Ose is going "Scorched Earth" - pulling out everything he can to damage McClintock. The latest attacks on Veterans/Military Issues seen to be playing into Brown's hands and appear to back up the Scorched Earth Theory.

The following is a transcript of a conversation that took place between a Caller to a McClintock town hall meeting and Tom himself:

Tom: Lance MC Guire - thanks for joining us.

Caller: Hello Tom, Oh yes, I believe our Veterans should be supported and compensated for the sacrifices they made and their loved ones make. And I saw on TV an ad that had the District Attorney in El Dorado Stating that you voted against Veteran programs. Um, I am sure there must be some truth to that but, can you respond directly to what you voted against, and why?

Tom: Thank you very much for asking that question. The most appalling piece I have seen in this campaign is attacking me for not supporting our servicemen in duties over seas. My brother-in-law is on active duty with the U.S. Air Force in Afghanistan tonight, uh, my nephew is on active duty with the U.S. Army in Iraq tonight, and his distortion of my votes on supporting our troops I find absolutely reprehensible. In fact, I lead the debate on the state Senate floor in favor of the surge to get our servicemen the reinforcements they desperately need to fulfill the duties we have placed on them. These were not benefits for servicemen in the bills he cited, these were laws that invalidated the contracts of servicemen involving mortgages, credit card bills, utility bills, interest payments. Now, those laws are unconstitutional on their face. The U.S. Constitution specifically forbids states from passing laws that impair contracts like that. But there is also a very important practical side. If lenders know that they can't rely on contracts with servicemen, they are going to stop lending to servicemen. Uh, including, and it is going to make it much harder for servicemen to get loans including mortgages, credit cards, and the like. I've made it very clear that I would support any measure that provides loans or grants that our servicemen would need to avoid defaulting on their obligations while they are serving our country. Ose knows that. Ose knows what was actually in those bills. It is, again, when I have 2 close family members who are on active duty tonight in those war zones, I find that attack personally reprehensible.  Does that answer your question?

Caller: Um, it sounds, it sound like you didn't vote against servicemen. Uh, I understand why you might take a position that not, uh, I am not aware of the bill. That's all.

Tom: Well actually it was a series of wills that he cites.

Caller: Which one did you vote against?

Tom: It's a series of bills that he cites. But essentially what they said is that the state will invalidate the contracts that they have while they're on active duty. And again, two problems with that. Number one, the U.S. Constitution specifically forbids that so the Federal courts will, uh, order them to, uh, meet those payments. But the worst thing about it is that it will make it more difficult for servicemen to obtain loans because those loans are not enforceable under these state laws. Now again, that's gunna be, that'll ultimately be reversed by the federal courts. Uh, but in the mean time, its gunna be a lot harder for servicemen to get loans if those bills stand. I think he also (Interrupted by caller)

Caller: That may be true, I understand that. There's a, we have our National Guards is the second question. We have our National Guard getting recalled indefinitely and there was an article in the Bee on the weekend or so that talked about the military getting called and of course the two working parent family. That creates an extreme hardship, so there may be some validity to saying that while you have debt, which most people have, while you have debt and you get recalled to active duty that there might be some sort of value in these bills why the orig, I can't imagine that you were the only one smart enough to say that this wasn't a good idea.

Tom: Where there were actually a couple, most of them recognized, well at least most of the Republicans recognized it was unconstitutional, But they decided they didn't want to take the political heat and leave it to the courts.  I take my oath of office very seriously to uphold our Constitution, both the Federal and the State Constitutions. But again, for everything that is in the Constitution there are practical reasons for it. And the most, and the crux of this is, if contracts, you know, if a contract with servicemen can't be enforced, then servicemen won't get loans, they won't be able to qualify for mortgages, they won't get credit cards, because the risk becomes to high. And again there is a right way. The problem is real, but what we need to do is provide them with emergency grants and loans that they'll need to prevent them from defaulting. That's what needs to be done. By the way, you notice they didn't excuse them from paying taxes. That's a typical (Laughter from caller) liberal response.

Caller: Well, that sounds like we're on the right track there. And again, I have seen a, is the a bill in the works to, uh, take those folks that, uh, have to go on the hardship that weren't expecting to go on multiple tours whether they're in the National Guard or the Reserves say and they were a weekend a month, and ya know a couple weeks in the summer.

Tom: Well, I'll tell you this. If there is such a bill, I will be a co-sponsor next year, and if there is not such a bill I will introduce one.

Caller: Okay well it sounds like you have the right idea about, um, orchestrating some sort of grant in order to help those that get recalled and maybe end up potentially losing their homes.

Tom: Ya well you see, that assures that servicemen will continue to be able to get loans. Again, if states actually could invalidate those loans, you'd end up with servicemen not even, you know, not being able to get them. Again, because the risk is too high. So, anyway, I hope that answers your question Lance. I sure do appreciate your bringing that up.