Debate Questions From A War Veteran

Moderator Jim Lehrer, far left, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, left, and President Barack Obama, right, participate in the first presidential debate at the University of Denver on Oct. 3, 2012. (AP/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Andrew Person is a retired Army captain. He served in the 173rd Airborne in Iraq and Afghanistan. Person tells Here & Now’s Robin Young about the questions he would ask the candidates during Tuesday night’s presidential debate.

Person is now a fellow at the Truman National Security Project and a law school student at the University of Montana. He was a former aide to Democratic Montana Senator Max Baucus.

Guest:

Andrew Person, retired Army captain

We welcome comments from all of our listeners. Post below. Please stay on topic and be civil. Comments may be moderated by us, but you are solely responsible for the content of your comments.

Clloyda

Why didn’t Romney create jobs in Massachusetts? He had four years.
Daina

This is a very good discussion. I hope that some of these questions will be actually asked of Romeny to answer.
J__o__h__n

Great questions. Probably better than the ones that will be asked.
Dj_tt

Question for Romney: Since you nor your wife effectively didn’t have to have a job or pay rent while in college, do you support the government taking a role in helping less-privileged people pursue their dreams of self-improvement — even if it means for a few years they look like the “takers” described by your campaign.
rap12

How did Romney pay for all these Republican wars if his money is tied up in the Swiss Bank Accounts, he has faulty Kaymen Island addresses and none of his kids fought in any of our wars? The middle class and the poor paid highly, in taxes and in body, as well as some patriotic and/or testosteronial wealthy.
rap12

Why did the newly unemployed of MA under the Romney rule find themselves asking about their unemployment status to a phone company that he outsourced to India?
Kelly

I’d vote for Andrew Person. His measured, thoughtful, common-sense approach to domestic and foreign issues is just what we need, not the rhetoric and sniping delivered by so many politicians.
http://openid.aol.com/rlupodimare RAOUL

‘Debate Questions From A Veteran’

I like this interview, however, I don’t believe none of these questions will be addressed in tonight’s debate – they should be addressed. The Romeny New Right Wing Math concepts concerning further tax breaks including keeping the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy and at the same time spending trillions on more defense and reducing the deficit is impossible. The other problem for tonight’s debate is the town hall formate. Why? They always seem to choose bozos asking bozo questions. Please have the debaters sit at a common table like in the Biden/Ryan debate. Perhaps a better solution to the Romney new math enigma concept is to have one of the characters from Sesame Street illustrate in simple terms, on stage during the debate, how simple math concepts makes the Romney-Ryan plan for spending huge amounts on defense and at the same time reducing the deficit does not work. Even Elmo gets it but people like Grover Norquist, a person who never served a day in his life (like the Romeny sons or Paul Ryan) in America’s armed services, don’t get it or refuse to get it.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001537311551 Stoneof Theday

My question is about Deporting Veterans. This year alone Manuel Valenzuela has shaken the Presidents hand twice and Mitt Romney hand once. He has told them both about the plight of up to 30,000 U.S. American Veterans. All legally present in the states, all served years of service. I also do not understand the Dream act regarding veterans. The ones being deported are not in the States illegally nor can you sign up for service if your illegal.

So why is the Veterans under the dream act the only Veterans not been deported, ( they just aren’t there ).

If the States takes men to fight for the freedom of others and then disregards the human rights of Soldiers when they come home ( many suffering PTSD,that gets them in trouble with the law)and they deport them it seems to me like they are been used as mercenary’s not soldiers. To be discarded at will.

My question to the President and or Mitt Romney. Is what are you going to do about bring back our DEPORTED VETERANS to the soil they fought for. How can the government separate them from the American born children, wife’s and families after years of service. Shame on Americas politicians. These veterans are not a threat to America! After all they are and have sworn allegiance to the States. By their deportations America is making them stateless.

They all fought for America and now America has turned their backs on them. Lets Bring them Home. Both President Obama and Mitt Romney have the man in the videos business card. Call them Mr. President. Lets get this straightened out for many and bring them home to their American families and their American born children.�
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JB Young

Debate question: If states vote to legalize gay marriage, recreational use of marijuana, etc. do “States’ Rights” trump federal law or does the Romney white house only support “States’ Rights” that pass a conservative policy litmus test?
Momdot100

He wants to ask Mr. Romney how he will feel about empathizing with families who lose their sons in any war. Well, does he also plan to ask Mr. Obama how he can empathize, never having lost a son as well. Or will Mr. Obama hide behind his Chum gang and go find some Marijuana to smoke and just let the time pass. All sorts of interesting information came out in the Frontline show on the election of 2012. Why was I not surprised that Mr. Obama was the ringleader of the Marijuana dealing/smoking crowd.
Brenda

Debate question: During the last debate Romney stated that he would fix the public school system by grading all schools on an A to F scale so parents would know the product they were getting. My question is: On what scale? He would eliminate the EOG’s testing of public schools by state. So what scale would he grade public schools and finally on what scale would he grade private schools?? Mitt please explain your plan?�
Followup how would he pay for vouchers for currently attending private school students. Currently these students are freebees. They cost the public schools nothing to educate now but they would receive vouchers under his program. What would he cut to pay for it?
Wanda

I would like someone to ask Mitt Romney why he & other members of the Republican party refer to the Democratic party as the “democrat” party. I thinks it’s rude and also childish.
Mikezurek

Since 42% of the 1.2 million abortions are for women living below the poverty level, how does Mitt Romney, who is opposed to almost all abortions, plan to support the 500,000 new children added to the poverty level every year? If it is charitable contributions how does he expect to increase contributions enough to cover the increase, while restricting or eliminating the tax deduction for Charitable Contributions even when charity has never come close to covering current needs with the ability to declare the tax deductions.
Randys001

I would like 2 questions to be asked of the candidates:
1) Scientists mostly agree that human-caused global climate change is occurring. What strategies would you implement to mitigate and cure the causes.
2) Are corporations people? If so how many corporations were killed by Bain Capital and by the Obama Administration during its first four years? What should the penalty be for killing corporations (Many corporations are born and die each year. Who should pay the penalty)?
3) How old is the earth and universe? Were humans coexistent with dinosaurs?
Bawdyscot

Where are all the questions for Obama? Here is one. All of the non-union auto workers in the South pay federal income tax. The government took a portion of those income taxes and gave loan guarantees to the unionized auto companies and other life preservers. My question: Does this situation make the non-union auto workers suckers because their government took that money to help the competition to their detriment?
HaircutterRomney

My questions for Romney: Isn’t Willard your first name? why did you say Mitt was your first name on national television? Is there anything you are not willing to lie about? Did you take the IRS/UBS Amnesty deal?