Candidate Name: Romney

Date of Event: 12/26/07

Location of Event: Thomas More College, Merrimack

Question: The Dept. of Energy and the Bush Administration have plans to develop a new generation of nuclear weapons, including the Reliable Replacement Warhead. Not only would this seem to undermine the purpose of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, of which we are a signatory, it would send the wrong message to the rest of the world with a “do as I say, not as I do” nuclear policy. As President, would you continue funding this project? If you would, how can you justify your response when the United States already has 10,000 nuclear warheads which scientists have deemed “reliable”?

Response: Gov. Romney said he will not commit to weakening our nuclear arsenal, especially in a time of radical jihad. He said when we have countries like Iran, sitting on virtually endless supply of energy, pursuing nuclear technology with such haste - if we continue to allow them to pursue nuclear dreams it will encourage other countries to do so as well.

He said we will not go outside our obligations to the NPT but he will not commit to unilaterally weakening our nuclear arsenal in a time like this.

Candidate Name: Romney

Date of Event: 12/04/07

Location of Event: Concord Rotary Club

Question: I asked if he would cut the Pentagon budget to eliminate funds spent for unused weaponry and other wasteful spending.

Response: He said he would eliminate wasteful spending but would not cut the budget. He would increase the military and funds for wounded soldiers, etc.

Candidate Name: Paul

Date of Event: 10/23/07

Location of Event: Merrimack Restaurant, Manchester

Question: Will you reduce our nuclear arsenal?

Response: Rep. Paul said he does not support total, worldwide abolition, but that he supports dramatically reducing the number of nuclear weapons in US possession. He also said we should not be building new nuclear weapons.

Candidate Name: Edwards

Date of Event: 11/25/07

Location of Event: Governor’s Inn, Rochester

Question: After telling him how I though we spent far too much of our tax dollars on the Pentagon, I asked him if he would cut back on military spending, and if so, by what percentage.

Response: He first responded by asking me to hold up for the crowd and cameras the PrioritiesNH cookie that I referenced in my question, saying that he had just won the endorsement of Iowans Sensible Priorities. He praised that organization and PrioritiesNH and the good work on educating people about spending excess, as founded by Ben Cohen of the ice cream.

Sen. Edwards then proceeded to say there are many ways we can and should cut down on spending, particularly on the development or deployment of nuclear weapons. He said we should withdraw from Iraq completely, which is our biggest expense, and that he would lead the world on eliminating all nuclear weapons. He also said we should cut our Star Wars spending. Beside that, he said we would have to proceed cautiously on any other cuts of standard military spending so as not to jeopardize jobs.

After the event, I spoke with him briefly in private, and told him I think he should bring up those points more often, as there is a huge contigency out there that wants to hear this. He agreed.

Candidate Name: Giuliani

Date of Event: 11/5/07

Location of Event: Saint Anselm College, Manchester

Question: Ronald Reagan had a goal of a nuclear-free world and almost successfully negotiated disarmament. What would be your first three steps to reduce our arsenal to 1,000 warheads, a level which military experts say is a safe level for deterrence?

Response: Gov. Giuliani said “I would not ever unilaterally reduce.” He stated that down the road we would like to see a world without nuclear weapons.

Candidate Name: McCain

Date of Event: 10/14/07

Location of Event: Hopkinton Town Hall

Question: Will you fund veterans’ benefits health care by cutting the C130-J, which military experts have identified as waste?

Response: I get alot of questions like that and I respect them, will you cut this program, will you cut that program to fund breast cancer research or veterans health care or whatever worthwhile program it is. But the question is: Are you going to reform defense procurement so that the American people get 1.) their tax dollars not wasted and 2.) That it not be spent on defense programs and weapons systems that are no longer needed.
And my friends the military industrial complex is huge, its powerful, its that President Eisenhower warned us about and we are now have these cost-plus contracts which would never happened under President Reagan or almost never happened. So that the incentive is to have cost overruns.
I will tell you something that should make you a lot more angry then the C130-J, is the combat ship which was supposed to cost 160 million dollars, and it came up to 400 million dollars and we canceled it. … We have to start holding people responsible for these cost overruns. I can guarantee that I will fire them in a New York minute. …
One of the things that I am the most proud of is that for nearly three years, I have fought the Boeing company and the Pentagon because they wanted to sell a tanker to the US Air Force and the Air Force was with them and it cost 2 billion more than it otherwise should have. People went to jail finally because we stayed on them and I knew what they were trying to pull. There were other problems of equal magnitude but I tell you that I will fix the defense procurement system so that your tax dollars are used wisely and for only purposes necessary for
our defense.

Media: CSPAN 42:10-44:30.

Candidate Name: McCain

Date of Event: 10/23/07

Location of Event: Eagle Square, Concord

Question: A recent Time magazine featured the V-22 Osprey, which is being deployed to Iraq despite serious concerns about its safety.

Response: Sen. McCain said he hasn’t seen the article and walked away.

Candidate Name: Edwards

Date of Event: 10/29/07

Location of Event: State House, Concord

Question: Senator Edwards, military experts say that we can cut the C130J and shift budget priorities, do you support this shift?

Response: Sen. Edwards replied that there are several things he would cut.

Candidate Name: Dodd

Date of Event: 10/20/07

Location of Event: Chez Vachon Restaurant, Manchester

Question: Will you cut the Osprey program and shift budget priorities?

Response: I promise that I will do a full review of all Pentagon waste and make sure that our budget has funding for our social needs.

Candidate Name: Edwards

Date of Event: 10/29/07

Location of Event: State House, Concord

Question: Senator Edwards, military experts say that we can cut the C130J and shift budget priorities, do you support this shift?

Response: Sen. Edwards replied that there are several things he would cut.