I recorded the video, but since there’s not really much to see and it’s a pretty large file size I figured I’d post the full audio instead. You’ll notice a few places where the audio cuts out for a split-second. The content of the audio is completely unedited. The cuts in audio simply makes it easier on me in working with the file.

Listen to the 2-part audio below or click here to download the full audio (1 hr 13 min) – and a very special thanks to Anna Vasquez for providing a quick transcription on such short notice. Anna is a self-described “live and let live” American Patriot and a fighter for individual liberty and our founding libertarian principles.

Be sure to click here to share your comments (opens in new window so the audio will continue to play). Tell us what you think about what the candidates have to say.

Part 1 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine (34:18)

Part 2 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine (38:30)

Listed below are the questions asked of each candidate and a brief overview of their answers. Personally, I was glad to see the issue of the Auditing the Federal Reserve come up first.

Part 1 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine

• Opening Statements
  • Tegerdine on his family, deciding to run for Congress, changing the way we elect people, exporting jobs to China, free trade
  • Palazzo on separation of Church and State, firing Nancy Pelosi, his family, taxes and spending
• Audit the Federal Reserve and eliminate central banking (12:30)
  • Palazzo: yes, Federal Reserve is unconstitutional
  • Tegerdine: yes, people want to know how money is being spent and how the monetary system works, will co-sponsor the “Audit the Fed” bill
• Primary responsibility of every member of Congress (15:20)
  • Tegerdine: to uphold  and defend the Constitution
  • Palazzo: to protect and defend the Constitution against all enemies both domestic and foreign
• Whats the difference between a right and a privilege (16:40)
  • Palazzo: Not really sure, a right is given to you by God – privilege is something you earn
  • Tegerdine: Rights are given by God – not man, privilege is earned and given by man. Governments are setup to protect God-given rights
• Do you support Gene Taylor’s Multi-Peril Insurance (18:40)
  • Tegerdine: no, at insurance symposium Wicker and Taylor ignored free market solutions, let’s consider free market solutions, Texas Seed Act did not get a bailout
  • Palazzo: no, can’t support flood insurance plan – does not want to encourage people to build homes in flood plains, goes against free market principles, Gene Taylor is fear-mongering after a natural disaster
• Congressional Term Limits (23:45)
  • Palazzo: previously did not but does now because Congress members are entrenched in Lobbyists, supports 6 terms in House/2 terms as Senator
  • Tegerdine: fully supports term limits, self-imposed term limit to 4 terms, will sponsor term limit legislation that will add amendment to US Constitution
• 3 Federal programs you would like to abolish or defund (28:00)
  • Tegerdine: IRS, Department of Education, EPA, Healthcare, 624 government programs duplicate the same thing costing Americans $20 Billion per year, budget is on unsustainable fiscal path, reduce federal budget from 30% to well under 20%
  • Palazzo: keep promises made to seniors and veterans, everything is on the table, Department of Education has to go, EPA over-regulates business and individuals, abolish IRS for the Fair Tax

Part 2 of 2 Steven Palazzo and Joe Tegerdine

• How will candidates handle negative press – Will you cave into pressure from the press or people you represent? General comments on the state of the Media
  • Palazzo: local media should try to print conservative statements, media should print good news, traditional media is dying out and Internet is growing,
  • Tegerdine: if the people of South Mississippi send a person to Congress then he isn’t obligated to answer to the big money that sent you there, God bless the Internet, media gives spin – not always facts.
  • Palazzo: has thick skin, doesn’t answer to bloggers
• How your Religion impacts your political philosophy (7:40)
  • Tegerdine: been a Christian all his life, served a Mormon mission in Taiwan for 2 years preaching Jesus Christ to people that had no concept of Jesus Christ, his Christian faith made him who he is, made commitments as a young man to live by the teachings of Jesus Christ
  • Palazzo: faith is something you live and pray and not boast or brag about, chose the Catholic faith – wife is Southern Baptist, served overseas and in the Airborne division – couldn’t have done it without his faith in Jesus Christ
• Eminent Domain being used more frequently by Government taking private property for the use of private industry (11:00)
  • Palazzo: Eminent Domain is not as simple as not wanting government to take property, 100% in favor of private property, E.D. has been used in America for 200 years and in MS for 175 years, a clear public use is the only time government should take private property – but you take it by giving them fair and reasonable compensation, voted against Eminent Domain bill in MS House last year because it was unconstitutional, bad public policy, and was pure politics, Mississippi has the toughest Eminent Domain laws, Eminent Domain has never been used to take private property to be turned over to private industry and never will happen
  • Tegerdine: 5th Amendment of the US Constitution, Government should pay Just compensation to victim of eminent domain – not reasonable compensation, 118 bipartisan said last year’s Eminent Domain bill was Constitutional, Mississippi has some of the weakest eminent domain laws, eminent domain has been used to take private property and given to private corporations – Nissan and Toyota, eminent domain is a big issues federally in our district, Gene Taylor refuses to meet with eminent domain victim in his own district, look at Palazzo’s record and make up your own mind
• Will you participate in or decline Congressional healthcare and retirement systems (19:50)
  • Tegerdine: I will decline
  • Palazzo: ditto – no brainer
• Palazzo’s wife is President of Harrison County Republicans club – allegations she is using her position, against rules of the party, to promote Palazzo’s campaign. (20:17)
  • Proud of his wife, wife supports him, not gentlemanly to bring wife into things, for the record his wife has stepped down
• Tegerdine was raised in northwest, relocated to Florida, then Mississippi in 2007, voted in Florida elections in 2007. How do you connect with South Mississippi residents on their social, political, moral beliefs? (22:00)
  • voted in Florida in 2007 in order to vote on marriage amendment he had helped to move forward, experienced liberalism in other states, Mississippi represents his Christian families values that transcend geographic boundaries, hopes people adopt him as he has adopted them
• Closing statements (26:54)
  • Palazzo: we have to fire Gene Taylor so we can fire Nancy Pelosi, Gene Taylor is a good guy just ineffective – not a fighter, Gene Taylor “votes and runs”, healthcare bill is unconstitutional, healthcare needs free market reform, stop radical Socialist agenda, trying to foster high-paying jobs and reduce spending in Mississippi, live free or die brave!
  • Tegerdine: wants term limits, one-subject law for legislation – hate crimes and military spending so we know where our Representative stands on each issue, balanced budget amendment, abolish IRS for a FairTax – illegal immigrants, welfare recipients, and the wealthy would have to start paying taxes, China and India prospering with free market solutions, committed to “Patriot Pledge”.

In  “GOP Favors Public Option for Property, Not People” – David Johnston accurately describes the hypocrisy of many Republicans as they attempt to legislate  a single payer system when it comes to property….

Lott introduced Senate Bill 1936, which would have authorized retroactive flood insurance. The idea came from Representative Gene Taylor, a Democrat who represented the Mississippi Gulf Coast, which should remind us that when there is voter demand for reform, and campaign contributions are not the driving force, the parties have worked together.

Lott’s bill would have let flood victims pay 10 years of flood insurance premiums after-the-fact plus a 5 percent late payment penalty. Since this storm was rated a once in 500 years occurrence, even 10 years of premiums would not come close to covering the real costs, meaning a taxpayer subsidy was built into the Lott bill.

Johnston hits the nail on the head with the dilemma facing conservatives of Mississippi’s 4th Congressional District. Socialism is bad for those poor folks who can’t seem to save a cent for healthcare… but when it comes to our expensive beach properties on the gulf coast… well…. we need a single payer system.

Gene Taylor says he’s against universal healthcare because it cannot be funded… but has no problem EXPANDING the dismal National Flood Insurance Program…to take care of rich folks.

Not surprisingly the NFIP is just another bankrupt basket of red ink on our nations budget… but does that stop Gene Taylor from pushing to get wind coverage added to the NFIP?

Nope… bankrupt federal program or not… Taylor aims to take care of that money on the coast…

How Gene continues to get elected despite maintaining such a low profile on the House floor is starting to become quite clear.

A single payer federally subsidized system is fine for Taylor’s buddies who live in mansions on the coast… but for the little people who aren’t capable of paying for their healthcare….

Well it seems Taylor can’t be all things to all people at all times…

Don’t worry Gene… we get the big picture.

GREAT GENE TAYLOR QUOTES

September 9, 2009- “I would hope by now that everyone in this room knows that I am not going to vote for the healthcare plan.” – The Hill

• We all know that Taylor doesn’t support the single payer option for the poor folks…

August 29, 2009 – “Throughout Mississippi’s six most southern counties, major insurance companies refuse to write new policies. This dumps folks into the insurer of last resort-the state government wind pool, which has been subsidized lately with federal taxpayer dollars. Even so, those premiums are out of reach for many.” – Gene Taylor’s congressional website

From Gene Taylor’s quote above let’s pull out one sentence about HOME owners on the coast…

Even so, those premiums (home insurance) are out of reach for many

Read that sentence again….

• Gene Taylor wants a single payer flood and wind insurance policy, underwritten by the U.S. Federal Government… for folks with homes along the coast.

Did I mention the current federal flood program was already bankrupt?

This is actually quite amusing….

• Democrat
• Takes care of rich folks in his neighborhood with federal programs
• Refuses to help poor folks in lower class neighborhoods get their medicine

The reason for his success may say much more about us as conservative Mississippians than it does about him. The issue of our federal government subsidizing flood insurance for people that live in flood zones has a short history which dates back to only 1968. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, Taylor has not only found a way to increase the influence of the federal government in private markets, but also to gain popularity with some voters in our district.

According to Taylor:

“Apparently, the insurance industry no longer wants to cover people for wind damage in coastal America or will not provide that coverage at a cost that is reasonable,” Rep. Taylor (D-MS) stated. “Throughout coastal America, property insurance companies have dramatically increased premiums on existing policies, cancelled existing policies, or have stopped writing new policies altogether for our nation’s home and business owners. The Multiple Peril Insurance Act will solve this problem. It will also stimulate the economy throughout coastal America, particularly here in the Katrina area of the nation.”

“People who played by the rules and expected insurance companies to play by the same rules got screwed,” Taylor said.

Despite being an already bankrupt federal program, Taylor’s proposal expands the National Flood Insurance Program to permit homeowners the option of purchasing both wind and flood coverage in one policy. To track this bill click here. Gregg Harper (R) and Travis Childers (D) have co-sponsored the bill, while Bennie Thompson (D) of Mississippi’s 2nd District has failed to sign on. It never surprises me when a Democrat wants to further submerge a bankrupt federal program… but it’s a shame when a Republican signs on as well.

The real question is… why is this a matter for the federal government? Why doesn’t Taylor allow the people of Mississippi to decide how they want to deal with these insurance companies at the state level?

The issue for conservatives is… Why do we accept subsidies, socialism, welfare, and other hand-outs from the federal government when it is convenient for us to do so? How can we complain about the increases in the size of the federal government, its budget, and ultimately its tax burden on the citizens… while we are standing in line with our hands out too? It is this reality that leads to the election of Gene Taylor time and again.

We complain about the bailout of the UAW which Taylor approves. Then we invite Taylor to announce how he’ll subsidize our multi-peril home insurance with federal funds. We’ll ask Taylor how soon and how much coverage we can get at the expense of tax-payers who’ve chosen not to live on the beach. We’ll complain about Obama and Nancy Pelosi meddling in the marketplace and then we’ll turn around and ask our congressman to do the same.

Our federal government is growing more socialist daily thanks to our own voting records. We ask for rhetorical limited government, but too often seek to expand the powers and influence of government when it directly benefits us. Is the UAW in Detroit not doing the same thing? And is Gene Taylor not performing the exact same service for those with homes on the Mississippi Gulf Coast that Obama has performed for the UAW? Has the market failed you lately? Call your congressman.

Are we actually going to be different than those liberal democrats bent on transforming our society into an absurd socialist utopia which only exists in their minds? Are we going to request the government to perform financial favors for us at the expense of other citizens?

Perhaps we could, once again and true to our rhetoric, support a candidate who believes in limited federal government. One that will remind us of conservatism when we come crawling with our hands out requesting an increase in the size and authority of the federal government. One who looks to the constitution, which he swore to uphold, as the blueprint for whether or not legislation is legitimate. How can we complain about all the unconstitutional legislation flying out of Washington D.C. and yet undermine our futures by partaking in it ourselves?

If you are a conservative and you believe in limited government… how do you propose to get our government off its path to socialism while supporting your local congressman with a track record of increasing government spending and programs? Will we say this is allowed because we benefited financially? And if that is the case… how can any of us ever point our fingers at another citizen for doing the same?

At the end of the day… the 2010 election will unveil much more about conservatism that it will Gene Taylor.