October 23, 2008

U.S. Senate
Questions for Jeanne Shaheen and John Sununu
By Jeff Mucciarone jmucciarone@hippopress.com

Jeanne Shaheen
Former Democratic governor Jeanne Shaheen is facing off against Republican United States Senator John Sununu again this year. The pair matched up in 2002 with Sununu taking office by about 20,000 votes. Shaheen, who was the first woman to be elected governor in New Hampshire, served as governor for three terms from 1996 to 2002. Shaheen was appointed director of Harvard University’s Institute of Politics in 2005 and served in that post until announcing her run for Senate. The Missouri native received a bachelor’s degree from Shippensburg University and a master’s degree from the University of Mississippi.

Q:What are your thoughts on the bailout? Where do we go from here?
As I said at the time, we did need to take some action. But the bailout doesn’t provide enough protections for the taxpayers. It doesn’t address the underlying problem of the credit crisis and home foreclosures. I don’t think it has enough oversight. The question of compensation is an issue. A weekend hotel and spa package on the taxpayers’ behalf — we need to be absolutely clear with the public that we will not put up with this. Going forward we need to assure the public that regulations are in place. I think there is not enough oversight for spending the money.

During your time as governor, what are some accomplishments you are particularly proud of?
I’m proud of keeping stringent economic guidelines. I’m proud to have helped create over 66,000 new jobs. I promoted small business. We created a job training fund to help businesses keep employees up to date on their skills and training. I’m very proud of what I was able to accomplish during my years as governor.  We helped tens of thousands of children receive health insurance. I helped establish the children’s health insurance program, through the opposition of the Republican legislature. It has made such a difference. As a result of that, tens of thousands have not had to worry about receiving health care. I helped protect over 160,000 acres of land in the North Country by working with Senator Gregg and the locals. We passed the Clean Power Act, which is the first legislation to address global warming and emissions.

While working at Harvard, what have you learned in the educational realm that will help you in the Senate?
It was exciting working with young people to get them engaged and interested in public service. I also had the opportunity to meet with a number of world and national leaders. We had forums and brought in speakers: Robert Mueller, the head of the FBI, Madeleine Albright, the president of Bosnia, the president of Serbia, the president of Peru. So it was an opportunity to learn from world and national leaders about so many topics that are important to us. I got an education about what’s happening in this country but also what’s happening throughout the world that’s affecting the challenges we’re facing.

If you are elected, what are some things you are targeting to work on?
Two areas where we need the most work are health care and energy. Health care, because I think it is so critical to families who are trying to look at their future. They can’t feel secure right now. An energy policy is critical to allow us to compete in the future. It’s also a national security issue to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and to stop sending billions of dollars to other countries, many of which would like to undermine us. The environment will have a significant economic impact as well. If we’re going to compete in the future ... we need to make an investment in energy. We need to be a leader. Right now we’re not. We have three percent of the world’s oil and we’re using 25 percent of the world’s energy. We need to start investing in renewables.

You were in a close race with Senator Sununu six years ago. What has changed this time around?
I think people are looking at a choice, a choice between continuing on the same road of the last eight years. We’ve had eight years of President Bush’s policies and John Sununu has voted with him 90 percent of the time. He voted with him on the economy, on the budget. We have a $10 trillion deficit. I think we need a new direction. We need to create jobs for the middle class. We need to end the top-down, trickle-down economic strategy that just hasn’t worked. The middle class and small businesses are the backbone of the country. I want to start making progress for our future.

Thinking about your opponent and yourself, what are some key differences between the two of you?
If you like the status quo, if you like where we are economically, then by all means vote for John Sununu. He supported the policies that got us here. He voted for the Bush economic policies, which created higher costs, 759,000 lost jobs since January. Health care is not affordable and is inaccessible. We’re seeing the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. I represent a new direction. I hope voters will take a look at the choice in November and decide I’d be on the side of the greater good.

Beyond the issues, what are some characteristics that make you a successful politician?
One of the things I think we have to deal with is to clean up the partisanship and divisiveness of government in Washington. I worked very hard to build relationships with people who were not in the same party to try and find compromises so we could get things done. There’s too much partisanship. Leaders need to work together. I understand because I’ve been a chief executive. I know you have to make those tough decisions because I’ve been there and I’ve done that. And I’ll be able to do so in Washington.

Why should voters choose you? What would you say to a voter on the fence?
If they look at my time as governor, I worked hard to create strict economic guidelines that created good jobs. I’ve worked hard to address health care. I’ve worked hard to support education to provide the best education we can. I kept a balanced budget. We delivered three balanced budgets to the legislature. I kept state taxes the lowest all six years. Those are the kinds of values I’d bring to the U.S. Senate. I hope you’ll vote for me because I want to take New Hampshire in a new direction. I’ll work to keep the tax burden low and to maintain fiscal responsibility. The middle class has been left out by the policies of George Bush and John Sununu. As a result they have forgotten about the backbone of the economy.

John Sununu
In a rematch of six years ago, Republican United States Sen. John Sununu is looking to fend off former Democratic Gov. Jeanne Shaheen once again. Prior to his run for Senate in 2002, Sununu served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Hampshire’s 1st Congressional District. The 43-year-old Salem native, who is currently the youngest member of the Senate, received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. According to his campaign Web site, Sununu worked as a design engineer, as a consultant for high-tech companies and for four years as director of operations for an electronics manufacturer in Manchester.

Q:What should the government do about the financial situation going forward?
First, we need to make sure the treasury has the tools necessary to respond to the financial crisis. Congress should make sure we don’t do anything to make this worse, and raising taxes would be one of the most damaging choices we could make. We need to keep taxes where they are. We need to enact a comprehensive regulation of the financial services legislation in order to reform Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. I think we need to consolidate and reform the financial services regulations to keep up with the size and complexity of financial companies today.

What are some key accomplishments you’ve achieved while in office that you are particularly proud of?
I led the effort to negotiate and pass the ban on Internet access taxes, as well as the Internet Tax Freedom Act. The seven-year ban is the longest we have ever had. Obviously it’s very important to communities and small businesses who want to see more investment and deployment of broadband. When the Patriot Act was being proposed, I stood up and said we shouldn’t pass it until we fix it. I led an effort to stop it and succeeded. I wrote protections for privacy and civil liberties that better protect libraries. I made sure we included stipulations that guarantee access to an attorney, which allows people to object to a gag order that is often imposed with subpoenas. I wrote and passed the New England Wilderness Act, which provides the White Mountain National Forest with the best protection ever. We worked with the forest society, the Audubon, as well as people who hike and fish and hunt in the forest. I put together a conservation plan to place 35,000 acres into wilderness protection. Those are the major pieces of legislation that I wrote and passed, in bipartisan fashion, that make a real difference to small businesses, the economy, civil liberties and environmental conservation.

If re-elected, what are some items or issues you are targeting to take on in the next term?
First, we need to enact policies that help the New Hampshire small business economy and permanently repeal death taxes that hurt them. We need to help small businesses get better access to health insurance for employees. We should let small businesses join together to negotiate better prices for insurance. We should make it easier for small businesses to provide employees with health savings accounts. We should give individuals a 100-percent deduction for all health care costs, just like large corporations. Small business is where most people in New Hampshire work and it’s one of the most important things we can do in New Hampshire. I’ve been a leader in standing up and talking about the importance of strengthening the social security system, which will become obsolete as the baby boomers retire, and I’ll continue to fight every day to make sure the Internet remains tax-free and free of regulations.

What’s the difference in this year’s match-up with Jeanne Shaheen versus six years ago?
First, I’ve proven my ability to write and pass legislation that’s important to New Hampshire’s interests, the Internet Act, the New England Wilderness Act, civil liberties protection. Second, I’ve shown the ability to take strong, independent stands on behalf of the state of New Hampshire. I led the effort to defeat a Republican energy bill in 2003 that spent too much money.... I bucked my party in support of a children’s health insurance program, because it’s a program that has worked well for families that don’t have access to health insurance. I never hesitate to take a strong and independent stand, and I think that’s a record of leadership that makes a difference to voters in New Hampshire.

What are some key differences between you and your opponent?
I support lifting the ban on off-shore drilling to produce more oil and gas. [Shaheen is] opposed to lifting the ban. I support keeping personal income taxes low. I support keeping personal tax rates where they are today, as well as keeping capital gains taxes low and fully eliminating death taxes. Jeanne Shaheen has proposed higher personal income tax rates, higher capital gains taxes and has proposed to bring back death taxes in 2011 after it expires. That’s bad for families and small businesses in New Hampshire. Third, I’ve written and passed important legislation to New Hampshire.... When Jeanne Shaheen was governor, she failed to deal with the educational funding crisis. As a result, it’s still an issue today.   

Aside from the issues, what are some characteristics that you possess that have made you a successful senator and will continue to do so?
I’m one of eight brothers and sisters, and as a result, I’ve always put in a little extra effort. I learned the importance of listening carefully and understanding both sides of any issue, while working to cast a vote that I really believe is in the best interest of New Hampshire and our country. I’m not a lawyer. I’m an engineer by training, the only engineer in the U.S. Senate. That’s put me in a position to play a real leadership role in telecommunications, broadband and Internet policy and technology. Finally, I’ve had hands-on experience for four years as director of operations ... with an electronics manufacturer in the Millyard. That provided me with real hands-on experience in hiring and training employees and understanding how policies affect the small business economy.

Why should voters choose you?
First, because I have the right background and experience. I have the background and experience best suited to give New Hampshire a strong voice in the Senate. And my engineering background, hands-on small-business experience, puts me in a position to represent and understand the small businesses across New Hampshire that provide the lion’s share of jobs in our state. Second, I have a record of effective leadership, writing and passing legislation important to the state, and finally because of showing my ability to look at tough issues and to take a strong, clear stand or take a strong, independent stand that really reflects New Hampshire’s interests.