the coverage. it is the only place i get the real deal. i also enjoyed newsmakers and the book program. i like that the commentary is only intended to let you know what is going on. there is not too much analysis. there is not opinion and i appreciate how i can really see through and understand the programming itself. i can get my analysis elsewhere. if you want to see how your kevin works directly, then c- span is about the only place to go. -- how your government works directly, then c-span is about the only place to go.

>> live coverage for the iowa 4th district u.s. house seat. steve king is running for a sixth term. he is challenged by christie vilsack. their debate is on iowa public television. steve king -- and this special edition of iowa press, from carroll. steve king has been winning reelection by comfortable margins, getting a fifth term with 2/3 of the votes cast two years ago. redistricting may be diluting that republican dominance. that is what democrats kristi

ville sec may have been hoping when she moved halfway across the state, declaring candidacy for the congressional seat. she has been traveling the state as i will's the first lady during husband tom vilsack's tenure. both of you are familiar with the format. we are in a different setting. we have an audience and television viewers. they promise to not sure at all. -- not sure at all. the questions will be coming from brett awyworth and kay henderson.

>> you said being a woman was not a barrier to run for public office. do you want voters to vote for you because you are a woman? >> not at all. i think the delegation would be stronger for having a woman. the state has never elected a woman to be higher office and i would be happy to be the first. being a small-town person and a teacher, being 62-year-old is a lens that i bring. that makes me a candidate that provides a different view. it changed my temperament and i think temperature -- temperament will be really important. there are times in our nation's history when you need people who are resolute and dig their heels

then that this is not that time. a man approached at the greene county fair and said i am not a republican or democrat, i am an american and i wish congress would start acting like they are americans, too. certainly, i bring that lens of a woman and there are issues that i want to address. >> will get to those later. mr. king, you said that mrs. vilsack was left of san francisco and you said democrats in to create chaos in order to gain power. can you explain those comments? >> i believe i said i expect k s that comes from fiscal irresponsibility which would come eventually if we did not balance our budget. if you look at the groups that

supported her, they are out there left the san francisco and one would be the anti-meat lobby. i'd think it is an easy case to make. this is not a centrist running against a conservative. when you look at the positions, it is a different story. i have held several women elected to office. by nominated kim reynolds for state governor. she might not have won the nomination if i did not advocate for her. i donated money and campaigned with her. >> why did you call attention to your age? >> my dad used to say there comes a time in a person's life when people don't think about you anymore and i should not say that since i am running for office but i think it is an

asset in congress because i think i am going to congress to do something, not to be someone. i am someone already. i have had a title and i want to get things done. >> the implication is that you are merely in congress to kill time. >> then one wants to look at my record, they would know that i am moving the iowa agenda. you don't just go there and sit in a cubicle and put a boat that reflects the best interest -- best interests of all i once. iowabns. it is a relatively easy thing to vote the district and come back home and work to get reelected. you've got to go outside the district and you've got to sell iowa values to the rest of the country. that is what i have been doing. >> congressman king has said his

agenda is to move the country to the right. i want to represent the 750,000 people in our district and concentrate on how we can grow the economy in 39 counties because many of them have lost population and a congressperson. >> let's talk about the economy. >> if you're in congress, what can you do choose accelerate the recovery from the recession? >> i am focused on the local. i would start with the local. i see this the district for the lens of a teacher. i would be looking at these counties as 39 separate entities as many different communities and want to make sure i help each of the maximize their potential by creating jobs. i have spent the last year and

have laying out my plan for lairs of economic opportunity. i carry my football with because i talk about creating another lawyer of the bio-8, may. >> those watching us may wonder what that has to do with a football. >> and a car that drove appear tonight came off the line in detroit. there are plastic bottles or using hog manure to make asphalt -- we can make whatever we need within 100 miles of this community. >> what needs to be done to stimulate the economy in congress? >> it is clear what i have done. i introduced the first piece of legislation that laid the foundation for by a diesel. i extended the tax credits so ethanol could grow. are represented #one renewable

energy producing district in north america. from a business standpoint, government does not create jobs. government has to get out of the ways of of entrepreneurs can have a chance for profit and it will invest their capital. that turns into jobs and that is prosperity. government needs to have a low, stable, predictable tax rate so the trillions of dollars that are stranded because of the decision will be invested in the decision. we have to lower our regulation burden on businesses. when i was in business, i counted 41 businesses regulated by trade and our number -- there are more now. no one would dare say they are in compliance with all federal regulations because eventually government would come in and shut them down. >> what year do you say the u.s. economy will be fully recovered?

>> that's a hard thing to measure. we don't know who the -- who would win the election and if i did that i would be more bold in my prediction. if we win a majority, we will hold a majority in the house, if we would majority in the senate and mitt romney is president, we will move the agenda forward. by the time is up for reelection, we will see a recovery nc on employment dropped at least 1.5. >> what is the acceptable rate of unemployment? >> when i was in the iowa senate, we had a 2% unemployment rate. we call that a full economy. if we could get that number down around 4%, i would say we're doing pretty good but i would never let up. >> one of the problems we have is that we have gridlock in congress and nothing is getting done.

congressman king has not done much in his tenures of congress and he needs to be held responsible. we need a farm bill because that is the most important piece of legislation to people in this district and people in this room and the people in rural america. >> would that affect the rate of unemployment? >> i think it will. people are not investing. people feel insecure because the farm bill expired. it will be hard for farmers to go to the bank to get credit next year. it will be hard for young farmers to know what the rules are of leasing equipment and land. there is this insecurity and it is not just a farm bill.

>> in 2013-2014, what will stimulate the economy? >> i introduced the first piece

of legislation for biodiesel and represent the biggest renewable energy. government has to get out of the way so entrepreneurs can have their way. what the government needs to do is have a low, stable, predictable tax rate. we have to lower our regulation burden. when i was in business, 43 agencies regulated my trade. there is not a single company that says -- we are proud to comply with federal regulations. eventually, they would be shut down. >> what year would you say the economy will be reocvered with acceptable employment. >> we don't know who will win. if i knew that, i would be more bold. if we win the majority. we'll hold it in the house, win the senate and mitt romney is president -- by the time he is up for reelection, unemployment will drop 1.5 points. >> what is an acceptable rate? >> 2%, which is a full employment economy. i would try to drive it down -- >> where would you put it nationally? >> we can get it around 4%. >> one of the problems we have is gridlock in congress. congressman king has not done much in his 10 years. we need a farm bill to start with. that is the most important piece of legislation to people in this room -- >> is that going to effect unemployment? >> i think it will. the farm bill, people feel insecure and are not investing. it is hard for farmers to go to the bank. it is hard for young farmers to know what the rules are. so there is the insecurity. it is not just the farm bill. >> let me interrupt. we will get into a deeper discussion. what is an acceptable rate of unemployment? >> it is 2% on the west and 5% on the other end of the district. if we can get this down -- >> and what year are we talking? >> you can't know unless you can say that congress will get something done. nothing will happen without a

jobs bill. >> let me ask one more thing. how long should unemployed men and women be entitled to unemployment. >> this helps protect people in the downturn, but you have to make sure people don't continue to depend on those. you have to make sure that we have a recovery. >> how long should the unemployment benefits be continued? >> i did not hear an answer from her, my answer is 26 weeks. this has been extended out to 99 weeks, and we need to understand that there is not a lot of return on that investment, there are people who are 63, and this is an early retirement. and job skills atrophy because -- we have the five people -- we know when unemployment runs out and we're there to hire them. this is not a good return on the investment. the safety net has been 26 weeks. >> i am coming back to you to answer that question. >> i don't think we need to have a definite time on the. we have to take a look at the recovery and make sure that we take care of people who have been unemployed. the answer to this is to take care of the gridlock and actually get something done. nothing has begun -- been done in congress and many told the people there responsible. if we send the same people back this is not going to happen. we need a farm bill and immigration reform bill, and nothing has happened in congress. this is the most ineffective congress in the history of congress and he is one of the most ineffective congress people in our delegation. >> mrs. vilsack, as a catholic, how has your view on abortion been shaped by religion? >> i am episcapalian. my husband is a cathlic, my children are catholics. we raise our children as catholics. i am happy to talk about my view on abortion. it is that it should be safe,

legal, and rare. i've worked hard on the rare part, because i wanted to make sure this is not just something that divides us politically, and that i would work to make sure we reduce the number of unintended pregnancies and helped unemployed men and women get a job. i work with an organization that does research and now has the beginning evidence to show that we have reduced the number of abortions in iowa by 26% and unintended pregnancies by 8%. i have been in washington talking about the results of this and we hope that this will be a model for the nation. we won't have to talk about abortion if we make sure that people have access to contraceptives. i would like congressman king to explain what his view is on

that. he has said that -- i would like to know if he believes that women in this community have the right to -- the legal right to go into the drugstore with a prescription for birth control pills, and get some of the long acting contraceptives at the local family planning clinic and i don't think he has made his position clear on this. >> it is brazen to make it such a misstatement here. this is manufactured from the other side of the aisle. this follows as far as the president of the united states with what they put out earlier today. there is a case called griswald vs. conn. this was 1965, when the supreme court said that there is a constitutional requirement, that prohibited the states from

banning the sale of contraceptives. i accept that as constitutional, and we tell people to go something they can be constructive with. but this is constructive and a difference between us that is not manufactured. we have babies in america and iowa that are aborted because they are baby girls and the mother wants a baby girl -- a baby boy in said of a girl. this is -- the people of by what did not care about this. i think it matters to a low girls that are being aborted. >> do you believe in the right to privacy which was put forward with griswold vs. connecticut?

do we have the right to privacy to purchase contraception? >> this is an important question for people to know -- >> i accept the decision of griswald. >> i take that as a no. >> then you misunderstand it. >> do you support an amendment to the u.s. constitution, the person had amendment that was proposed in the state of mississippi and failed? >> i would look at the language of that, but generally speaking, if so inclined to be supportive of the finding -- defining life at the conception and the catholic church in the five basic positions of the church with embryonic stem cell research. language. >> if you years ago you showed a scale model of a wall that

should be built on the southern border with mexico. do you still feel that this is the way to go? >> people said we cannot build a wall. i said, i would get down to the tinker toys and show them. i put together a model and said, this is how we do it. we could build a mile of this per day. this puts aside the argument, that we have 5,500 miles of the great wall of china, but my position is that we do not need 200,000 miles of wall, we just do that until they start going around the end. >> is this a concrete barrier? or a brief explanation? >> when the president ridiculed the wall, he was 600 feet from the fences and the walls and the most down along the border.

i would describe this as a kind of concrete system with the foundational trench, and the concrete panels, and if you build the wall up you have to have routes on either side, with the chain-link fence by the border. we are spending $12 billion -- $6 billion per mile. -- $6 million per mile. >> talking about immigration is what we're talking about. president obama -- if you join this trend continuing? >> the most important thing is to secure the borders, and do whatever we need to do so that people are not crossing the border illegally, and drugs are not crossing illegally.

i think we need to make sure that jobs are going to americans and we need immigration reform. we need to make sure that there is a pathway to citizenship for the 13 million people who are shadows. and the people who are here -- they have a chance to live the american dream because many of them have offered their lives for their country. congressman king talked about the terms of electricity and use the language of this reprehensible and embarrassing to the people of iowa, that says we can use cattle prods on animals so why not of electricity on people. >> that is a false statement and i will not respond to it.

>> there are several communities within your district, that have a large influx of non-in list -- english speaking people, there are several communities like that. do you think these people need federal assistance in the way that the military assists with the military base, and the influx of children into the school districts. do you think that communities should get special assistance when they are in that sort of mind? >> i graduated high school in denison, and those are the community's most likely to ask for that. i do know that we have glasses that are going on right now, -- classes going on right now and i don't know that there is a shortfall of that kind of service.

i will not commit to anything intel i am sure that there is a need. i want to see assimilation into this society. >> mrs. vilsack, you heard this -- special population groups? >> gov. ray brought the southeast asian families here and we had a good way to make them part of the community. churches were working with the families. at the state level -- we created iowa centers that helped with these issues to fill the buffer. this is an interesting idea. you'dt know exactly how move it forward, but it is interesting to contemplate.

>> mr. king, are you planning to sue -- you said you wanted to sue president obama over the change in policy that young people would not be deported. are you still planning the lawsuits? >> he violated the constitution like gov. vilsack, he cannot do that with memorandum, and this was bogging people down. the answer is yes. >> where do you stand on that? >> in the process? there are plaintiffs who won't come on until after the election. i will hold the suit up until after the election and we will get the suit filed. >> the answer is -- we wouldn't have this issue if congress had done their job.

one branch doesn't work well and another steps in. i think the president took a necessary step. >> we will see a couple of commercials right now, the first from mrs. vilsack's campiagn. >> i am christie vilsack and i approve this message. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ >> mr. king, mrs. vilsack has

called you an embarassment to iowa. do some of the quotes embarrass you? >> i've said by the time i eliminated the questions and dishonesty, the only thing left was "i'm christie vilsack and i approve this message." [laughter] the one that is true, was about the vote on hurricane katrina. there will be all kinds of wasted funds. there is no plan to spend it and most of the newspapers beat me up and i stood by it. it is a principled vote and it will be easy to vote on. king was right -- this is the sioux city's response. the balance of that is false. i have had better votes since

then. voting against obamacare, voting against cap and trade, dodd- frank, those were better votes, but the rest of those allegations are false. >> he is one of 11 congressmen who took a vote against hurricane katrina relief. i think that everything i said in that ad is true. we have researched all of it. these are congressman king's own words. >> and he is using one to define mrs. vilsack. let's see what it says -- [video clip] >> what does it mean if mrs. vilsack calls for tax increases? she is for increasing taxes on job creators and in this stagnant economy, christie vilsack will effect --

it means she does not have a clue of jobs. >> mr. king, you've seen the ad. how do you respond? >> that's the first time i've seen that, but am happy to respond. mrs. vilsack wants the tax increase to kick in on millionares, and many of them are job creators and small businesspeople. i thank that is consistent and accurate but that is not but -- that is the first and i have seen a and it is not mine. >> mrs. vilsack, you've asked for it to be pulled. >> i never said i wanted to raise taxes except on millionares. it is not about small businesses. one reason they run that ad is because i talk about how i want to rebuild the middle class.

i want to make sure we have economic opportunities and -- with millionares raising more. the proposal dave vilsack -- he talked about suspending the tax issues for small businesses -- would be something that is a good idea. >> another ad people are seeing, a photo of you and of nancy pelosi. how do you respond when folks like congressman king accuse you of being a nancy pelosi clone. >> one of the things about this eight years. i see every small town in this district as my hometown, the

town i grew up in. all the people in this district -- friends and neighbors -- that is why am. i am iowa. >> you accused her of being to the left of saying francisco -- in response to her saying she represents iowa? >> i did not hear the answer to the question -- that was about nancy pelosi. this is what i know. i know that if christie vilsack is elected to the united states congress, the first vote she would put up would be the vote for nancy pelosi. you have to stand up and you have to shout the name of the personnel you vote for for speaker of the house. that is the question -- i did not hear the answer. >> first of all, we have no idea whether nancy pelosi be a candidate for speaker of the house. there may be other people. i would never presume before i had a job to answer a question like that.

i would take into consideration the other people who might be interested in the job. i'll make the decision at that time. there is no assurance that would vote for nancy pelosi or anybody else until i get the job. >> one thing about ads are both running -- we to accuse the other of not being a person who embodies iowa values. i would like each of you to in one sentence to describe to me what iowa values are. >> iowa values are faith and family and freedom and smart hard work and free enterprise. land. we value that as closely as we can, as many times this weekend. it is a work ethic and faith ethic. that is why i have gone into -- to all 382 counts in this district. i live here and my roots are here. i did not move here to run this

race. i will live here after november, whatever happens. >> i did a tour called the value of work and asked people around the district about bodies we had in common. -- the values we have in common. i knew this would be a race that was divisive. they said the value of work is important. the value of service to the country, the value of stewardship of the land, family, and education, actually. people who i talked to said education is central to who we are in iowa. those of some of the basic values. i think i heard congressman king say the same thing. i do not think we are that far apart on what we would agree on in terms of what our basic values are. >> he accuse you of being a carpetbagger. what is your response to that? >> all of these towns, i represent everything in this district for eight years.

all of the towns and people in them feel -- >> as iowa's first lady? >> yes. i travelled the country, traveling and representing people in the whole state, certainly in this district. i represented everybody in the district. 40%. i represent the values of this district. >> mrs. vilsack, do you feel comfortable about some of the things portrayed in the ad -- would you like to have them along your side campaigning for you? talking about. >> the humane society, their views on pork production, would you like to have been campaigning alongside you? >> i have not taken money from the humane society, if you are suggesting that. congressman king suggested that. i cannot and do not take money

from anybody who does business -- the humane society, every single town in iowa has a humane society and people are pointing there and helping to take care of animals. i think it depends on what you are talking about. >> congressman king -- some of these ads, the first we saw was done by one of your campaign. are you concerned about how issues are being framed by ads by outside groups, particularly, how would you like the issues to be framed? >> i knew this would happen. that is why i said a year-and-a- half ago when the announcement came out that this would be a holy war. i said, i will learn things about myself i do not yet know. they will spend millions of dollars attacking my reputation -- that turned out to be true.

i knew this would be the first super pac collection iowa has experienced in a congressional race. one of the reasons i did this many debates is because this is that. i did not think we could offset all that spending. if you send back a $1,000 check, you do not get to wash your hands and say, they are nice people who are part of that community who made this ad. local people who take care of these lost animals are not affiliated with hsus. are people i've done it too. there is a big difference. this is a stark gap. the u.s. humane society has a legislative agenda that spends 1% helping pac's, driving a legislative agenda that is anti-meat, that does not sell well in this district. >> nobody likes a pork chop better than i do -- i want to

say that. over these expenditures, we have no control. one of the things i was most proud to do and accomplish was to change campaign finance law. something like the disclose act, which -- the system is broken. it is broken like a broken arm. it is not terminal, but we need to fix it and i would like to be part of that. there is way too much money in politics. when i see these ads on tv i am seeing them for the first time. these are not organizations that i am connected with. in terms of the advertising. >> mr. king, i have a question about taxes. let's say in 2013 you are appointed tax czar to establish u.s. tax policy. what would you do? >> i have opposed the czars,

but it would be a tempting appointment -- the first thing i would do is make the bush tax brackets permanent so there is long-term predictability. then i would go to work to sell to the public the idea that, as ronald reagan said, the federal government has the first lien on productivity and punishes production -- we remove all taxes off of production and put them on consumption. we can transform this policy. that is a piece i have gone around and talked about. i've talked about it each year i have been in congress. i asked mrs. vilsack to debate that with me, but i did not get an invitation. >> i would also like you to respond to that and outline what tax policy would implement.

>> it would not be the fair tax. i do not think there is anything fair for the middle- class about a fair tax. basically, when i went to the grocery store this morning i bought milk for $3.55. if i had to pay 23% of every gallon of milk, 22% sales tax every time i bought a car seat to take my baby home from the hospital or bought a new car, that is considerable. that is fine if you make more than $200,000 a year. but if you do not, that is an incredible tax on the middle class. that is a really bad idea. >> it would only be $2.75 under my plan. you have talked years about the fair tax -- why has it not become active?

>> in all my years of talking to round table advisers, all the times i have tested this out, i would give the argument over and over again, they would come back and say, if it was a good idea we would have it by now. we are the most successful country in the history of the world, but we still do not have a logical thing -- there are political barriers in the way. the middle-class is not disadvantaged by this. we untax the poor. i have turned this around like a rubik's cuba, and every time it looks better and better. but we see people in power -- half of k street is funded by people advocating for tax exemptions. 2014? >> we need to elect a president who has a mandate for that kind of change.

if we find ourselves in an economic conditions so desperate we are looking for a change -- the wrong president. a good idea, either. bayonets. when you are elected to congress, you will control -- the purse strings of the pentagon. what sort of spending priorities will you have on defense? would you have a spending priority for people or for weapons systems at the pentagon? >> let me start by saying a little bit -- in the future, we are not going to be judged on our might as a country. it will not be disorder as we have or how many tanks we have, how many aircraft we have. we will be judged on our ability to compete in the world economically. i spent some time with people who had survived presidents and

secretaries of state on the council of foreign relations, someone i have high regard for. this is not my original idea. it is basically his. but i agree with him. i think we really need to focus strategically. >> what is strategic -- does that mean you would downsize the current military might of the united states? >> i think we need to be nimble. >> what does that mean? >> because we have to pay attention to terrorist outbreaks that come up often, we need to be nimble. we need to rely on technology. we need to be strategic in how we go about -- have now? military. it might be smaller, but the most important thing for us is to make sure we have a strong economy in the world. that means making sure that we actually get something done and congress can get the economy back on track. i think we need to be able to

react very quickly situations around the world, because many of them are much smaller. what we have done in the past, and congressman king is responsible for this, we have been involved in two wars that have taken a huge toll in human life and money as well. our debt is $6 trillion when he went in -- it is $16 trillion now. card. we have to make sure that before we go into conflict, we are prepared to do that. >> let's ask about what you just said -- you can reply to that. then, if you explain your measurement of u.s. power in the world. starting two wars. [laughter] >> not paying for them. >> i did not restart those wars. that has been repeated a number of times through the campaign. those things were started first of all in september 11 -- we were attacked. crushed.

economically. we went into afghanistan -- you do not check the balance sheet then send troops into battle. make sure they have the training and equipment they need and resources to win. i certainly have supported that. when nancy pelosi came in as speaker, the national debt was $8.67 trillion. when she teamed up with barack obama -- now is over $16 trillion. it looks like i have more power than nancy pelosi and barack obama combined to listen to my opponent. here is what think about military. i believe there is that in the military and the pentagon. i believe there is too much brass there. it will take people on the inside to reform it before we can get that right. we have partly to many civilian employees. we are not keeping the track of that. there are people better in the system to make as recommendations than me. some people i work with, i trust them substantially. john bolton is one.

ambassador? >> to the united nations. and a personal friend. enhance our cia. the intel i get in classified briefings is terrible. it is a shame. i cannot talk about what it is, but i will tell you why did political responses that are from the public sources and briefings that are supposed to be top secret. we have gone down a long way in our intel. that has to change, because that let us be more mobile. >> is there a circumstance in which you would see that you could vote for a resolution to enter a war in iran? question? on iran? >> we have to do everything we need to do to make sure that iran does not a nuclear weapon. israel is our best friend. we need to protect israel. yes, obviously i could if it were in the strategic best

interest of the country and the strategic best interest of israel, which is often the country. we need to keep iran from a nuclear weapon, but we need to do everything -- sanctions seem to be working now. when the best things is that we have involved other nations in basically forcing iran to allow people to come and. >> just to clarify, i think i heard you say that under extreme circumstances you could a vote to support israel in going to war against iran. >> it would be extreme circumstances. we need to do everything we can, and there are lots of things we can do even apart from sanctions. this goes back to being nimble and strategic in terms of how we deal with this piece in question. >> i have supported israel for a long time. i will continue to support israel. our intel -- i have said, i have doubts about it. israel does not get to make a mistake.

is a fatal mistake for the nation of israel if they except the idea i heard out of vice president joe biden that he thinks that is as much as four years away before iran has a nuclear. we cannot tolerate that and let that happen. but i do not have my hands and the intel that tells us when it happens. here's what i said -- i would recommend to the president that he say, mr. ahmadinejad -- this will be from good intel, when they will get there. that will send a message, we will work so that you can save face as an individual and nation, we will do it diplomatically, but we will deconstruct your nuclear endeavor. if not, when that day arrives in the calendar, it is over. we cannot let them get a nuclear weapon. >> mrs. vilsack, president obama has approved the use of unmanned drones to fight terrorists around the world -- that concerns some members of your party.

are you concerned about that? >> not particularly. i think it is part of a strategy i am talking about -- there are a lot of different things that we need to be able to do. there are people who will be able to decide when it is the best time to use drones or any of the other tools we have to be strategic and nimble and our response. so i do not have any particular problem. >> mr. king, libertarians in your party have a view of drones that is not terribly positive. what is your view? >> i think the utilization of them to take that leadership of al qaeda has been an effective means in that part of the world. it is a case by case basis. i would not say i would remove the authority from the president to protect us. he needs to have that authority as commander in chief. i am not critical of those. >> a kind of war -- a trade war possibly is spoken of as

hypothetical with china, with currency manipulation and other trade policies. how aggressive should this country be in its trade policies with china? what specifically? >> more aggressive than they are. i have gone to china to go in there and engage with negotiations. i have pressed hard against the theft of u.s. intellectual property. it seems to be a pattern. they will sit around a table and say, okay, we will find these people and put some in prison. in reality it comes out of one china. i have introduced legislation that directs a u.s. trade representative to determine the value of the loss of u.s. intellectual property to the pirates of that from china. they would then levy a duty on products from china echo and to recover that loss and the right to the property.

>> mrs. vilsack, do we have a problem with trading with china? how should we modify? >> we need to continue to develop trade with china as we have our broader trade relationships around the world. i think we need to enforce our trade agreements with china. we need to be tough on them. they are -- there is a problem with intellectual property. they do not see that intellectual property -- i have also been there. >> do you agree with mr. king? >> probably. >> mr. king, earlier this month your colleague, with a republican congressman, said he was unhappy with the rules of engagement in afghanistan and would support bringing troops home tomorrow. you sure that you?

-- do you share that view? really means in the aftermath, ago. at this point i would say that our commander-in-chief has not articulated a mission in afghanistan. it is awfully hard to keep troops in a place in the not have a mission articulate it. i had some of that discipline and with president bush and the middle of the iraq operation as well, but if we pull out, what happens in the aftermath? >> i would rather that mitt romney laid out the proposal for afghanistan, and have some proposals that would lay out what i think is a better result. the proposals are strategic and dangerous to talk about on public and national television, but i will just say that i expect there would be a civil war in afghanistan if we pulled out immediately. there are ways to bring that together in such a way that people can be represented in governments in a more effective

fashion than they are now. president karzai has been handed a constitution where he rules the whole country. a saint would use that power. he has abused that power. i would like to look into a new constitution that would represent the people in afghanistan better than today. in afghanistan? >> i think that we need to first of all make sure that everybody who has served there in this country, that we recognize they did everything that we asked them to do. in the and they have been asked to help train police forces. much like the national guard, they have been asked to help train them so they can take care of their own country. they need to do that. the sooner we can get out of afghanistan, the better. we need to invite these gentle back to the small communities of this district. we need to build here. here.

>> not that you are not saying something important, but i promised you earlier we would get to the farm bill. the prior farm bill has expired for about a month. when congress will be addressing -- the new farm bill, there'll be pressure to have limited spending. what could you do, mr. king, to perhaps persuade urban representatives to want to spend money for a nice plump farm bill that helps iowa farmers? >> i have been working on this bill for a year-and-a-half. people on staff, we can be inside the shop to help shape that language. i passed it out of the agriculture committee. one thing i have done is make sure we have bipartisan support on the bill. there were only allowed in no votes coming out of committee. now it looks like there are two components.

our producers have willingly given up direct payments. that is a big thing. they stepped up and said we are willing to except the elimination of direct payments. i said my job is to hold onto crop insurance. i believe i am in a position to do that. so far i have done that. we have an impasse now between those who do not want to take a single dollar off of anybody's plate, the food stamp argument, at least 70% of this farm bill, and as to say they want no farm subsidies whatsoever. those refused to except a cut in food stamps are far greater than those who say they do not want any farm subsidies. have the last. >> there is no farm bill. a petition was put on the house floor to pass the farm bill. other congressmen supported it. nancy pelosi supported it.

congressman king has not. he has not led on this issue, and as a result we do not have a farm bill, the most important legislation to people in this district. he should be held accountable. >> 60 agriculture or groups support me. i do not know if there are any that support mrs. vilsack. >> i have traveled all around the world with members of the ag group. i've seen them in action. they know i can represent them because i have been doing for the eight years i was first lady. >> mr. king, name one thing you would do differently to make congress function. that answer. as a person in public life, i've had $7 million poured over my head, attacking the four things i did not say. i will say this -- on the missouri river bill, which i've

yet to hear a position on from any vilsack in this country -- we were doing that for months. we were under water all summer. i introduced legislation. i should have gone broader. >> a few seconds left -- that that. dysfunctional congress -- could you as a novice change anything? >> i think i can. i think i am the kind of person -- i want to expand the definition of being a congressperson to being a spokesperson for my state. i think i am the kind of person who, if you are going to hire someone to be a spokesperson, you would hire somebody who can speak to all the issues, who can bring different groups together and go around the country to explain what we do here. we do take care of our animals, we are stewards of the land. i could explain why biofuels and wind are important to the

economy the whole country. i can be a spokesperson in a way congressman king cannot. >> the final seconds just to say thank you very much for spending time with us. a very much appreciated. thank you. >> thank you. >> we have completed our four weeks of special debate editions. you will see the first district congressional candidates in their only televised debate this year. republic and ben lange and democrat bruce braley. live from dubuque. we will show it at our usual press times and again on sunday. thanks for joining us today. [applause]

[captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2012] >> thursday, the rhode island first district debate -- sunday based on the east coast have been canceled because of hurricane sandy. as long as the rhode island debate takes place, it will be at 7:30 p.m. on c-span. >> i would like to ask you a question similar to that past of the vice-presidential candidates in their debate -- as a catholic, have is your view on abortion been shaped by gori -- your religion? >> i'm not catholic part. i am an episcopalian.

and guess i cannot answer that question your >> husband is catholic. >> my husband is a catholic and i'm an episcopalian and my children are catholic. my grandchildren have been baptized in the catholic church and we have raised our children as catholics but i would be happy to talk about my view on abortion. it should be saved but rare. >> this is a valid point that is constructive and the difference between us. the prenda act - we have babies in america and in iowa that are being aborted simply because they are little baby girls because a mother wants a boy instead of a girl. we have evidence of that and it is coming in from the asian community as well. there is legislation that prohibits sex-selective abortions. i think it matters to the little girl's being aborted. >> election day is one week away.

fine key races from across the country on c-span, cspan radio, and c-span.org/campaign 2012. >> watch the presidential election results tuesday night. up next, "washington journal" said the role of new hampshire in the 2012 race. in the afternoon, vice president joe biden is on the campaign trail in florida. at 5:30, rob portman and the state's governor will be with the mitt romney in ohio. tonight at 8:00, mitt romney campaigns in florida. in 45 minutes, we will talk about the history of