alstl: With the economy in such downward spiral, St. Louis does not have a bright future. Companies such as AB sold out and Wachovia just cut 10,000 jobs nationwide. What is your plan to attract big company headquarters to St. Louis?

Sarah Steelman: When Congress treats the dollar like it has no value, guess what? It will have no value. The reckless, wasteful spending supported by Congressman Hulshof and his colleagues in Washington, DC have created massive deficits and debts that our children and grandchildren will be saddled with. This out of control spending has devalued the dollar and made American companies prime takeover targets for foreign investors. One of the key proposals I have made during this campaign is to attract an oil refinery to Missouri. This will create good paying jobs and lower the cost of gas.

Mac: A great deal of the ideas and solutions you seem to espouse seems more rooted in Libertarianism rather than traditional conservativism (your position on ethanol, the MOST program, your position on the privatization of health care). Would you say that you are actually more Libertarian than Republican?

Sarah Steelman: I am a Republican, and in fact, the only conservative Republican in this race. Ronald Reagan inspired me to become involved in politics at a young age. In 1976, when Ronald Reagan ran for President against Gerald Ford, many of the so-called party establishment including Kit Bond did not support him. Conservatives like myself did and were impressed by his vision for America and his undying optimism. Supporting the government mandate for ethanol is not a conservative position.

david harper: Do you intend to rescind any part of Governor Blunt's cuts to Medicaid?

Sarah Steelman: Gov. Blunt was in a very difficult fiscal situation. Government can't be all things to all people. I may have handled the situation a little differently, but believe that the cuts were necessary to prevent our state from going bankrupt. Being Governor is about making tough choices. Unfortunately, Congressman Hulshof's record in Washington indicates that he is only willing to spend more and more without paying for it.

I appreciate everyone taking the time to chat with me today about the issues facing our state. If the issues I have discussed and the positions I have outlined are important to you, then I would appreciate your vote on August 5th!