In anticipation of forums to be broadcast live on-air by KCRW in Santa Barbara, all candidates for the 24th Congressional district were asked to respond to this questionnaire. The responses have been published without editing.
Given how dysfunctional Congress is now, how do you intend to get anything done?
We've got to look at the structural causes of gridlock. A major factor is that the power elite — Wall Street, international banks, corporations, oil companies, the defense industry, etc. — want to divide and conquer the American public. As long as we remain divided, these special interests, which manipulate both parties with lobbying and campaign donations, achieve their goals unopposed. The wars today are the worst manifestation of the elite agenda.