness.     Peter Konetchy: 4th amendment concerns with Patriot Act.     Peter Konetchy: Strongest military possible; achieve peace through strength.

Immigration     Tim Chesnut: No citizenship for illegals.     Eddie Pirkowski: US founded by immigrants; keep DREAM Act & sanctuary cities.     David Ruben: Let illegal immigrants earning citizenship.     Colia Clark: All immigrants should have an equal right to citizenship.     Paul Sadler: Supports the DREAM Act & a path to citizenship.     William Capps: Seal the border; enforce the laws.     Tim Donner: Red Card solution: enhanced e-verification.     Richard Mourdock: Oppose DREAM Act & other forms of amnesty.     Peter Konetchy: Oppose illegal immigrants earning citizenship.

Social Security     Tim Chesnut: Opposes privatizing Social Security.     Eddie Pirkowski: Keep system, with private Social Security savings accounts.     David Ruben: Keep Social Security as government sponsored insurance.     Colia Clark: Public protections should not be privatized and subject risk.     Paul Sadler: Opposes privatizing Social Security.     William Capps: Don't privatize Social Security.     Tim Donner: Offer younger Americans self-directed retirement funds.     Richard Mourdock: Consider personalized retirement accounts for young workers.     Peter Konetchy: Support privatizing Social Security.

Tax Reform     Tim Chesnut: Make taxes more progressive.     Eddie Pirkowski: Eliminate all state taxes to zero.     Eddie Pirkowski: 13% flat tax for all, zero business and estate taxes.     David Ruben: Progressive taxation to distribute wealth.     Colia Clark: Federal and state taxes must be strongly progressive.     Paul Sadler: Make the tax code more progressive.     Tim Donner: Flat tax will broaden the tax base.     Richard Mourdock: Pledge against raising taxes.     Peter Konetchy: Oppose progressive taxation.

Technology     Colia Clark: Redirect billions spent on wars abroad on US infrastructure.

War & Peace     Tim Chesnut: End all the wars.     Eddie Pirkowski: Stop the wars, with victory.     Eddie Pirkowski: US is not world's policeman; UN should be.     Eddie Pirkowski: Negotiate with Iran on nukes, but keep military option.     David Ruben: Carefully assess our imperial role in the world.     Colia Clark: End to all foreign wars is urgent.     Paul Sadler: We're out of Iraq; no further decisions needed.     William Capps: Defer to generals when deciding exit strategies.     Tim Donner: US out of Iraq and Afghanistan.     Richard Mourdock: Keep troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as long as necessary.     Peter Konetchy: We chose to limit force in Afghanistan; better to leave.

Welfare & Poverty     Tim Chesnut: Allow churches to provide welfare services.     David Ruben: People can do good from whatever vehicle they choose.     Colia Clark: Government, not churches, should provide social services.     Paul Sadler: Church-based welfare needs no government permission.     William Capps: Churches have the right to provide welfare services.     Tim Donner: Allow limited faith-based charities.     Richard Mourdock: Churches provide more effective services than the feds.     Peter Konetchy: All welfare should be voluntary, via community & churches.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Colia Clark Green Senate challenger New York David Ruben Democratic Challenger (lost 2012 primary) Arizona Doug LaMalfa Republican U.S. Rep California-1 Eddie Pirkowski Republican candidate for Hawaii U.S. Senator Hawaii Paul Sadler Democratic Challenger Texas Peter Konetchy Republican Challenger Michigan Richard Mourdock Republican Challenger Indiana Tim Chesnut Democratic challenger Wyoming Tim Donner Former Republican Challenger (2012) Virginia William Capps Former Republican Primary Challenger (2012) Maryland