Questions I'd Like Asked But Won't Be

Thursday night is the first presidential debate moderated by the very capable Jim Lehrer. Jim has his choice of questions but I predict none will be too hard-hitting. The NY Sun suggests some here. I would ask the following:

For Bush:

Mr. President, Egypt receives over a billion dollars per annum from the US. They have not done nearly enough to restrict assistance to terrorist organizations such as Hamas. Would you consider reducing the yearly stipend we send them?

In the last four years, you have signed the McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform Bill, you have signed into law the largest entitlement program in years with the Medicare prescription drug bill, and you've signed a massive education bill, which has put the country into a large deficit situation. Are there any major program spending increases you foresee in the next term?

With the price of oil at the highest level it's ever been, would you consider instituting CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) standards for cars sold in the US? Would you be willing to fight again for drilling for oil in ANWR?

For Kerry:

Senator Kerry, you have discredited out greatest allies as "coerced and bribed" and have said that you would convince other nations to join us in our Iraq effort. France and Germany have both said they would not change their Iraq policy if you were elected. What allies that are not currently with us would you bring on board and why would our current allies such as Britain, Australia, Italy, Bulgaria, and Poland chose to stay with the coalition after being discredited by you?

You have talked about President Bush's tax cuts and have said that you would offer a better middle-class tax cut. What would that cut be, would you rescind the Bush tax cut, and what is your definition of middle-class in annual salary?

More tomorrow.