There is a special election in October for a US Senate seat in New Jersey and this truly is a referendum on the President’s agenda. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Mayor Steve Lonegan which I hope you will enjoy and get involved with this extremely important race.
JD: Congratulations on your Primary win. What are the important issues both in New Jersey and nationally that you are going to be fighting for?
SL: The number one issue confronting the country right now is the daily assault on the Constitution, Bill of Rights and Individual Liberties. This is happening through Obamacare which is government intruding into our healthcare, common core is intruding into education of our children, and NSA is overreaching in surveillance which is critical. We must remember that one of the main reasons for the American Revolution was caused by general Warrants where the British forces would just barge into houses and take papers, without probable cause, and we’re returning to those days. Then there is the IRS abuse of power by targeting certain Conservative and Tea Party groups. We are now witnessing the expansion of Government on a breath-taking scale and that extension of Government is threatening our individual liberty. My goal is to return this country to a nation of limited Government that will lead to the unlimited potential of every American to achieve the best possible and highest goals.
JD: New Jersey is a very Liberal Blue State, how is your message being received in New Jersey?
SL: I’m delivering a message that resonates across party lines and that’s why the polls are moving in my direction and that’s why we are galvanising more voters towards our cause. This is the biggest race in the country. It’s the only US Senate race in the nation between now and 2014 Mid-Term Elections. We have the opportunity to set the tone in New Jersey for not just a Referendum on the entire Obama agenda including Obamacare, NSA and foreign policy but to set the tone for a Republican takeover of the US Senate in 2014. So it’s a message which is extremely well received and it’s a message that’s the heart and soul of the American Dream.
JD: Do you see a lot of similarities between your race and the race in 2010 in Massachusetts and Scott Brown?
SL: There are similarities because this is a freestanding election; Obamacare again is front and centre. We should inspire even more attention and energy because you can see more of the damage that Obama has done in his term of office and this election is going to be a huge issue for the country.
JD: Last week we had the anniversary of Martin Luther King’s famous “I have a dream” speech. What’s your dream for America’s future?
SL: Well it goes back to my core message. I’m deeply concerned about the growth of the Federal Government and their intrusion into our daily lives and into our liberties. I want to work hard in the US Senate to re-establish what individual liberty is for every American and for new immigrants who are coming into this country and becoming part of our nation. That is the most fundamental sacred thing I can do.
JD: You are a big supporter of the Constitution, what principals guide you not only as a human being but also as a potential senator?
SL: Faith, Family and Country – my commitment and belief in God and our Judeo Christian values; my commitment to my family and my marriage, my wife and children and my commitment to our country are my guiding principles and you can always fall back on those. If you have problems in your marriage, you know what your marriage vows mean; if you have a problem with life you can turn to your faith. When it comes to your country you can always look to your Constitution and the Bill of Rights for your fundamental building block. If you use those core values everything else works from there.
JD: Poll numbers for Congress, Supreme Court, and the President are all close to or at historic lows and America has a massive lack of confidence in the Federal Government. How do you see a path that the American people can regain confidence in the Federal Governments?
SL: The Founding Fathers of this country understood something very simple, Government is a necessary evil. Thomas Paine once said “Society in every state is a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one”. When the founding fathers wrote the Constitution they understood just how dangerous a Government can be and the reason Americans always have a low opinion of their Government is they simply don’t trust it, and they shouldn’t. We should always be fearful, watchful, vigilant, and ever vigilant of what our Government is doing. Polls may not be so much a popularity contest as the fact that Americans are watching and are concerned of Government intrusion into their lives and civil liberties. I believe that it’s the growth of big Government, of everything we have spoken about that is causing these low poll numbers and is a reflection of how the public view the Federal Government’s assault on our liberties.
JD: There are so many issues on-going right now, if you are elected to the Senate, what are your priorities?
SL: We do have a wide range of issues and I know where I stand on the issues and I will vote accordingly but my focus is economic policy. My background is economic policy and I would like to serve on the Max Baucus Finance Committee focusing on the Federal Reserve and Economic Policy because economic prosperity is critical and liberty is critical to economic prosperity. That would be my main focus.
JD: I would like to break Immigration Reform into two parts. Firstly being close to New York City, you are fully aware of what can go wrong with open borders and secondly how is legalizing at least 11 million people and letting them compete with American workers for jobs going to affect the economy now and in the future?
SL: This country, President and Congress have all failed to address the current legal emigration program. We have not kept pace with the need for legal emigration by increasing the amount of allowable emigrants from particularly European countries. The issue of the current illegal population is a difficult one, and we are not going to deport 11 million people and it’s not practical to think that but we should be deporting illegal emigrant criminals back to their own country and they should not be allowed back in again. Secondly we should have a system where current undocumented workers find a sponsor like anyone who comes here with a Green Card, and be sponsored to become a citizen and to work here. So there are answers but the President hasn’t answered our problem, Congress hasn’t answered that problem. I know that we have failed over the last 30 years to change our quota system for new emigrants to come to this country, to be productive members of society, and to help build the nation’s economy. I think that’s been a big failure for America.
JD: How important is border security to you?
SL: It is an extremely important issue; you cannot have open borders and open welfare as it could bankrupt our country. I also think border security is critical especially in the times that we live in – fear of terrorists and what they could bring into the country and not to mention the drug trade. We must recognize there are many people who come to America and want to work hard and succeed but there are also many who want to come and live off the Government and that’s a huge issue for our nation – Thank God we have water on two sides.
JD: Do you stand with Senators Lee and Cruz that Obamacare has to be defunded?
SL: Yes it has to be defunded, repealed and we have to start all over again. There are sound solutions to addressing the needs of our healthcare system in the country and the best solution is the free market. We should have a safety net for those that are truly in need and this can be done in a number of creative ways for example – a doctor who gives pro-bono work at a free clinic should get a tax deduction or a tax credit. Doctors who give pro-bono charity care and free clinics should be exempt from Mal-Practice law suits or we should provide them with Mal-Practice insurance. I would love to see thousands of free charity based clinics pop up and provide a service. We need to allow the sale of health insurance across state lines; deregulation of health insurance so people can tailor policies to their own individual needs; have a catastrophic healthcare pool where people who have pre-existing catastrophic conditions can get support as they need. These are the real solutions to healthcare not Obamacare, Obamacare’s a disaster.
JD: How can someone find out more information about you or get involved?
SL: If you go to http://www.loneganforsenate.com/ you will find information there along with a contribute tab. My opponent Cory Booker is making lots of money out in Hollywood – I don’t have the support of the Hollywood elite, I have the tax payers of New Jersey and I would take that any day.