Online Chat
Putney Elementary School
April 22, 1998

[tgs]  Helllllo Senator Leahy for all the 8th grade students at the Grammar school.

[PatLeahy]  Hi, I will do my own typing so I apologize for any mistakes. They don't require good typing skills for my job but I'm happy to be with you.

[tgs]  Im warning you that i am sort of a sloppy typer at time. beware.

[tgs]  Do you like to hear our questions?

[PatLeahy]  I was in Putney a couple weeks ago. You live in a beautiful part of our state.

[PatLeahy]  Go ahead with the questions.

[tgs]  Ohhh thank you. Same of us are from NH though. Too bad.

[tgs]  Have you always wanted to be a Senator?

[PatLeahy]  New Hampshire is a lovely state as is all of New England.

[tgs]  "lovely".

[PatLeahy]  I wanted to be a Senator from the time I was in law school. I was born in Vermont and felt that the Senate was where I could do the most for Vermont.

[tgs]  Where do you want to go with your career?

[PatLeahy]  I want to stay in the Senate because there are always new and fascinating challenges ranging from the environment to foreign policy. They change almost daily.

[tgs]  What was one of your most exciting events as a US Senator? (that was my question.)

[PatLeahy]  I went with the President to the Middle East for the signing of the Israeli-Jordanian peace agreement. That and the Persian Gulf war debate in the Senated were some of the most exciting events here. *** tgs has quit IRC (WinSock error 10053: Software caused connection abort )

[PatLeahy]  Are you still there? *** tgs (tgs@204.71.18.50) has joined #Leahy

[tgs]  after some slight technical problems we are back. da da da. Hi TGS, my class just ended

[tgs]  hello dave, what class would that be? Physics Class...

[PatLeahy]  Good to have you back - There have been a lot of other exciting things here including some of the landmark debates over the past twenty years. To me the best part is when I can get back home to Vermont.

[tgs]  oh what fun.

[PatLeahy]  Physics is important - but it was one of my toughest classes.

[tgs]  im not looking forward to physics. anyway.

[tgs]  Have you ever in your political career recieved any threats or been offered any bribes? (what a friendly class, uh?)

[PatLeahy]  It is interesting that students your age will have to learn a lot more than I did to survive in a very competitive world.

[tgs]  is that a yes? : )

[PatLeahy]  I received a couple serious death threats when I was Sstate's Attorney from people I was prosecuting. I have never been offered a bribe probably because people know I would immediately call the authorities and have the person arrested.

[tgs]  How do you deal with the press on a public and pr&127;i&127;vate scale? Have you found the press to be opressive to you and your family?

[PatLeahy]  I am wiling to answer any questions the press has about my public life. My family is off limits tho. They rarely go in the public eye. My wife is a nurse and never tells her patients her connection to our life. When my son was called up for duty in desert Storm the press wanted to interview him but we said no.

[PatLeahy]  The press generally leaves my family alone. When we are home that is off limits to the press. It is time for family and friends.

[tgs]  On average, how many working hours do you spend on your job a week? What kind of vacations do you get? Is it worth it? : )

[PatLeahy]  I think an average week is at least 70 hours. Most weekend I work part or all. Last year I had 4 full weekends off in the 52 and do not get many vacations. Having said that it is easier with a job as interesting as this one.

[PatLeahy]  When I do get a vacation I like to scuba diving or, in the winter, cross country skiing

[tgs]  What is your position on abortion?

[PatLeahy]  I am pro-choice.

[tgs]  scuba diving. i take it you go...south?

[tgs]  What do you think about social sercurity? Senator Leahy is going to have to leave in a few minutes. How about 2 more questions? *** dave has quit IRC (WinSock error 10053: Software caused connection abort )

[PatLeahy]  Scuba diving - I prefer the Carribean but I have gone in Lake Champlain diving on some of the 19th century wrecks and will dive on the gunship recently discovered from the Revolutionary War.

[tgs]  How much influence do you feel you have over VT? Do you feel more in control than the Gov?

[PatLeahy]  Social Security is a vital piece of keeping our society together. It will undergo some changes in financing but I would not want to see this country go back to the days when we did not have it.

[tgs]  What do you think about Wall Street being in control of it?

[PatLeahy]  The Governor has a different role involved with the day to day running of the state. I try to help with federal programs and have the responsibility to vote on issues that relate to all of the United States.

[PatLeahy]  I believe we may see a time when a portion of our social security assets will be invested in the market.

[tgs]  What is the most contraversial issue you've ever taken a stand on?

[tgs]  Isn't that...dangerous?

[PatLeahy]  I am going to have to go to the Senate floor now. Remember only a small part of social security would ever be invested in the market and than only under very stringent circumstances. The most controversial issue is always when we debate sending US forces into war.

[PatLeahy]  Thanks for joinging me and I hope to see you here or in Vermont.

[tgs]  THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!

[tgs]  !!!

[tgs]  it was great talking to you over your lunch time. we'll see you in May when we actaully go to DC. which will be very fun to see you and the working goverment!