Judy Feder Live Blog Here Today
I am honored to announce that Judy Feder will be live blogging here today from 3 - 4 pm. Please feel free to leave your questions/comments for Judy in the comment section of this post.
As you may know, Judy is running for Congress from Virginia’s 10th District and has been receiving national attention because she has a very good chance of unseating the incumbent Frank Wolf. Judy’s been running a campaign that is worthy of all that attention and she’s received a great deal of support from the grassroots. During a time when there has been a significant amount of debate over our health care system, it is most definitely worth noting that Judy is a well known expert on health care policy. On her website she explains her background as such:
Judy Feder’s three decades of health policy experience will make her an invaluable leader in transforming how Washington does business. She began her career researching ways to make health care more affordable. A widely published scholar, Judy worked at the Brookings Institution and Urban Institute before joining the faculty of Georgetown University in 1984.
In 1988 she served as Staff Director of the Congressional Pepper Commission, the bipartisan commission on comprehensive health care. In 1993, she was appointed to the Department of Health and Human Services, where she worked to expand health insurance coverage, manage Medicare and Medicaid effectively, and assure the safety of food and drugs.
Judy is a professor and, from 1999 through 2007, was Dean of Georgetown University’s Public Policy Institute. Her combination of scholarship and government experience have made the institute one of the nation’s most respected training grounds for public policy leaders. Her graduates are tackling the nation’s most complicated policy challenges- from health reform in the Congress to military intelligence in the Pentagon.
Of course you can stop by Judy’s website for some more info on her candidacy, but don’t forget to leave your questions. She’ll be here at 3 to start answering questions.
Filed under: Virginia Politics
Thanks for taking the time to take our questions Judy. I voted for you in 2006 but I was a little disappointed in the final results.
My questions: If you could change one thing you do last go around, what would it be? And why do you think you’d have a better chance during this election?
I think a lot of people in the 10th are ready to get rid of Frank Wolf but have always voted Republican and are a little hesitant to vote for a Democratic candidate. How do you plan on reaching out to these voters in November?
Your race seems to be getting more attention in the blogosphere this go around than it did in 2006. Have you noticed this and why do you think it might be? How do you plan on using the blogs to help your candidacy?
What do you think of the health care plans presented by the presidential candidates and how do you think we should go about improving our health care system?
According to Bryan’s write up of your office opening, you said “We need to protect home ownership and to crack down on fraudulent mortage lending and we need to do it now.”
Could you go into a little more detail about how you plan on doing this?
Do you have a preference in the 11th District primary? Why or why not?
Ms. Feder -
As my name suggests, I’m a McLean resident - could you tell us a bit about the changing Demographics of our district. Namely - Loudoun county is entirely within the 10th and is growing faster than anywhere in Virginia - will you be able to use that and parts of Fairfax County to “balance out” thoroughly conservative parts of the district like Frederick County?
Do you think you can do well in Manassas and Prince William County?
Thanks
While the Lieberman-Warner Climate Security Act is heading to the Senate floor next month, the House doesn’t even have a global warming action bill in committee yet. Much as I’d love to blame the GOP on this one, it’s the House Democratic leadership that’s waiting for the Senate to act. What would you tell people like Rep. Boucher about the need for climate action?
As you may know, Virginia has some of the top higher education institutions in the country. However, the cost of college has become so high that some qualified students have to put off their higher education.
Based upon your experience as a college professor and administrator, what do you believe we should do to make college more affordable for Virginians?
To follow up on my last question, how do you think your experience in the higher education setting gives you some qualifications that you otherwise wouldn’t have?
Who is Mike Turner and why do you think you make a better candidate?
Should note that I’m not Mike Turner… didn’t think about that until I’d already posted the question.
How can we reduce our dependence on foreign oil?
What do you think are the two primary differences between you and Frank Wolf?
You’ve obviously been doing quite well in the fundraising department but money isn’t everything that’s needed in running a good campaign. Can you tell us some of the ways you think these high figures will really help your candidacy?
What do you believe the role of the superdelegates should be in the presidential election? This is an interesting question for me because you have the potential to be a superdelegate in 2012.
Another question: Younger voters have been showing up in record numbers for the presidential primaries this year. How do you plan on reaching out to these voters and potentially even getting them involved with your campaign?
Brian–It’s great to be with you today. Thanks so much for the invitation. I’m glad to be talking to you all about my race in the 10th. We’re going strong and I’m glad so many are interested in talking about it.
Great to have you here Judy, we all look forward to hearing what you have to say.
That would be BrYan (apologies!)–
Amanda–
Thanks so much for your support in ‘06. Wish we’d taken in then–and one thing I learned is that sometimes it takes more than once. This is a district that likes to get to know its candidates. It took Wolf 3 times to win; we’re going to take it in 2.
Five freshman members of Congress won ‘06 races having lost in ‘04 with margins like ours in ‘06. We’re running a longer, stronger race–starting earlier and building on our experience. Would love your support!
Fan of Judy–
Folks all over this district are struggling with the cost of health care, the mortgage crisis, and transportation–and want a change. Voters are generous; they’re ready to give long-time incumbents a second chance. But in the time since the ‘06 race, Wolf refuses to change. I think voters have had enough.
Kevin–
You’re right. We are getting more attention this time around. A lot of people believe we’ve got a better shot and we are making more of an effort to reach to people through the blogs. Glad you’re watching.
We plan to use the blogs in all kinds of ways. But high on the list is using blogs to get Frank
Wolf’s record out–especially on our own blog at Farewellfrank.com
10th District resident–
The difference between Obama’s and Clinton’s plans are exaggerated. The real difference is between their plans–which will get to universal coverage and affordable care–and McCain’s, which won’t.
I’m running to get us all affordable health care and here are the 5 concrete steps to do just that:
Guarantee everybody benefits strong enough to cover us when we’re sick–just like members of Congress have.
Assure everyone a choice of plans–stay in your own plan if you want to, or choose another public or private plan.
In all this plans, end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions, and
Make sure premiums and out-of-expenses are affordable, limited based on what people can really afford to pay.
Finally–get a hold of the spiral in health care costs through prevention, management of chronic diseases, investment in 21st century information technology, and public leadership in research on effective treatment–to get us value for the dollar.
Dan–glad you asked.
First we need protections to assure that lenders can’t trick us in the fine print–disclosure, rules, to assure fairness.
Second, we need federal guarantees to support mortgage restructuring for at-risk lenders–similar to those the House just passed (with Wolf voting NO!).
Third–we need to go beyond this legislation to authorize judges to restructure primary mortgages in bankruptcy proceedings. That’s the way to make sure the restructuring happens!!
Not George Bush–Isn’t it great to have 2 northern Virginia districts ripe for a Democratic pick-up? Leslie Byrne was a big help to me in ‘06. But we, like all 6 of the democratic candidates in the 10th and 11th, are focused on our race–as we should be, a month out!
Democrat in McLean–
Living in the 10th, you know well how fast this district is changing. We sure saw it in the November ‘07 elections: a dem delegate and supervisor in Fairfax, turnover of the Loudoun County Board, and an almost-victory for a Senate seat in Winchester. There’s a demand for change all over the district.
Manassas and Prince William are in a part of the district in which voting is very different in a Presidential year than in other years. We’ll be reaching out to first-time and presidential-year-only voters in these areas, along with everywhere else.
The Green Miles–
We can’t get action on global warming soon enough. As you say, we need democrats who will take the lead on this issue. I’m committed to doing just that.
Bryan–I’m glad you’re calling attention to how hard it is for students. And you know that Wolf’s voted to cut student loans.
We need legislation to assure more direct federal lending, increases in Pell grants, and, especially for our veterans, enactment of Jim Webbs 21st Century GI Bill.
Bryan–A lot of the last 7 years, we’ve seen the Bush administration base policy on wishful thinking. Good policy is based on evidence. I’m running to bring good, evidence-based policy to the Congress.
Mike (not turner) — Mike’s a good guy and a great dem! I’ll leave it to him to give you the details.
But I’ve got the experience and the commitment to bring the change the voters in the10th are looking for. For thirty years, I’ve been fighting for affordable health care and for the last 10, I’ve been training the nation’s future civilian and military leaders how to make change and solve problems. That means looking at the evidence, listening to people’s concerns, and standing up for principles. I held Frank Wolf accountable in ‘06; and I’m going to win in ‘08!
Ben in PW–
For reasons of national security, the economy, and the environment, we’ve got to move away from dependence on oil. That means real conservation through efficiency standards, reductions in carbon emissions, and investment in alternative fuels–funded in part by cutting back those tax breaks for the oil companies.
Patrick– At his kick-off in January, Wolf promised the voters of the 10th district that, if re-elected, his next 2 years would be just like the last 28.
I couldn’t be more different. I’m running to bring the change the voters in the 10th district are looking for.
On the war, Frank Wolf always want more studies. We don’t need studies. Americans have clearly come to the conclusion that we need to end this war and bring the troops home. That’s what I stand for.
On the economy, Frank Wolf voted against protection for homeowners and in the last seven years has supported the biggest increase in the national debt we’ve ever seen. I stand for protecting homeownership, fiscal responsibility, and economic policy that makes life better for all of us, not just the few.
Thanks for posting, it’s really good to hear what you’re thinking. Can’t wait to see you in Washington!
Not Too Anonymous–Strong fundraising reflects strong support for my effort to bring change. We need those resources to let all the voters in the 10th District know there’s a real alternative to Frank Wolf–to see what’s wrong with his record and get to know me and what I stand for.
Running a campaign is not cheap. Whether we’re talking about field (the average successful budget in ‘06 for a winning congressional campaign was over a quarter million $) or media (it costs over $600,000 a week for television in this district), you need dollars to communicate. We’re going to have the resources to get our message out and win this race.
Sully Dem–
I agree with Speaker Pelosi that the nomination should go to the candidate with the majority of pledged delegates. And in 2012 we’re not going to have this problem: we’re going to reelect our democratic president!
Bryan–I’ve got to run. Thanks again for this opportunity. I look forward to doing it again!
Thanks for answering our questions, Judy.