HUMAN

RIGHTS AND
INTERNATIONAL
RELATIONS
HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Michael Brennan’s Responses…………………………………….2

Mark Lawrence’s Responses………………………………………4

Chellie Pingree’s Responses……………………………………….6

Ethan Strimling’s Responses……………………………………….11

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would reverse the Military Commissions
Act of 2006 and restore the writ of habeas corpus? Yes.

2. Do you believe that the US should operate prisons

outside of its borders? No.

3. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would abolish the death penalty? Yes.

4. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would initiate hearings that might lead to
the criminal prosecution of elected officials and
contractors involved in war crimes and constitutional
violations? Yes.

5. When, if ever, do you consider the use of military force to

be appropriate? I might consider the use of military force
appropriate in one of two circumstances – to prevent or
counteract genocide, or in response to military action against the
United States by another state actor.

6. Do you believe that economic sanctions or embargoes are

an effective tool of foreign policy? No.

7. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would enable undocumented immigrants
currently working in the United States to attain legal
resident status and, eventually, full citizenship? Yes.

8. Do you believe that the US should become party to the

Kyoto Protocol? Yes.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

9. What will you do to eliminate poverty?

I will propose and work for:
* A national campaign to cut poverty by half over the next five
years by increasing the earned income tax credit, “making work
pay” and increasing high school graduation rates. This campaign
would be the first step in a larger campaign to end poverty in
America.
* Workers’ rights to organize and oppose “free trade” deals that
allow good paying American jobs to leave the country.
* Letting the Bush tax cuts expire in 2010 and passing new tax
reform focused on reducing the share of taxes paid by middle
and working class people.
* Establishing a National Housing Trust Fund to finance the
development of affordable housing.
* The creation of a Financial Products Safety Commission to
protect consumers from deceptive credit practices and products.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would reverse the Military Commissions
Act of 2006 and restore the writ of habeas corpus? What
this administration has done to the Constitution is appalling. I
strongly support reversing the Military Commissions Act of 2006
and restoring the writ of habeas corpus.

2. Do you believe that the US should operate prisons

outside of its borders? No. I believe America should abide by
the Geneva Conventions and the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights.

3. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would abolish the death penalty? I support
the abolition of the death penalty.

4. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would initiate hearings that might lead to
the criminal prosecution of elected officials and
contractors involved in war crimes and constitutional
violations? I believe that Congress must aggressively hold
hearings into the rationale used for the U.S. to enter into the war
in Iraq and the conduct of the war, including allegations of
corruption by private contractors. I also believe Congress should
be conducting impeachment hearings against Vice President
Cheney and President Bush. Any information that comes to light
about potential criminal activity should be given to the
appropriate prosecutorial agency.

5. When, if ever, do you consider the use of military force to

be appropriate? It depends on each individual situation, but I
consider force to be appropriate when our national security is
threatened, and when the shared security of the world is
threatened. I support multilateralism in our foreign policy
because our world is more interdependent than ever before.
However, military force should always be the last resort.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

6. Do you believe that economic sanctions or embargoes are

an effective tool of foreign policy? Economic sanctions or
embargoes should be considered as part of a multinational effort,
only when the humanitarian effects of such efforts have been
properly weighed.

7. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would enable undocumented immigrants
currently working in the United States to attain legal
resident status and, eventually, full citizenship? I support
creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants.
Concurrently I believe we should crack down on employers who
exploit the labor of undocumented immigrants.

8. Do you believe that the US should become party to the

Kyoto Protocol? Absolutely yes.

9. What will you do to eliminate poverty? First, we need to

withdraw from Iraq and repeal the Bush tax cuts. We need to
take the savings to pay down our debt and invest in domestic
needs, such as infrastructure and social programs. Creating a
universal single-payer health care system will reduce people’s
burdens, and such a system should include strong mental health
services. Beyond that we need to invest in communities and
encourage a shift in our focus away from individualism and
toward helping one another.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would reverse the Military Commissions
Act of 2006 and restore the writ of habeas corpus? Yes. As
part of the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq, I have
endorsed H. R. 1416, the Habeas Corpus Restoration Act.

The Military Commission Act of 2006 fundamentally undermines

the constitution and the rule of law. It is just one astonishing
example of the damage we all have to work to undo in the wake
of the Bush Presidency. The ACLU, among other organizations has
done amazing work fighting this Act and educating the public
about habeas corpus. As they say, in passing the Military
Commissions Act, “they cast aside the Constitution and the
principle of habeas corpus, which protects against unlawful and
indefinite imprisonment. They also gave the president absolute
power to designate enemy combatants, and to set his own
definitions for torture.” The Act is a huge shift of power to the
President and flies in the face of core American values protecting
us against unlawful or indefinite imprisonment.

2. Do you believe that the US should operate prisons

outside of its borders? No.

3. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would abolish the death penalty? Yes.

4. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would initiate hearings that might lead to
the criminal prosecution of elected officials and
contractors involved in war crimes and constitutional
violations? Yes. For the last seven years, we have been
burdened by an administration that has disrespected the rule of
law, engaged in warrant-less wiretaps, abandoned habeas
corpus, and chipped away at our civil rights. It's no wonder that
we have lost so much respect around the world.
Our system of government, with three distinct branches, was
built to provide for accountability. This Congress should hold

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hearings to examine the actions of the Bush Administration and

those who have worked under their watch.

5. When, if ever, do you consider the use of military force to

be appropriate? We should use our military force defensively
and, in some cases, preemptively for self-defense. I do not
believe in preventive war—that is, a war waged to prevent a
hypothetical attack

6. Do you believe that economic sanctions or embargoes are

an effective tool of foreign policy? Yes. It’s true that the
effectiveness of sanctions and embargoes are a hotly debated
topic, but they worked in South Africa and together with our
allies, the United States should employ the full array of non-
military means to influence developing or otherwise transitional
governments. However, like so many policy issues, I would
expect to continue to analyze the impact of these tools.

7. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would enable undocumented immigrants
currently working in the United States to attain legal
resident status and, eventually, full citizenship? Yes. We all
know that our immigration system in broken, and Washington
hasn't done anything to fix it – this will be an important topic for
our federal government to address in the coming years. I support
reforming our immigration laws by focusing first on securing our
borders, cracking down on employers who hire undocumented
workers, and allowing undocumented people here now to get
right with the law by paying back taxes and a fine, and getting to
the back of the line.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

8. Do you believe that the US should become party to the

Kyoto Protocol? Yes. The United States should absolutely
become party to the Kyoto Protocol. The international partnership
is essential to truly address climate change and our country
should be a leader, using its leverage to encourage international
solutions, not a lone actor on a global issue. That said, the Kyoto
Protocol expires in 2012 and we should be a full and willing
partner in crafting a post Kyoto climate change agreement.

9. What will you do to eliminate poverty? Maine has a

shrinking middle class and an increasing gap between the rich
and everyone else. Overall, we are 38th in the nation in per-
capita income, which presents serious challenges for us. In
recent years, the incomes of the richest families have climbed
substantially, while the incomes of the lower-income families
have seen only small increases.

There are a number of policies that I support that can reduce

poverty, but one of the most important on this list is universal
health care. Health care costs among the insured and the
uninsured are a leading cause of poverty, particularly among the
working poor.

Second, increasing the number of good paying jobs is essential.

Union jobs increase the standard of living for those who have
them, and they raise the floor of pay and benefits for others in
the community–particularly so for women. I am staunchly pro-
union and believe we should strengthen unions’ ability to
organize. We can also increase the number of good-paying jobs
through responsible economic development by truly tying
incentives to the creation of jobs. As a State Senator, I worked to
create “corporate accountability” and to set higher standards for
taxpayer investments in business.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Third, being able to access an education – particularly for single

parents – is possibly the most critical component of lifting a
family out of poverty. As Senate Majority Leader, I sponsored
Maine’s “Parents As Scholars” program that allows Maine’s
working poor to attend college, get better jobs and change their
lives. “Parents of Scholars” participants are among our best
success stories of government empowering women and families
and making them a vital part of the economy.

Fourth, I agree with John Edwards: "Our tax code is the perfect
example of the Two Americas -- one for the wealthiest Americans
and Washington insiders, and the other for everyone else." Tax
policy is a place to support broader policy objectives, level the
playing field, and tie requirements for concrete results to
government support of business and community ventures that
strengthen our society.

There is a lot that needs to be done -- including a repeal of the

Bush tax cuts for the highest income Americans, higher capital
gains taxes on investment income, and closing tax loopholes for
private equity and hedge funds. We should restrict government
contracts to American-based corporations and clarify rules

At the same time, our tax cuts should be focused on areas that
will help working families -- with credits that support access to
higher education, child care costs, and tax policies that do not
punish wage earners.

Beyond these top examples, there are a number of important

policy initiatives that can help lift families out of poverty,
including making secondary education more affordable for
everyone--increasing the minimum wage, reducing the cost of
energy and making us energy independent. A major component
of all of this is the federal government meeting its obligations
when it comes to Medicare, Medicaid and education, in particular.
Our state and federal budgets are a reflection of our shared
priorities and unfortunately, the last seven years of the Bush
Administration have set a series of priorities that harm the poor,
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homeless and disadvantaged. We need to roll back the Bush tax

cuts for the wealthy, end the war in Iraq and get our federal
priorities straight. A state like Maine is in no position to provide a
safely net and opportunities for the poor without a true state-
federal partnership.

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HUMAN RIGHTS AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

1. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would reverse the Military Commissions
Act of 2006 and restore the writ of habeas corpus? Yes.
The Military Commissions Act was passed in the final hours of the
109th Congress. This disastrous act stripped jurisdiction from
U.S. courts to hear habeas corpus (the principle that protects
against unlawful and indefinite imprisonment) claims from
Guantánamo detainees. It also gave the president absolute
power to designate enemy combatants and allows for the
admission of evidence obtained by torture. This tears at the
heart of our Constitution. The writ of habeas corpus must be
restored. In Congress I will not only work on legislation to restore
habeas rights and prohibit evidence gathered in coercive
interrogations, but will also work on a broader initiative to close
Guantánamo and transfer detainees to military prisons in the
United States.

2. Do you believe that the US should operate prisons

outside of its borders? No.

3. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would abolish the death penalty? Yes. The
death penalty does not deter crime and is a monumental flawed
public policy. The majority of developed nations have abandoned
capital punishment. The United States stands alongside China,
Iran and Saudi Arabia when it comes to implementing this
ultimate human rights abuse.

Since the Supreme Court ruled to reinstate the death penalty,

over one hundred men and women have been released from
Death Row after new evidence has come to light. There is
evidence that such information has come too late for several
individuals and that innocent people have been put to death.
This is a wrong that can never be righted. Studies show that the
death penalty is applied randomly, that race is a determining
factor in who gets sentenced to death, and that executions cost
the taxpayers millions and millions of dollars. We should abolish

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the death penalty and rely instead on a sentence of life without

parole.

4. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would initiate hearings that might lead to
the criminal prosecution of elected officials and
contractors involved in war crimes and constitutional
violations? Yes. In May of 2007, I delivered the 11,200
signatures collected by Maine Campaign to Impeach to the Maine
Legislature demanding that our Legislators use their authority to
start Congressional impeachment proceedings against President
Bush and Vice President Cheney. The Bush administration has
sanctioned warrant less domestic surveillance, illegal wiretaps,
torture of war criminals, leaking of classified information for
partisan political purposes and other things we thought could
never happen in America. We need to affirm the U.S.
Constitution and remind future administrations that no one is
above the law.

5. When, if ever, do you consider the use of military force to

be appropriate? Military force can be an appropriate response
to an attack on the United States.

6. Do you believe that economic sanctions or embargoes are

an effective tool of foreign policy? Yes. Economic sanctions
are best used when the goals are limited and clearly defined and
when they are imposed quickly and decisively to maximize their
impact. They are also most effective when applied multilaterally,
against otherwise friendly nations and is also helped by
international publicity of the threat of further sanctions.
Economic sanctions can achieve realistic goals and should be an
integral part of U.S. foreign policy.

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7. Are you willing to introduce, co-sponsor and/or promote

legislation that would enable undocumented immigrants
currently working in the United States to attain legal
resident status and, eventually, full citizenship? Yes. We
are a nation of immigrants and have always welcomed the
innovation and hard work that immigrants bring to this country.

8. Do you believe that the US should become party to the

Kyoto Protocol? Yes.

9. What will you do to eliminate poverty? We need to provide

education and opportunity to all Americans. The United States is
a country of boundless opportunity where everyone has the
opportunity to better themselves through education and hard
work. Our government needs to champion the common good,
not just the narrow self-interest of big corporations. All
Americans must have access to high-quality education and
health care and must be given the opportunity to participate in
our nation’s economic prosperity.

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