Talk to Power continued…

Talk to Power host Judy Woodruff interviewed Senator Thad Cochran in November of 2007 in response to hundreds of questions and comments from Yahoo readers.  Several topics were addressed. Today, the topic we are featuring is Senator Cochran’s view on The State of Education. Click here to read the previous topic, “No Child Left Behind.”

The State of Education

MS. WOODRUFF:  All right, Senator, I’m going to move now to a different topic, a domestic topic, and this one is education. 

This reader, visitor to the Web site, describes himself as a 22-year-old University of Mississippi graduate, who asked:  “Our country has become very divided over certain issues, such as gay marriage and abortion.  However, an issue that we all support - education - falls through the cracks.  What do you think it would take to finally bring the parties together to create an effective plan to fix education in the United States, and do you think that partisanship can be overcome for that cause?”

SEN. COCHRAN:  Well, I have a much more optimistic view about the future of education in the United States and maybe in the current state of education in our country.

First of all, most states assume the responsibility for running the school systems in those states, whether you’re talking about state universities. Public school systems throughout our country really are the primary responsibility of local school boards, local taxpayers who decide through their elected officials how much money goes into the school system, how big the budget is, how much teachers are paid.  These are not questions that are answered in Washington.  We don’t have a federal system for elementary and secondary education, for example.  Further, we have private schools that are alternatives to the public education system that offer for some children another opportunity.  So, it’s a very complex and not easily managed in a one-size-fits-all kind of system as you might have in some other countries. (more…)

Talk to Power continued…

Talk to Power host Judy Woodruff interviewed Senator Thad Cochran in November of 2007 in response to hundreds of questions and comments from Yahoo readers.  Several topics were addressed. Today, the topic we are featuring is Senator Cochran’s view on No Child Left Behind. Click here to read the previous topic, “Saving Social Security.”

No Child Left Behind

MS. WOODRUFF:  And in that - continuing in the vein on education, Senator, a self-described assistant administrator in the Washington, D.C., public school system has written:  “I am concerned about the many weaknesses of the No Child Left Behind Act, particularly the many unfunded provisions that place a burden on states and school districts that are currently unable to meet the basic funding needs to maintain and build high standard, effective education programs for kids.  Please tell me how you view that current implementation of the NCLB Act, and address the issue of providing federal funding to assist states and school districts the adequate dollars to ensure the best value of the act.”

SEN. COCHRAN:  Well, here in the Washington, D.C., area, we are experimenting now with some charter school funding with assistance from the federal government to see if some alternative programs can be established to give people more of a choice about where they send their children to school, still in the public school system.  And this is, of course, something that’s being tried around the country as well. 

I’m hopeful that we can provide significant levels of funding from the federal level to support state and local initiatives.  We do that through the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, and the Title I program was designed to provide teachers with specialized training in areas where students have special needs.  I know - I mentioned my mother was a mathematics teacher.  At one point in her career, she was the Title I mathematics coordinator in our area of the Jackson, Mississippi, school system area, the county system.  She would go around and teach teachers how to teach the new math.  This was a long time ago.  People have forgotten about the new math.  It is old math now, I suppose. 

But we’ve tried a variety of things, and we’ll continue to explore options, and if you have suggestions for specific things we should consider, send them in.  Who knows?  We might adopt your proposal.

Next: THE STATE OF EDUCATION so Stay Tuned!

Click here to see video footage of Senator Cochran’s response. Also, click here to see the full article on Yahoo News!

Talk to Power continued…

Talk to Power host Judy Woodruff interviewed Senator Thad Cochran in November of 2007 in response to hundreds of questions and comments from Yahoo readers.  Several topics were addressed. Today, the topic we are featuring is Senator Cochran’s view on Saving Social Security. Click here to read yesterday’s topic, “The Role of U.S. Troops.”

Saving Social Security

MS. WOODRUFF:  Senator, a brief question about Social Security.  I don’t know if any question about Social Security can be brief.  This individual writes: “Senator, I would like to thank you for your service to our country and for the State of Mississippi, where I was raised and my parents still live.  Is there any hope of a partial privatization of Social Security with the changes that occurred in this midterm election or is the issue completely dead?”

SEN. COCHRAN:  Well, it’s probably sick, if not dead, because the new members of the House and Senate who’ve been elected give the Democrats a majority in both houses now, and there’s been a decided strong opposition on that side of the aisle to investments and other individually owned supplements to the Social Security system. 

I don’t think any of us want to in any way endanger the Social Security system.  The effort is to strengthen it and to give maybe more options for people to choose from in terms of their own personal interests and needs in a Social Security system.  I think we will continue that quest, and I’m hopeful that we will be able to have alternatives that provide people a different level of income and financial support for their retirement years.

Next: NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND so Stay Tuned!

Click here to see video footage of Senator Cochran’s response. Also, click here to see the full article on Yahoo News!

An article was published today in the Clarion-Ledger titled “Senate Democrats press for approval of cold-cases bill,” and our campaign thought it was important to let readers know about Senator Cochran’s support for this bill which was not included in the article.  Senator Cochran was an original cosponsor of the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act which is a bill that provdies funding for new Justice Department efforts to prosecute old civil rights crimes.  He also helped introduce the bill in the last congress with Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Senator Jim Talent (R-MO). 

Here are a few excerpts from the article with details of the bill:

The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act - named after a black teenager who was slain in Money, Miss., in 1955 - and dozens of other measures have been gathered into a 400-page bill by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada.

The bills have little in common. One would fund Washington’s subway system, another would create an electronic database of slavery records and post-Civil War reconstruction efforts. Most were blocked from votes by Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., mainly because he wants open debate on the legislation and the opportunity to amend it.

Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and other Senate Democrats lobbied for the Emmett Till measure at a news conference Wednesday.

The measure would authorize $10 million for the Justice Department to open a new office to investigate cold civil rights cases. The office would cost about $2 million a year to operate.

Click here to read the full article in the Clarion Ledger.

Senator Cochran will be a featured guest on the Paul Gallo radio show on Supertalk Mississippi tomorrow morning.  Tune in to Supertalk on Thursday at 8:05 a.m. to hear Senator Cochran address issues such as McCain, Medicare, Oil Exploration, etc.

Supertalk in your area:

Jackson: WFMN-FM 97.3
Hattiesburg: WFMM-FM 97.3
Greenwood: WTCD-FM 96.9
Oxford: WTMN-FM 105.5
Corinth: WXRZ-FM 94.3 
West Point: WKBB-FM 100.9
Monticello-Brookhaven: WRQO-FM 102.1

Talk to Power continued…

Talk to Power host Judy Woodruff interviewed Senator Thad Cochran in November of 2007 in response to hundreds of questions and comments from Yahoo readers.  Several topics were addressed. Today, the topic we are featuring is Senator Cochran’s view on the Role of U.S. Troops. Click here to read yesterday’s topic, “The Future of the GOP.”

The Role of U.S. Troops:

MS. JUDY WOODRUFF:  First of all, Senator Cochran, thank you very much for participating in Talk to Power.  We had a large number of comments come in from our viewers, our visitors to the Yahoo site, a large number of thoughtful comments.  We tried to choose a good cross-section, and I’m going to begin with Iraq because it is the question that keeps coming up.

This is a reader who describes himself as a naval officer, and here’s what he wrote:  “All I hear about in the news is how we (reporters, politicians, civilians) want our troops to come home from Iraq.  What do you say, Senator, to the tens of thousands of military personnel currently serving our country that believe they are doing the right thing and are scared we are going to be forced to leave Iraq, making everything we and those who have fallen, pointless?” 

SEN. COCHRAN:  Well, the first thing I would say is thank you.  Thank you for serving in the armed forces of our country.  I was a naval officer myself, so I understand the feeling.  I was lucky not to be involved in any combat operations, but nonetheless we were trained and ready to serve and ready to go wherever we were deployed, and I know that’s your situation too.  Thank you for being in uniform and protecting the security interests of our country.

(more…)

Talk to Power host Judy Woodruff interviewed Senator Thad Cochran in November of 2007 in response to hundreds of questions and comments from Yahoo readers.  Several topics were addressed including:

The Future of the GOP
The Role of U.S. Troops
Saving Social Security
No Child Left Behind
The State of Education
Defining Victory in Iraq
Bringing the Troops Home

Stay tuned this week for excerpts from this interview.  First, Senator Cochran addresses the Future of the GOP.  Read the transcript below.

Future of the GOP

MS. JUDY WOODRUFF:   From the South, and, again, in this vein, a reader writes:  “I am wondering about recent comments in the news media after the mid-term elections that the Republican Party will primarily be a Southern-based party.  Your recent election to minority leadership positions of primarily Southern senators plays this out.  Will the Republican Party be able to appeal to the broader nation in future elections, with this Southern-based leadership and outlook?  Will the Southern conservative values and perceptions be able to win broad appeal across the nation and return the party to power?”

SEN. COCHRAN:  Well, it’ll be interesting to see about the transition and how much farther it goes in terms of realignment of states with political parties.  When I was growing up, we didn’t have any local Republican elected officials.  It just didn’t happen.  But back in the Civil War days, the Republicans were the ones who were reforming the federal government, and the Democrats were sort of the old Confederates from the Civil War, and it took a long time for that transition to be made. 

(more…)

Check out several new features on our homepage at www.thadforsenate.com.  A new slideshow on the homepage highlights Senator Cochran’s 30 years of service in the U.S. Senate for the state of Mississippi.  Take the time to watch each photograph which progresses from the year 1978, Cochran’s first year in the U.S. Senate, all the way to the year 2008. 

Coming Soon: A new “Take Action” button will appear on the homepage shortly.  This button encompasses ways for you to get involved.  Press the button, and you will see 3 different options including Donate, Volunteer, and Sign up for Email Updates.

Also, click on the t-shirt icon on the homepage, and it will take you directly to the Thad for Senate T-shirt campaign slideshow and photo gallery.  View photos of Mississippians all across the state in their “Thad tee.”

Cochran’s Central Mississippi staff attended the Mississippi State Extravaganza on Thursday, July 18.  Over 2,000 MSU alumni and students attended the event to listen to several MSU staff members speak including President Vance Watson; Coach Croom, football; Coach Cohen, baseball; Coach Stansbury, Men’s basketball; and Coach Fanning, Women’s basketball.

Adam and Sarah of Brandon, MS, show their support for Mississippi State and Senator Cochran.

Senator Cochran released the following statement yesterday urging action on comprehensive energy legislation:

“The Democrat-led Congress is currently preventing the consideration of comprehensive energy legislation that would result in reduced gasoline prices.  It would be irresponsible for Democrats to allow Congress to adjourn for August recess without providing mechanisms through which to ease the burden that has been placed on Americans because of skyrocketing gas prices. 
 
“The United States has been dependent on foreign oil for too long.  We must take action to explore the oil reserves that are in our own country and to find alternative sources of energy.  The Gas Price Reduction Act lays the groundwork for real energy independence for our nation.  I urge Congress to work together on this legislation to provide real and immediate relief for Americans.” 

Also, read the article by the Daily Journal below on the issue:

EDITORIAL: Energy policy work

7/17/2008 4:53:46 AM
Daily Journal
 

U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Tupelo, Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Jackson/Oxford, and 1st District Rep. Travis Childers, D-Booneville, appear to have considerable common ground in their goals for short- and long-term energy supply and energy independence action by Congress.

All three said this week they support opening drilling for additional oil off the Outer Continental Shelf (which includes waters off Mississippi), opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge’s reserves to production and immediate action on developing alternate, non-petroleum energy sources.

They also said they want Congress to stay in session and work toward passage of effective energy legislation, rather than take the usual August recess, or as long as it takes.

We agree generally, and we hope their separate but similar positions signal an emerging bipartisan consensus in both chambers of the U.S. Capitol that business as usual isn’t acceptable in the treacherous energy and economic climate our nation faces.

The Daily Journal and other newspapers reported Wednesday that steadily climbing food and energy prices shoved consumer prices during June at one of the fastest rates since the early 1980s.

Click here to read the full article in the Daily Journal.