Photos by Josh Edge, APRN – Anchorage
Democratic nominee Scott McAdams, Republican candidate Joe Miller and write-in incumbent Lisa Murkowski were in the KAKM studios for the 2010 edition of Debate for the State, in front of a live studio audience.
Alaska Public Radio Network‘s Libby Casey served as moderator for Debate for the State. APRN‘s Dave Donaldson of Juneau and Lori Townsend of Anchorage also participated as panelists in the senatorial debate on October 27.
Here is the complete audio from U.S. Senate debate with questions listed below.
Q 1
Libby Casey – Scott McAdams, Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski
What have you learned about yourself during this campaign?
Q2
Libby Casey -Lisa Murkowski
A Superior Court judge says the state is violating a regulation by giving voters a list of write in candidates at the polls. The Alaska Democratic and Republican parties are united on this. It’s obviously a blow to your campaign… is this fair?
Q3
Dave Donaldson – Joe Miller
Documents released yesterday by the Fairbanks North Star Borough show you saying, quote: “I lied about ack-sessing the computers, I then admitted ack-sessing them, but lied about what I was doing.” Why did you do that?
Q 4
Libby Casey – Scott McAdams
Your opponents are running against Washington D.C. but you’re on the Democratic team of the leaders in Congress and President Obama. How tough a sell is your message in a year when there’s so much voter anger?
Download Audio (MP3 1:28:53)
LIGHTNING ROUND (:15 sec answers)
Q5
Dave Donaldson – Scott McAdams, Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski
Should we extend the Bush era tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans, which means those making 200-thousand dollars or more?
Q 6
Libby Casey – Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski
Name one thing President Obama is right about?
Q 7
Libby Casey – Scott McAdams
One thing the Republican minority in Washington is right about?
Q 8
Dave Donaldason
Does the Constitution’s First Amendment call for separation of Church and State? – SENATOR MURKOWSKI, MR. McADAMS, MR. MILLER
Q 9
Libby Casey – Scott McAdams, Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski
Alaskan Simon Suchland wants to know if you’d like to see creationism taught in public school science classes.
Q 10
Dave Donaldson – Joe Miller, Senator Murkowski and Scott McAdams
Should the U.S. be involved in non-military, humanitarian missions overseas?
Q 11
Libby Casey
Question from listener Neil O’Donnell:
Would you support eliminating the filibuster in the interest of breaking gridlock in the Senate?
Q12
Dave Donaldson – Lisa Murkowski
A bill you introduced would give the Sealaska Native Corporation their choice of lands, but we’ve heard from a lot of Southeast Alaskans who oppose it. How significant is this issue in your campaign?
Q13
Dave Donaldson – Scott McAdams
Many people in Sitka were opposed to this bill when you were Mayor, will you support or oppose it if you get to the Senate?
Q14
Dave Donaldson – Joe Milller
Will you support or oppose it?
Q 15
Libby Casey
TARP – the Trouble Asset Relief Program of 2008 – often called the Bank Bailout, is now widely believed by economists to have saved the nation’s financial system despite it’s public unpopularity. Conservative commentator David Frum says it may have averted a global depression.
Of the 250 billion dollars spent on banks, the Treasury now expects to actually make a 16 Billion dollar profit.
Joe Miller: Since you’re against it, what would you have done instead?
Lisa Murkowski: you voted FOR it, but now say you regret that vote. Is your regret merely because it’s unpopular?
Scott McAdams: It was initially a Bush Administration plan, what would you have done?
Q 16
Dave Donaldson – Scott McAdams, Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski
The Obama Administration is crafting a new education policy, what changes would you like to see?
CANDIDATES ASK EACH OTHER
Q17
Lisa Murkowski – Joe Miller.
Q 18
Joe Miller – Scott McAdams
Q 19
Scott McAdams – Lisa Murkowski
PANELIST QUESTIONS
Q 20
Dave Donaldson – Lisa Murkowski, Scott McAdams and Joe Miller
When is it time to leave Afghanistan and what have we learned there?
Q 21
Dave Donaldson – Joe Miller, Scott McAdams, Lisa Murkowski
How do we deal with Pakistan and other countries in the region who are are our allies but have citizens and sometimes governments sympathetic to Al Qaeda, but?
Q 22
Libby Casey – Scott McAdams, Lisa Murkowski, Joe Miller
Do you support building a fence on the Mexican border? The Bush Administration estimated the price tag at 8 BILLION dollars. If you don’t support it, what should be done about illegal immigration? It hasn’t worked?
Q 23
Dave Donaldson – Lisa Murkowski, Joe Miller and Scott McAdams
The federal government now offers an 18 billion dollar loan guarantee for a gas pipeline to the Lower 48. Trans-Canada says it needs that amount bumped up to 30 billion. Is that too much money or not enough?
Q 24
Libby Casey – Joe Miller, Scott McAdams and Lisa Murkowski
Do you support a road to Nome that could cost nearly 3 billion dollars and should federal money be used for it?
Q 25
Dave Donaldson to Lisa Murkowski, Joe Miller and Scott McAdams
Is the bypass mail program, which is relied on by Alaskans throughout the rural parts of our state, deserving of a continued $100 million subsidy?
Q 26
Lori Townsend – Lisa Murkowski, Scott McAdams and Joe Miller
How do you protect social security for future generations?
Q 27
Libby Casey – Scott McAdams, Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski
Thousands of Alaskans age 65 and older can’t get in to see a doctor because they won’t take Medicare patients. What’s the solution?
Q 28
Libby Casey – Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams
Navy veteran Michael Casey from Eagle River shared with us his personal story:
Two decades ago, his daughter was born with congenital heart defects. Surgeries have been numerous and expensive but successful, and she now has a pacemaker. She just graduated from college… and Mr. Casey wants to know what you’ll do to make sure she has insurance after she ages out of her parents’ plan?
LIGHTNING ROUND (:15 sec answers)
Q 29
Lori Townsend – Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams
Should adult children be allowed to stay on their parents’ health insurance policies until age 26 as called for in the law health care law?
Q 30
Libby Casey – Lisa Murkowski, Scott Mcadams and Joe Miller
Abortion – should it be allowed in cases of rape or incest?
Q 31
Lori Townsend – Scott McAdams, Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski
Do you believe tribes are sovereign, autonomous governments?
Q 32
Libby Casey – Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams
Q 33
Libby Casey – Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams
Should federal money help fund public radio and TV in the United States?
Q 34
Lori Townsend – Lisa Murkowski, Scott McAdams and Joe Miller
Has the Patriot Act helped or hurt America?
Q 35
Libby Casey – Scott McAdams, Joe Miller and Lisa Murkowski
Beyond the obvious Constitutional qualifications, which she meets, is Sarah Palin qualified to be president?
Q 36
Lori Townsend – Joe Miller, Lisa Murkowski and Scott McAdams
Here’s a question from Roger Jacobson in Valdez. If you could go back in time to 1958, would you vote for or against Alaska statehood, and why?
CANDIDATES ASK EACH OTHER
Q 37
Scott McAdams t- Jo Miller
Q 38
Joe Miller – Lisa Murkowski
Q 39
Lisa Murkowski – Scott McAdams
Q 40
Miller – Murkowski
Q 41
Murkowski – Miller
Q 42
Scott McAdams – Lisa Murkowski
PANELIST QUESTIONS
Q 43
Lori Townsend – Joe Miller
Q 44
Based on a comment on your website, you suggest it wasn’t appropriate for the federal government to assist after Hurricane Katrina. Are you suggesting that if Alaska were to suffer another major earthquake, we should not get federal aid?
Q 45
Lori Townsend – Scott McAdams
How do you balance your economic goal of drilling offshore in the Arctic with the concerns over climate change and coastal communities’ fears about cleaning up oil spills in icy waters?
Q 46
Libby Casey – Lisa Murkowski
You said in a recent interview with the Anchorage Press that running as a write-in gives you “freedom” because you’re not beholden to Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell or state GOP Chairman Randy Reudrich. Were you before? Were you not voting your conscience?
