Answers of for the Week!

Hello everyone! It's time once again for the answers to the questions you asked on Monday. This will be our last question and answer post because the election is next week! However, if you have any last minute questions please feel free to ask them on our blog and we'll try to get an answer to you as soon as possible! Now, without further ado, here are the answers to your questions.

What is Carnahan's stand on education funding?

                                      --Katie Stark, Kansas City

   One of the issues that Carnahan is most passionate about is funding for education. She believes that every child deserves a good education and that money should not be the reason it doesn't happen. When elected she will work on reforms and funding for the No Child Left Behind Act because she supports the act’s goals of boosting student achievement through transparency and accountability, but she also has seen how underfunding and inflexibility have made it hard to reach those goals.  That’s why Robin wants to reform NCLB by reducing its emphasis on “teaching to the test,” and instead promote critical thinking and problem solving and ensure that student achievement is measured by more than just test scores alone.

  Carnahan is also an advocate for making sure that college is affordable for students. She believes that too many of today’s students and families struggle to afford the cost of higher education and that no parent should have to tell their child that college is financially out–of–reach. Furthermore, she believes that no student should be saddled with an unsustainable amount of debt after graduation. That’s why she supports funding for federal student aid and loan programs and will work to combat skyrocketing tuition costs. Carnahan will also be a champion for Missouri’s community colleges and continuing education programs by promoting initiatives like the A+ Schools program, which has unlocked access to higher education for thousands of Missourians.

What is Carnahan's position on Prop B?

                                     --Kate Seaton, St.Louis

 This question was really difficult to answer because there wasn't much information about Carnahan's position on the issue to be found. This is most likely because as Secretary of State Carnahan was involved in readying the proposition for ballot and didn't want to let her personal opinions influence the development of the proposition. In any case, there wasn't a conclusive answer to give to this question. However, that doesn't mean we don't want you to be informed because really Carnahan's position on Prop B doesn't matter, yours does. It's your vote that decides whether or not it will pass.  So that is why we still want you to be informed!

  Here is what Prop B would require:

• require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles;
• prohibit any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets; and
• create a misdemeanor crime of “puppy mill cruelty” for any violations?

It is estimated state governmental entities will incur costs of $654,768 (on-going costs of $521,356 and one-time costs of $133,412). Some local governmental entities may experience costs related to enforcement activities and savings related to reduced animal care activities.

Fair Ballot Language:

A “yes” vote will amend Missouri law to require large-scale dog breeding operations to provide each dog under their care with sufficient food, clean water, housing and space; necessary veterinary care; regular exercise and adequate rest between breeding cycles.  The amendment further prohibits any breeder from having more than 50 breeding dogs for the purpose of selling their puppies as pets.  The amendment also creates a misdemeanor crime of “puppy mill cruelty” for any violations.

A “no” vote will not change the current Missouri law regarding dog breeders.

If passed, this measure will have no impact on taxes.

You can find all of this information on Prop B and all of the other ballot initiatives for this year on the Missouri Secretary of State's website, where you can also read the full text of the bill there. In addition, it might be helpful to check out this website to see who supports the bill and get another description of what it all entails. 

Well we're just about to the end of our run with this blog. We hope that we've been helpful in this election and answered all of your questions. Now the only thing to do is get out and VOTE on Tuesday. Your voice needs to be heard and your vote could make all the difference!

Carnahan in Kirksville

  On Tuesday Kat met with our future U.S. Senator, Robin Carnahan, at the Democrat Headquarters in Kirksville, Missouri. Rebecca McClanahan and Wes Shoemyer were also there endorsing Carnahan's campaign. Upon meeting Carnahan it is easy to see that she is truly a down to earth person who wants to make a positive change in Missouri. She really does care about the best interests of Missourians. There is no doubt that she will work for you in the U.S. Senate, not pander to the elite like Roy Blunt. 
   Kat asked her what she wanted to tell you, the reader of commonsensecarnahan, and we got a video of her answer. Check it out below!

Carnahan is coming to Kirksville!

  Robin Carnahan is traveling around Missouri with the tour the "Bull Stops Here", during the final days of the election. 

  Tomorrow, Tuesday, 0ctober 26, the soon to be U.S. Senator for Missouri, Robin Carnahan will be in Kirksville, MO . If you want to meet her and share your support or questions, you should go to the Adair County Democratic Headquarters at 311 Elson Street at 5:15pm. She will leave around 6pm, so be there before then!

   Remember that the election is only a week away. it's time to make up your opinion if you have not already, to vote for Carnahan for U.S. Senate. Carnahan is your commonsense value candidate that works for the Missouri families and small businesses. 

  Carnahan was also recently endorsed by St.Louis Post-Dispatch,Kansas City Star and St. Louis American. This endorsement indicates that she is a trustworthy candidate that will bring your issues to Washington. 

The Kansas City Star Endorsement: 

“Carnahan has earned her public service stripes as Secretary of State, effectively and efficiently improving operations in her office. She’s a sharp, compassionate leader who can be counted on to represent the best interests of all Missourians.

“[Robin Carnahan] proposes to end the revolving door from Congress to lobbying firms, and she strongly supports more disclosure on campaign finance donations. She opposes earmarks, a growing budget concern, and offers a fresh, honest approach to government.”

If you want to find out more read the article.  

Questions of the week!

The election is only a week away now! So please comment the blog about things you want to learn more about. We care about what you want to learn more about and what you think.
Here's the questions of the week:

"What is Carnahan's position on Prop B?"
- Kate Seaton, St.Louis

"What is Carnahan's stand on education funding?"
-Katie Stark, Kansas City

Missouri Senate Race Close!

   Hello Missourians! I'm happy to inform you that Robin Carnahan is closing in on Roy Blunt in the polls. Blunt's lead right now has been narrowed down to a 46 to 41 advantage. The close race is all because of you! You have realized that Blunt is a corrupt politician who is only out for hinmself and big businesses. Democrats around the state are starting to take notice and become interested in the campaign and as they become more involved we get closer and closer to winning the race. However, the race isn't over yet! We need to keep up the momentum and get out there and vote for Robin Carnahan on November 2nd.

Now let's get down to business, here are the answers to the questions from this week. 

What does Robin Carnahan plan to do about funding for higher education in Missouri?
                                                                         --Lauren Summerville, Rolla
    Carnahan believes that no student should have to hear that they can't attend college because it is too expensive. She also believes that no student should be burdened by an unsustainable amount of debt after graduation. Her solution is to support funding for student aid and loan programs that will work to help students battle against rising tuition costs. In addition, Carnahan supports Missouri community colleges and other continuing education programs by encouraging students to participate in programs like the A+ Schools program. Teachers and students from across the state are supporting Carnahan and her crusade to make higher education affordable. In fact, the Students for Robin initiative is comprised of students from universities across the state that support her campaign. Carnahan has the support and endorsement from teachers all over the state, as well as the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, Missouri National Education Association and the Missouri American Federation of Teachers. She has the support of teachers and students alike, all she needs now is your support to make changes to the system to benefit students. 


What is Robin Carnahan's stance on going green? Does she support alternative energy initiatives for the state of Missouri?
                                                                      --Nathan Smith, St.Louis
   Carnahan believes that a smart energy policy is the key to creating jobs in Missouri. Energy drives our economy and our everyday lives. She presents the following three facts about energy.  First, in the years ahead, our energy needs, in America and worldwide, will continue to grow. Second, our dependence on foreign oil threatens our national and economic security and our planet. And third, the country that leads in clean renewable energy will be the country that leads the global economy—and that should be America. Carnahan says that Missourians are also uniquely positioned to benefit from a clean energy economy:  From the cutting edge science and technology being developed at institutions like the Danforth Plant Science Center, to jobs building turbine and solar panel components, to rural economic development spurred by biofuel production, carbon offsets, and wind farms—moving towards a new clean energy economy will benefit Missouri workers, businesses and farmers. Her specific goals are to champion policies that reduce our dependency on foreign oils, reduce pollution and fight high costs by boosting energy efficiency and independence. For more specific information on her position on energy you should visit her website where we found a lot of our information. 

Check back on Monday for more questions and keep supporting Carnahan!

Another Strike Against Roy Blunt!

 Congressman Roy Blunt is in support of the new Arizona tough immigration law. This is when politics become a social concern because this law directly affects people through profiling. When the law was being signed there was not much positive media coverage, as far as I read. The new immigration law of Arizona goes beyond just border security and finishing the border fence. It goes directly affects people, the law "criminalizes illegal immigration by defining it as trespassing and allows local law enforcement agencies to question people they suspect of being undocumented"(Washington Post). Therefore there is a great risk of racial profiling. Neither President Obama nor U.S. Senator to be Robin Carnahan support this new law, and it's not because they don't care about immigration and protecting their country. It's because they care about people. It might sound great to have more restrictions on immigration to some people, but when it's implemented in such a way that it indicates racial profiling that is not ok, no matter what your stand on the the issue is. 


Do you want the person in the U.S. Senate representing YOU to be a discriminator like Roy Blunt? Or a person who really cares about people? I say, I want Robin Carnahan!

Happy Monday!

  Hello everyone! We hope you had a great weekend, we sure did! Congratulations are in order because she achieved a victory in her long awaited debate against Roy Blunt. Here are your questions of the week and check back on our blog throughout the for our coverage of Carnahan's victory in the debates this past week!

What does Robin Carnahan plan to do about funding for higher education in Missouri?

                                                                                 --Lauren Summerville, Rolla
What is Robin Carnahan's stance on going green? Does she support alternative energy initiatives for the state of Missouri?
                                                                              --Nathan Smith, St.Louis


    Once again we have have some excellent questions! We'll have the answers to your questions on Friday, but check back on Wednesday for our coverage of the debates between Blunt and Carnahan. The debate covered important topics such as the economy, healthcare, and job creation, all of which are topics you've asked about in the past. Not surprisingly, she achieved a victory in the most recent debate and it's all because she has the support of Missourians like you! 

Answers to Your Questions!

Hello everyone and happy Friday! It's time once again for us to answer your questions from earlier this week. Here are our answers:

What does Robin Carnahan plan to do about Missouri's efforts to block federal healthcare reform legislation?

                                                           --Kailey Burger, St.Louis

 . One great thing about Carnahan's view on healthcare is that she believes it is not a partisan issue because it affects all Missouri families no matter what their political affiliations may be. When the bill was first being discussed Carnahan acknowledged that it was far from perfect but "allowing insurance companies to continue to arbitrarily jack up premiums and deny coverage to Missouri families was not an option." 

  That being said, Carnahan is still focused on what is best for Missouri families. She wants to make sure that healthcare is accessible, affordable and stable. She will continue to fight for you to make sure insurance companies can't deny coverage based on preexisting conditions and that they can't jack up your premiums just because they feel like it. 

What is Carnahan's stand on gay marriage?

                                                            -- Jeremy Smith, Kansas City

   Carnahan has never supported the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. Although she may not support gay marriage she does support the idea of civil unions in the state of Missouri. Carnahan says that she believes marriage has religious implications, but that she supports the idea of civil unions in the state of Missouri because she thinks "fundamentally we want to provide protections under the law."

  She says that her personal belief may be that marriage is meant to be between a man and a woman but that the federal government shouldn't be the one that decides that. There should be no amendment in the U.S. Constitution that dictates whether gay marriage is right or wrong.  

 We hope that by answering your questions we are making it easier for you to make the right choice in November by voting for Robin Carnahan. If you still aren't convinced, although we can't imagine why you aren't, please ask us more questions! 

Have a great weekend and remember that a vote for Robin Carnahan is a vote for Missouri families! 

Pay attention to the Caranahan and Blunt Debate

You should watch Carnahan debate Roy Blunt this Debate Week.

Carnahan will try to get YOUR questions answered by Roy Blunt if you submit your question to her.

Here's the schedule, as taken from Carnahan's website, for the broadcasting of debate for Thursday, October 14th: 

Columbia: 7 PM

• PBS affiliate KMOS-TV, channel 6.1, will be broadcasting the debate

Kansas City area: 7 PM

• KCPT will be broadcasting the debate at

Warrensburg: 7 PM

• The Warrensburg PBS affiliate KMOS-TV, channel 6.1, will be broadcasting the debate

Springfield area: 8 PM

• Ozarks Public Television will provide a joint simulcast with their NPR affiliate

St. Louis area: 9 PM

• The debate will be broadcast

Carbondale, IL area:

• Several commercial broadcasters including one in Hannibal have expressed an interest in running the debate

Friday the debate will be on the web. We'll update you with the link as soon as it's available. 

If you want to find out more about these debates, watch them! This is a great opportunity to learn more about Carnahan's policies and see her in action debating against Blunt!

Carnahan: Stop the bull in Washington

As the election gets closer, we want to remind you why you should vote for Robin Carnahan. It’s not just because she wants to end the bull in Washington, but because she’ll represent you, Missourians, in the U.S. Senate. It’s about time the voice of the real Mid American State, Missouri, is heard. Some of her main positions are to crack down on corruption in Washington. by stopping “the unlimited Lobbyist Access. Stop the free flow of money. Stop the backroom deals and special favors.” Learn more at Carnahan's website.

Let’s stop the Bull: Stop What’s Wrong with Washington.

It’s time to put the Middle Class FIRST

·      “Stop the bailouts and start protecting taxpayers

·      Stop the corporate giveaways and start looking out for small business

·      Stop letting the corporate special interest run Congress and start putting the people first."
If you want to find out more about how Carnahan is putting middle class first check this out.

"Crack down on Wasteful spending by stopping corporate giveaways and start putting middle class families first. And stop the reckless spending and start demanding fiscal responsibility." More information about Carnahan's position on wasteful spending is easy to find. 

The information in quotations is taken from Carnahan's website about on Stop the Bull Tour.  

Check out the new ad and see how her opponent Roy Blunt does not have these Missouri values. It does not seem as though he'll stop the bull in Washington and representing real Missouri values. Also here's some more information to back up the ad.

New Ad "Differences"

  In her new ad "Differences" Carnahan speaks directly to her Missouri voters. In the ad she makes it clear that her priorities are to get people and small businesses back on track and create jobs. Read the article,"Focuses on Small Businesses, Middle Class Tax Breaks, and Ending Wasteful Earmark Spending" to find out more about how Carnahan is fighting for Missourians. She is working for you while Congressman Blunt works for big businesses like when he pushed for the bailout for Wall Street.



Also, it was announced that on November 11th at 5:00 pm Robin Carnahan will be speaking in Hannibal! Come out and show your support!


The address is: 
Marion County Democratic Headquarters
310 Broadway
Hannibal, MO 63401

Questions of the Week!

It's a new week and we have new questions to answer for you! It's extremely important to us to make this election easy for you, the voter, to follow. So keep sending in your questions and we'll do our best to answer them. We want you to make an informed decision when you stand in that booth in November and we know that once you have all the facts you'll know that Robin Carnahan is the right choice to make! Here are the questions,


What does Robin Carnahan plan to do about Missouri's efforts to block federal healthcare reform legislation?
                                                             --Kailey Burger, St.Louis
What is Carnahan's stand on gay marriage?
                                                             -- Jeremy Smith, Kansas City

New TV AD: "Days Later"

On Tuesday, Carnahan’s campaign released a new TV ad shedding light on Roy Blunt's corrupt ways. The ad shows Congressman Roy Blunt’s 14 year record of wasteful spending. He consistently works against the best interest of Missourians and instead works to help the big businesses. If you want to read more go read the article “Blunt Led Explosion of Wasteful Earmarks, Convicted Felon Brent Wilkes Benefited”. 

Answers to Week Three Questions

  Here are the answers to Adrian Zimbelman of Lincoln, Nebraska questions from the beginning of the week. These questions are really good, and I'm sure you've thought about them also during this campaign season.

 Why does Carnahan want to go from being Secretary of State to being a U.S. Senator?

    Carnahan has worked for the people of Missouri  while being the Secretary of State but she wants to help Missourians even more. When she becomes a U.S. Senator she can do even more for you in terms of changing policy and advocating for your wants and needs. It important to her that your voice be heard and big corporations don’t take over our government. Check out her message about why she's running for U.S. Senate.

How do you know where to go in your area to vote?

     You will receive a letter in the mail, or information will be in local newspapers if you registered in time before the October 6th deadline.

Can you only vote for the candidate that is running in the party you're registered with?

     When you go to vote you can vote for who ever you want that is on the ballot. It does not matter what party you are registered with. 

Carnahan Gains Support from Veterans and Military Families

    As election day draws nearer Carnahan is steadily gaining support from more and more Missourians. Most recently, Veterans and Military Families for Progress (VMFP) endorsed Robin Carnahan as their candidate for U.S. Senate. The organization is dedicated to ensuring our nation honors its commitment to veterans, all active-duty service members, and their families for their incredible service and sacrifice. Tom Howe, President of VMFP, stated that, “The VMFP board of directors enthusiastically and unanimously endorsed Robin Carnahan for the United States Senate for the great state of Missouri.” He goes on to say that “As a member of a military family, Robin’s personal experience grew to become her deep appreciation of the role of family in the lives of those who wear the uniforms of America’s military services.”

    
   This endorsement should come as no surprise because Carnahan has worked diligently to pass the Veterans Business Protection Act - making it easier for those serving overseas to keep their businesses in good standing with the state after they return home. She has also worked on a bipartisan proposal to ensure that those overseas can vote easily. As a part of her campaign, Carnahan launched Veterans for Robin to unite Missourians who support our military and want to see our soldiers come home safe.

    In stark contrast to Carnahan’s fight for veterans, Congressman Roy Blunt has opposed support for veterans on numerous occasions. He voted to cut $15 billion from veterans’ benefits as part of a budget that the Disabled American Veterans called an “outrage” and shameful.  He also opposed providing extra job assistance to veterans returning from conflicts overseas and voted against providing minimum periods of rest and recuperation soldiers serving in Iraq. [DVA, 3/17/03; Vote 82, 3/21/03; Vote 47, 3/02/05; Vote 796, 8/2/07]

    
   The brave men and women of our military shouldn’t be concerned about returning home to hardship. They’ve experienced enough conflict overseas and don’t need any more of it at home. If Robin Carnahan is elected she will work tirelessly to make sure our veterans and military families are taken care of, just like they are taking care of us by fighting for overseas. 

  
   To learn more about how Carnahan is supporting out military visit her website at http://www.robincarnahan.com/site/veterans/ 

Questions of the Week and Register to Vote!

This week both of our questions are from the same person, Adrian Zimbelman of Lincoln, Nebraska, because they are some good questions! The first has to do with why Carnahan is running and second have to due with voting procedure. Check out the questions below and then check back again on Friday for our answers!

Why does Carnahan want to go from being Secretary of State to being a U.S. Senator?

How do you know where to go in your area to vote?

Can you only voter for the candidate that is running in the party you're registered with?

A reminder, don't forget to register to vote before the October 6th deadline! If you aren't registered, if you've moved, or if you know someone else who needs to register, you only have a few days to do it. 

Register to Vote Today!

 Robin Carnahan makes it easy for you to register to vote, she put the form on her website! All you have to do is fill it out, print and mail it. It's as simple as that! Decisions about how to run this country are made by those who show up, so get out and vote for Carnahan!

Register to vote so your voice is heard on November 2!

Poll Results: What's Important to YOU!

Our poll showed what issues are important to our readers this week and here are the results:

Education clearly won in the polling we did, followed by health care. Since these are clearly the issues that are important to you, the reader, we’ll provide you with information about Carnahan's stance on these issues in a future blog post.

Please take our new poll about Carnahan’s Ad showing the truth about Blunt, because we want to find out what you think about this issue. We think Fox News is overreacting, but what do YOU think? 

Answers to Week Two Questions

As always, we're answering people's questions about Carnahan. This week we talked with two young Missourians. 

What is Robin Carnahan’s stand on life issues such as the death penalty, pro-choice/pro-life?

                                                                                --Jenny Willborn, Kansas City.

According to Carnahan’s voting record she’s pro-choice, however when it comes to the death penalty we could not find any records of her voting for or against it. But as she is a liberal democrat it is fair to say that she’s probably against the death penalty. As soon as we're able to find more information we'll share this information with you! 

What is Carnahan's position on the government bailing out businesses through the stimulus instead of focusing on helping individual citizens? 

                                                                            --Greg Brookhart, Kirksville

With the slogan " Making our economy strong for working families", Carnahan works for main street, not wall street. She works for the people of Missouri, ordinary people, not big corporations. She believes in taking care of people, Missouri families and small businesses. Carnahan understands the need for jobs, and the importance and power of the Middle America’s position to improve the American economy. 

“Stop the giveaways and bailouts. Robin believes it’s time to stop the giveaways to big corporations that ship our jobs overseas and start creating jobs here at home. Robin will fight for strong incentives and protections for manufacturers and small businesses to spur job growth in Missouri and across America.” Read more about her positions on jobs and the economy on her website. 

Please ask us questions via comments on our blog, because we're here to make this election easier to understand. So that YOU can take a stand and VOTE for Carnahan as your representative in the US Senate.