Wednesday, October 18, 2006

From Rock Star to House Candidate. Our Exclusive Interview with Upstate New York's John Hall


Back in the 70's John Hall was a rock 'n' roller with Orleans, the band he co-founded and with whom he wrote such classic hits as "Dance With Me" and "Still The One". The John Hall of 2006 wants to be the next Congressman from Upstate New York's 19th district, which includes all of Putnam County and portions of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland and Westchester counties. Hall's locked in a heated race with six-term Republican Sue Kelly, and if he has anything to say about it, Kelly's on her way back home to Katonah. Can John Hall win one of the 15 seats Democrats need to take control of the U.S. House of representatives? Absolutely. He's an aggressive campaigner with an overall message that resonates with a majority of Americans today. We recently interviewed Hall to get his thoughts on a number of topical issues:

Ostroy Report: John, you're running against a 6-term Republican, in a district which President Bush won by 9 points in '04. What makes you think you can win?

Hall: First of all, voter registration shows this district to be almost evenly divided between Democrats, Republicans and those with no party affiliation. And from what I'm hearing around the district, voters--of all stripes--want change in Washington. They want leaders who are ready to make bold decisions about our future. Sue Kelly has been a steady, loyal supporter of the ruinous Bush administration policies. Voters are telling me they've had enough.

Ostroy Report: You're on record as saying "I believe that Bill Clinton was impeached for personal misbehavior and lies about it, but that President Bush has committed more serious and deadly actions which are possible abuses of power and may be impeachable offenses." If elected, will you support censure and/or impeachment of President Bush?

Hall: Independent investigations should take place to show proof of wrongdoing before anyone rushes to judgment.

Ostroy Report: Have voters in your district lost their faith and trust in Bush?

Hall: On a whole I believe they have. Interestingly, I'm hearing from scores of rock-rib Republicans who say the President's actions and Sue Kelly's rubberstamping of his policies are causing them to vote for Democrats this time around.

Ostroy Report: Let's talk about what most voters say is the number one issue: the Iraq war. What's your position, particularly with how and when to withdraw our troops? Are you in support of a Kerry/Murtha type timetable?

Hall: The fact that the Bush administration doesn't seem to have a plan other than "staying the course" should trouble all Americans. We should extricate our troops as quickly as possible by transferring control to a true multinational force. We must renounce any claim on permanent military bases and on control of Iraq’s oil. If this administration is not willing to give up decision making power to the Iraq government, the U.N. or a true coalition of other nations during a transition, then I would vote for orderly but immediate withdrawal. The Iraqi people, in public opinion polls, say they want the U.S. gone. Americans, in their majority, now oppose the war.

Ostroy Report: Let's shift to the Mark Foley scandal. Is the former Congressman guilty of any criminal violations, especially the laws he himself helped outline in his Adam Walsh Child Protect and Safety Act?

Hall: I won't comment on former Rep. Foley's misdeeds. A better question is, was there a systematic cover-up by the Republican leadership of Foley's actions, which reports say stretched back through the time my opponent was Chair of the House Page Board? And, why won't anyone stand up and take responsibility for letting this take place to begin with? For the Republicans, like my opponent, who are embroiled in this scandal, saving their political hides is much more important than the the safety and care of these children.

Ostroy Report: Onto a critical domestic issue: the budget deficit. How can we control spending and reduce our record debt?

Hall: We've spent nearly $400 billion on the war in Iraq, continue to subsidize profitable corporations with taxpayer dollars and have given the richest Americans a tax break amounting to nearly $2 trillion when all is said and done. Even rolling back these actions a trifle would save us huge amounts.

Ostroy Report: We're just three weeks away from the midterm elections, where the Democrats chances of winning both the House and Senate have never been better. How concerned are you about election fraud?

Hall: Around the country, in general, it's an important issue and should be addressed in a bi-partisan effort. I don't see it as a problem in the 19th CD.

Ostroy Report: In your opinion, what's the biggest issue facing America today, and how will you help address it?

Hall: The biggest issue of the days are ending the war in Iraq, achieving universal health care with an affordable prescription drug plan and finding safe, clean, renewable solutions to our energy needs. I will work hard for all these objectives. My ideas on how to attain all this can be found on my website http://www.johnhallforcongress.com/.

Ostroy Report: Before we let you go John, your prediction for November:

Hall: I think that Democrats will do extremely well this November given the present political climate. People look at the Bush administration's continuing record of failures and see Republican leaders in Congress without a clue on how to right the ship. I want to go to Washington and change things and return government to the people.

Ostroy Report: Thanks John. Good luck.

John Hall is the kind of Democrat we need to send to Washington. I urge you to do your best to support his candidacy. Click here to contribute to his campaign.

http://www.johnhallforcongress.com

20 comments:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

Rock on John! The Northeast Republicans are leaving in droves.

Anonymous said...

Andy,

Get rid of the Boortz guy!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, where's the Ostroy censors??

Ostroy, Your job is to filter ideas that are not inline with the Democratic herd mentality. This is not the blog for peace through intellectual debate. It's the blog of liberal name calling of anyone who might disagree with the 'common good' socialist Democrats.

Anonymous said...

I even heard Boortz mentioned unfavorably on a morning talk show today. His ability to annoy seems widespread. Not only that, does he think any of us reads his nonsense. It's just a nuisance to scan through it. And who is that other boor who keeps wailing about the socialist Democrats who don't agree with whatever it is he believes. He's never made that clear, thank God.

Anonymous said...

Andy,
John has some very Coservative people in the 19th CD. If it was two years ago, I would have said John wouldn't have a chance, even though the influx of "terror flight" families from NYC, LI, and north east NJ had moved into the district. But the old line Conservatives and Republicans there are in a state of catatonia. They are so depressed because of the embarassment and disgust they feel about what the elected officials of their stripe have done, and not done, with the power they helped them gain.
Fortunately, real people have a conscience, unlike the talking points dolls on TV and radio who will say anything for cash and to keep the status quo.
The 19th district has seen some big changes politically on the local level. Democrats have made big gains in the towns, not just the cities in the last five years.
Believe me it will not be the young Democrats staying home in the 19th district.

Anonymous said...

The Republican Party has been taken over by very radical groups (neocons & those wanting to make this county a Christian theocracy [think Taliban control]. Anyone who is a true conservative should be totally disgusted.

DEFEND AMERICA
FIRE THE REPUBLICANS!

PS: TO THE RIGHT WINGER WHO COMPLAINS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR WHAT BOORTZ HAS TO SAY, IT'S BECAUSE IT IS A COMMERICAL AND IS TOTALLY OFF TOPIC.

Anonymous said...

THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY HAS BEEN TAKEN OVER BY RADICAL 60'S RETHREADS. ANYONE WHO IS A TRUE DEMOCRAT FROM THE DAYS OF THE REAL DEMOCRATIC PARTY SHOULD BE TOTALLY DISGUSTED. EVEN REAL DEMOCRATS REALIZE NANCY PELOSI DOES NOT REPRESENT AMERICANS.

Pelosi no shoo-in for job as speaker
By Charles Hurt
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
October 20, 2006


Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi's prospects for becoming the nation's first female House speaker depend not only on a Democratic victory in November but also on her ability to prevent any Democrats from voting against her -- primarily centrists opposed to her liberal stances.
At least one Democratic House candidate has pledged not to support Mrs. Pelosi, and others in conservative districts have refused to commit their support -- potentially leaving Mrs. Pelosi shy of the 218 votes required for the chamber's top post.

Anonymous said...

When the Democratic Pary wakes up to the fact that it was at its best in the past and will be again when it is the most liberal. It was the liberal Democratic Party that was responsible for social security, civil rights, medicare, unions, fair wages, and a host of other rights and privileges. And as an aside, I'll remind the "Democrags are weak" liars that the Democrats effectively won WWII. We need liberals to come out of the closet and be proud of the liberals' past, goals and values.

Anonymous said...

Actually, when the Democrats were the great Democratic Party of the past - The Truman, Kennedy, etc. years - the base of their party was the (gasp) religious right (gasp) (gasp).

Maybe baby killing was not such a good idea. You lost your base. You cannibalized your future voters, and now you are stuck with weakling appeasers and union lemmings.

Anonymous said...

The Democratic Party is resposable for the creation of the middle class. They are responsable for unions who are responsable for the 40 hour work week and OSHA regulations thank God! Without them we would be a two tierd system of merchants and low income unprotected workers... wait, isn't that the way it is now?

It is too bad the so called Religious Right is really just a Religious Con Job designed for nothing more than to trick the people by invoking God. This is the trick of every dictator to divide the population throughout the eons.

Anonymous said...

7:12 If you don't know the difference between the true values taught by Christ as compared with the bizarre and dangerous eclecticism of those now in power known as the Religious Right, you can't possibly understand that the tenets governing the legislation and thinking of the Democrats then and now are more in line with the precepts of CHrist and thus produce different kinds of legislation from that of the far religious right.

Anonymous said...

The Democrats are not responsible for the middle class. Free Market Capitalism is responsible for the middle class.

Anonymous said...

10:43 Amen. CHrist said "Feed the poor" which is a lesson that seems to drive the Religious Right crazy because they resent helping their version of the poor which is that the poor are "lazy, no good ne'er do wells."

Anonymous said...

10:47 Unions, protection of workers and laws that protected people who were not rich created the middle class, just, as now that there are no unions or protection of jobs, etc. the middle class is disappearing and so is our future as a democracy. The American worker, when he can get a job, is more like a serf than an employee.

Anonymous said...

11:01,
You don't know a damn thing. Where do you get your facts?

Free Market Capitalism created the middle class, not the Democrats.

You are probably a union lemming yourself. You probably get your facts from the unions you pay into. Stop reading their propaganda, unless it makes you feel like you are actually paying for something with those union dues.

Anonymous said...

11:01 We know where you get your "facts" You make them up.

Anonymous said...

Free Market Capitalism created the middle class

Not true.

Regulated free market capitalism created the middle class. Labor, minimum wage and consumer protection laws created the middle class and allowed it to grow.

Anonymous said...

Free market capitalism regulates itself except for the special case of monopolies. When a monopoly occurs, it is time for the Government to step in.

Democrats had nothing to do with this - other than always trying to squash the economy with excessive regulations and more taxation.

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