The following just dropped into my mail box from one Peter J. Duffy who wants to be sent to Congress from our state. There's no indication if it's Bass or Bradley that should cede his slot.
Personally, I find it scary to have someone state my positions so clearly and add some finer points.
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Peter J. Duffy's positions on:

Foreign Affairs

1.The war in Iraq was a preventive and unnecessary war unlawfully brought under customary principles of international law. Iraq never threatened our vital interests. Congress needs to convene an independent investigation of the allegations made by the Downing Street memo that intelligence in advance of the war was fixed to go to war in Iraq. The cost in treasure, loss of Iraqi and American lives, destroyed infrastructure and Islamic mistrust of the USA will be borne by future generations.

2. Strategically the winner in the war is shaping to be Iran which will assume a theologically natural sphere of influence over the oil rich Shiite regions of Iraq. This will upset the balance of power in the Gulf

3. Our soldiers are strangers in a strange land. The United States should allow for uncoerced Iraqi self determination and initiate an immediate staged withdrawal from all regions of the country with the exception or the Kurdish north where negotiations should begin immediately to lease basing rights prior to withdrawal. If the US is able to negotiate the right to remain in Kurdistan this will limit our presence to an area friendly to US interests; will help assure the quasi autonomous and perhaps future independence of a Kurdish region thereby continuing one of our limited success stories in the region post Gulf War I. This would also serve as a secure base from which to provide future assistance to Iraq from the US and from international non governmental agencies as that Iraq struggles for its political direction. A limited presence in Kurdistan might serve to balance the power against the growing influence of Iran which is suspicious of an independent Kurdistan and does not recognize the right of Israel to exist. Iran is fast becoming nuclear capable. Non proliferation of nuclear weapons beyond present capabilities must be an international priority that a monitoring US or international presence in Kurdistan would serve relative to Iran. A total US pullout from the region will heighten both the risks of an Israeli-Iran confrontation and renewed hostilities between the Kurds and their Sunni, Turkish and Iranian neighbors who will all be defensive about regional Kurd independence. .

4. Support financially and militarily the efforts of Israel to create an independent Palestinian state evidenced by the recent withdrawal from Gaza and the gradual plan to withdraw settlements in the West Bank. The effort can not be superimposed on Israel but must proceed with due caution at a pace determined by Israel. The US must continue to be a partner in the security of Israel and continue to influence the Arab nations to accept its right to co-exist in the region.

5. The threat of an Islamic jihad against the west is real in extremist Islamic ranks. However, the threat must be mitigated by a foreign policy that respects the mainstream religion and culture; provides economic assistance from international sources that goes beyond extraction of oil resources; and encourages participatory politics. The extremists must be marginalized by their own culture. The benefits of an independent Palestinian state discussed above will help to depolarize the region and enhance this process.

Domestic

1. Our country must be challenged by its leadership to obtain full energy independence and a base level of universal health care coverage.

2. An industrial and environmental revolution awaits with the development of energy saving and alternative energy production technology. The US needs to take the lead in this area. The defense and environmental costs of fossil fuel dependence can not continue. The Energy Bill must be amended to require a new non commercial road vehicle fuel efficiency standard of 40 MPG effective 2007.Conservation as a national policy imperative can not wait another year. The Bush administration is in denial about the effects of fossil fuels on global warming as are some scientists. Hedging this bet with conservation and alternative energy development will have significant security and economic ancillary benefits to warrant pursuit.

3. The lack of universal health care coverage through a government assisted or guaranteed base level program is hurting the working and manufacturing sectors and the general population. Federal resources must be reallocated to make this happen. The medicare drug bill now estimated to be 1.1 trillion and not 400 billion as represented must be reexamined. .Free standing diagnostic centers operated with federal funds similar to our VA hospitals should be established in critical regions. These centers would provide CT Scan, MRI. X-Ray, lab work, eye exams and physical exams to compensate for the lack of proactive and preventive care provided by existing HMOs.

4. Federal funds and tax policy are currently misdirecting resources away from a societal safety net needed by the population. Social Security can be maintained by raising to $150,000 the ceilings on income subject to the tax with a supplemental surtax on incomes in excess of $150,000.

5. The Federal Estate and Gift Tax must be maintained for estates greater than 5 million to avoid the a loss of $1 trillion in revenue in the next decade. It is our only tax on wealth transfer. Bill Gates is in favor of retaining the tax. A consumption tax on non essential life support items should be initiated for a finite period to fund social security and safety net programs

6. All Federal Agencies and procurement practices should be subject to sunset review.$300 billion in annual defense contracting expense is an excessive and unsustainable entitlement robbing the nation of needed treasure for other programs.

7. Universal national service in community, social work, the arts and defense areas should be adopted. The WPA and CCC programs of FDR need to be reborn to assist in rebuilding our decaying roads , bridges, schools, hospitals, community theaters and national recreational facilities. Arts funding should be increased.

8. The military should increase strength by one active and two reserve divisions with joint capabilities and full combat service support resources. The military has unique organic resources to provide emergency humanitarian aid and security at home and abroad. National Guard forces should be used to provide border security on an ongoing basis. Reserve retirement age should be equitably lowered to age 55. Reserve/National Guard overseas deployments should be limited to six months. Day care assistance in the form of vouchers must be provided to the families of Reserve and Guard soldiers deployed for more than thirty days. The use of private security contractors in combat must be eliminated. Their utility is exceeded by the disciplinary and command and control risks that they create as well as their inequitably excessive compensation relative to what soldiers are paid. The recent closure of the Baghdad airport by a private British security force complaining about pay problems well illustrates the type of problem that can arise. Other serious problems have been caused by private security contractors from their firing on our soldiers to their participation with impunity in the Iraqi prison abuses..

9. All federally mandated funded programs must be fully funded with block grants to the states and local communities.

10. The Bill of Rights against an over reaching federal government must remain strong. The First Amendment must remain sacrosanct and all created works must be fully protected. The individual’s right of privacy against government intrusion must be strengthened. The decision by the 4th Circuit in Padilla v. Hanft must be overruled by proactive Congressional legislation. JudgeLuttig’s decision says that any American citizen can be held indefinitely without criminal charges if the president in his sole discretion deems the person an unlawful combatant. This a violates the most fundamental constitutional right of an American citizen to be charged before being imprisoned. It is not a great extrapolated leap to see concentration camp style detention emerging from a paranoid executive branch supported by our judiciary.18 USC 4001(a) says that no person shall be imprisoned except pursuant to an act of Congress but Congress is silent in response to the decision.

11. Immigration should require passport control and visas for all foreign nationals entering the country. A one time amnesty program should allow illegal immigrants to come forward and register. Admission or retention in the USA should be conditioned on positive security background checks. Thereafter those not registered or admitted without a visa should be deported.

12. Drug laws should remain a matter of state and not federal law. Incarceration for drug possession offenses should be de emphasized with prosecution and confinement resources dedicated to violent crimes and corporate looting. Laws on gay marriage must be left for the state. The federal government must recognize any marriage valid in any state. Our drug prohibition laws divert needed treasure away from our criminal justice system and largely serve to underwrite bootlegging gangs and terrorist organizations.

13. Lobbyist reform at the federal level is necessary to provide the general public with fair and equal access to legislators. Lobbies should be registered with contact with legislators openly disclosed.

14. Campaign finance reform to limit campaign spending and provide equal access to the media is needed. to mitigate undue influence of large campaign contributors over the election process.

15. The Bankruptcy Reform and Consumer Protection Act should have been named the Bankruptcy Reform and Credit Card Company Protection Act as it was bought with 40 million dollars of credit card company lobbying. It should be repealed. Thousands of the displaced and jobless from Hurricane Katrina will be unable to file after Mid October this year. This is more evidence of the Republican Congress’ economic war on the middle and underclass.

16. National usury laws need to be enacted that would limit to 5 points over prime the interest that credit card companies can charge.

17. I am pro choice. My daughters as well as any other woman should have the right to determine what happens to her body.