Musgrove touts conservative stances on fiscal, social issues

 

(Editor’s note: The Panolian interviewed Ronnie Musgrove, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senator, this week prior to the November 4 election.)

By Billy Davis

Panolian: In past campaigns you described yourself as a “common-sense conservative.” Do you still believe that label describes you?

Musgrove: Yes, it does. I am a common-sense conservative. I am a Mississippi Democrat. I am pro-life, pro-gun and opposed to gay marriage. But I believe strongly that we don’t need unfair trade deals that ship jobs overseas. We don’t need special interests running Washington. We don’t need bailouts for Wall Street…

Panolian: What defines a “conservative” in national politics?

Musgrove: Just the opposite of what they’ve been doing for the last eight years… They have doubled the national debt from 4.9 trillion dollars to almost 10 trillion dollars. They’ve borrowed almost a trillion dollars from China.

The problem is that the Washington insiders and special interests are running Washington. Roger Wicker and his special interest allies have stood by and let it happen.

Panolian: There are other political labels such as “moderate” and “liberal.” Why do you feel those descriptions do not fit your political views?

Musgrove: Because on social issues I’m very conservative… On fiscal issues I believe in balanced budgets and don’t believe in overspending. That’s what I’ve done my entire career. On the other hand, Roger Wicker has voted at least nine times to raise the debt to borrow money from China. That’s not being fiscally responsible.

So I believe a common-sense conservative, a person who is a Mississippi Democrat with an “A” rating from the NRA – those are things in my opinion make me a Mississippian that represents those values.

Panolian: Do you consider the current Democratic leadership in the Senate moderate, liberal or conservative?

Musgrove: In some instances it depends on the issues. (Senator) Chuck Schumer is much more liberal than I am. A lot of them are. But at the same time you work together.

I looked at Chuck Schumer and said, “I want you to know, before y’all agree to help me, that if I believe the Republicans are right on an issue for Mississippi, I’m voting for the Republicans. If you’re right, I’ll vote with you.” He (Roger Wicker) has blindly followed the marching orders of his party 97 percent of the time, even when it hurt Mississippi.

Panolian: National polls show that Senator Obama will probably win the White House with a narrow victory. Why do you think voters will choose Senator Obama?

Musgrove: …Both presidential candidates are talking about change, maybe from a different point of view but definitely about change. Both are talking about and criticizing lobbyist influence. I believe both of them are on track about some of the problems that are happening in Washington.

Ninety-one percent of Americans believe the country is headed in the wrong direction. People recognize we need to change a broken Washington.

Panolian: If Senator Obama wins, what issue do you hope he will tackle during his first term?

Musgrove: Work on a bill to decrease the influence of the special interests and get them out of writing the bills…economic incentives that will help small businesses. I believe you will see us address the unfair trade deals that are shipping tens of thousands of jobs overseas. We need an energy policy that’s going to reduce the price of gas but is going to also decrease our dependency on foreign oil.

Panolian: Conservatives are concerned that Democrats will hold a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate along with a Democrat in the White House. One of their main concerns is that Democrats will try to reenact the so-called Fairness Doctrine. What is your stance on the Fairness Doctrine?

Musgrove: I think it has a lot of work to it if you’re even going to consider it…

Panolian: Would you vote in favor of the Fairness Doctrine?

Musgrove:…Right now I would not be in support of it. But I think, to me any of us who are in public life, we just want people to be honest and have the facts right. The way they’re going about doing it, I don’t think that’s the right approach.

Panolian: When you talk about getting the facts right, are you referring to talk radio? That’s where most of the fear of the Fairness Doctrine is coming from – conservative talk radio.

Musgrove: No, I was just using that as an example. At some point and time, you would want to think that facts do matter. But opinion radio – that’s a different field. As long as everybody understands that’s opinion radio, that’s what it is. It’s not news. It’s opinion. 

Panolian: Another possible bill is the Employee Free Choice Act, a pro-union bill that you have pledged to support. According to the bill, employees would simply check a card they’re given to form a union. But critics, including your opponent, say the card-check would undo secret-ballot elections. Is that a correct interpretation of that bill?

Musgrove: Not as I understand it. First, all I understand the bill to do is to give another option instead of a 15- or 18-month process if people are in agreement with it. I’m in support of the workers and not the special interests. Secondly, people ought to have their right to vote. It’s just another choice – another option. It doesn’t take away the right to have a vote, and I wouldn’t be for taking away the right to have a vote.

Panolian: So your understanding is that the bill creates a second option for workers. It doesn’t do away with secret-ballot elections?

Musgrove: Correct.

Panolian: Mississippi is known as a so-called right-to-work state, but you’ve been endorsed by the AFL-CIO and a lot of other unions. Can you explain your support for labor unions in a state like Mississippi where they don’t have a strong presence?

Musgrove: I think I’ve been endorsed by them in every election I’ve ever run in. And I think one of the main reasons is that I’ll sit down and talk with them, which I think is my responsibility as an elected official to our citizens. I am in favor of having fair trade deals. We don’t need to have unfair trade deals that ship all of our jobs overseas. Surely we can negotiate fair trade deals that are good for small businesses, our workers, our farmers and our exporters.

Panolian: Do you think being a right-to-work state helped Mississippi land the Nissan plant, which you helped bring here, and the coming Toyota plant? Do you think that benefits Mississippi?

Musgrove: I’m sure that different corporations have various reasons that they emphasize internally. We don’t know those and they were never expressed to us. I want to feel like we can attract business and industry because we’re competitive and because we have a great workforce. Our climate is a good pro-business climate. If I had not been a pro-business governor, I doubt we would have landed Nissan.

Panolian: The Clarion-Ledger reported Monday that you and your opponent differ over so-called pork barrel spending. Can you clarify your stance on earmarks?

Musgrove: I agree with John McCain. John McCain said earmarks are a gateway to corruption. (Newspaper columnist) Robert Novak said Roger Wicker is the poster child for a moratorium on earmarks. For every earmark you’ve got a lobbyist. For every lobbyist you’ve got somebody who gives money. Our universities shouldn’t have to hire lobbyists. Our cities and counties shouldn’t have to hire lobbyists. I would be their senator. I would sit down and I would fight like hell for those things that we need that are legitimate and are good projects.

The problem with earmarks is that 10 percent of the projects are good. The other 90 percent Mississippi taxpayers have to pay for, like the prisoners museum in Canton and the infamous Bridge to Nowhere that we all know about now.

Panolian: What is an alternative to address the pork barrel spending?

Musgrove: Go through the normal appropriations process. Allow projects to be debated and supported – the legitimate projects.

Panolian: Here in Panola County our local officials are lobbying our congressmen for federal monies to construct a turning lane off Highway 35 into the new industrial park. In recent months local officials have sought federal funds to purchase turnout gear for firefighters. Do those lobbying efforts conflict with your position on earmarks?

Musgrove: They do not. That’s my point. City officials and county officials ought to be able to go to their congressmen and senators to ask for help on economic development projects. City and counties shouldn’t have to hire a lobbyist.