The Passionate Progressive: Lydia Lewis

This is our second of two profiles on the other two candidates running for U.S. Senate in Missouri.

Progressive Party nominee Lydia Lewis was a computer systems analyst for the Department of the Army until, she claims, her small federal agency was privatized during the Clinton administration.

It was then, when she realized that "no matter who is in power, the government is captive to big money special interests."

Lewis took the Sept. 15th Lake of the Ozarks forum with a ball of fire, with her blunt and passionate speeches on Iraq, the President and the parties in power. Afterwards, even Sen. Jim Talent admitted that although he disagreed with her substance, he was impressed with her rhetorical style.

"Our country is in crisis. True representative democracy has become a travesty and the middle class is dying because of a criminal assault from the right and criminal neglect by the left," railed Lewis in her opening statement.

"Corporate control of policy is why employers can replace workers with cheap off-shore labor but seniors can't buy cheap drugs in Canada, it's why the stock market is over 11,000 and gas prices are over the moon," Lewis said. "But worst of all, corporate control of policy is why this administration started an illegal war on the lie that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and Saddam Hussein was connected to Al Qaeda."

Lewis believes reforming our electoral system is imperative to restoring a true democracy. She calls for publicly funded elections, instant run-off voting and impartial redistricting.

Here are her quick takes on some big issues:

Voter I.D. - She believes it's too harsh of a requirement. Lewis believes if you live in the country and you are 18-years-old, you should be automatically registered to vote.

Iraq - She said she was against it back in 2003, when the war was popular. She admits proceeding is difficult and offers 2 alternatives . . . 1) Either put in "a million men" or 2) Use Jack Murtha's plan, "6 months and out." Lewis says since the first option isn't feasible, the United States should proceed with the second alternative.

Immigration - "The only good reason for putting up a fence is if we compete as a tourist attraction with the Great Wall of China," said Lewis to laughs. "We need border agents, not the national guard. I'm proud my country has the longest undefended border in the world. That says something about us. I don't want to lose that." Lewis also advocates scrapping trade agreement NAFTA.

Social Security - Lewis opposes any type of privatization.

Talent's PayDay Loan Bill with a Cap of 36% - "36%? Why don't we give soldiers a pay raise so they don't have to go to a payday lender," Lewis asks. "If the Senator is so wonderful about soldiers, why did he torpedo the amendment . . . to exempt soldiers from bankruptcy while fighting?"

Healthcare - Lewis wants a single-payer system that would "allow us to negotiate with drug companies."

Terrorism - Lewis believes the United States is creating more terrorists than "we can kill," as a result of the Bush administration's policies. "They use our administration as a recruiting tool," said Lewis. She also lambastes the way Congress distributes Homeland Security funds. "There are people in Podunk wherever who get money, going to the fire department to buy a new truck. Well, what is that going to do to help homeland security?" (Some of those Podunk examples are right here in Missouri, Lydia.)

Lewis was certainly the most entertaining speaker at the Sept. 15th debate. Her rhetoric in her closing statement was just as soaring as she began.

"Mouthing the principles of Jefferson and Washington but not living by them is a desecration of what those men fought for. Being the greatest hypocrite is what makes us the great disappointment to our friends and the Great Satan to those less kindly disposed," Lewis said.

"Internationally, we cannot export democracy by a mockery of our own principles. Domestically, we cannot build a just society or ever survive as a democracy with a self-perpetuating aristocracy of wealth," she added.

Lewis said she may not have all the answers to problems, but quips, "you'll notice George Bush doesn't either."