Rep. Moore discusses national debt, is impressed with voter registration during visit to campus
Dennis Moore spent his Friday visiting classrooms and speaking with student groups at the University.
By Jesse Trimble (Contact)
Monday, September 8th, 2008
Congressman Dennis Moore (D-Kan.) came to campus on Friday to visit classes and meet with members of Student Senate. He spoke about the problem of national debt and also said registering to vote on campus was a positive change.
During his classroom visits, Moore brought out a photo of several small children gathered around one another.
“These are my grandchildren,” Moore said. “And we are currently passing this national debt on to them and to you. We have mortgaged our grandchildren’s futures.”
Moore said that the national debt had gone up $5.8 trillion since 1999. Currently, Moore said, the United States collected $375 billion a year on interest alone from the national debt.
“That’s money that could be used for education,” Moore said.
Moore also watched KU Young Democrats register student voters on Wescoe Beach.
“I think it’s great that there’s so much political activism in young people,” Moore said. “I’m proud of the KU Young Democrats because they know as well as I do that it is a civic responsibility to register to vote.”
Moore also said he remembered that while he attended the University as a student from 1965 to 1967, students weren’t able to register to vote on campus.
“This is a huge and positive change,” Moore said. “It provides flexibility to students.”
Moore met with several other groups on campus, including Student Senate and the presidents of both Amnesty International and the Black Student Union.
Adam McGonigle, Wichita junior and student body president, and other members of Student Senate ate lunch with Moore.
“He’s a very personable guy, who obviously enjoys being around students and constituents,” McGonigle said. “He had about as much fun here as we had having him.”
During lunch, McGonigle said that Moore spoke on issues at the University and issues that were going on within the elections and Washington.
Mason Heilman, Lawrence junior and Student Senate Executive Committee chairman, said that Moore also spoke about daily life at lunch.
“It was a great way for us to get to know the person representing us in Washington,” Heilman said.
Andrew Toth, Colby sophomore and KU Young Democrats president, said Moore was great with the students and was good at answering one-on-one impromptu questions from the students.
“This is great for students who want to know what government officials know about,” Toth said.
Moore wasn’t all business on Friday, and occasionally joked with the student audience.
“What’s that funny looking bird?” the 62-year-old congressman asked students, pointing to a Jayhawk. He soon began laughing.
After Moore met with KU Young Democrats on Wescoe Beach, he attended a rally at the Kansas Union, where Students for Moore and members of KU Young Democrats met him to ask questions.
Students asked an array of questions, with topics ranging from global warming and the situation in Iraq to lowering costs of education.
“What we’re doing is taking our national charge card and charging everything to it that we want,” Moore said to students. “And you know what? We’re making you guys pay for it.”
Moore will be running against Nick Jordan of Shawnee in the upcoming election.
KU Young Democrats will be on Wescoe Beach this week registering students to vote and providing information on the upcoming elections. The group will move to the Kansas Union if it rains.
— Edited by Rachel Burchfield
Discussion
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Moore says, “What we’re doing is taking our national charge card and charging everything to it that we want,” “And you know what? We’re making you guys pay for it.” "He soon began laughing." KU students, do you get it? The joke is on you for supporting him.
Here is a question for Moore: What have you actually done to lower the national debt? No, really. What have you actually done? Yeah, yeah. Funny joke about the Jayhawk. Now, really. What have you actually done about the national debt?
Today Dennis Moore tried to run up another $700 billion on the national charge card. He voted to spend $700 billion taxpayer dollars on a Wall Street bailout. Even fellow Democrat Nancy Boyda was not stupid enough to vote for this bill. Moore should be impeached.
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