Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)

I think the most important issue for all of us is our economy and jobs and creating opportunities for young people to be able to get the education that you need to be able to afford to go to college.

We need to make college affordable in price, and also have lower-cost student loans and more available grants for students. I'm at the forefront of fighting for better opportunities and basically against the President's policies that have been cutting opportunity and education.

Challenger Michael Bouchard (R)

Michigan right now is in a job crisis. It's real important for the youth to be able to know and feel comfortable that when they graduate from high school, whether they want to go on to college or not, or if they're graduating from college, that there's jobs available and that they can create their future here in Michigan, in the Upper Peninsula or down below. I think right now a lot of people are nervous about that. Michigan is one of the few states in America that have lost jobs for two consecutive years. The other two states were hit by hurricanes. Three states -- that's it.

So we really need some new leadership to change that around and make sure that you have the opportunity to do whatever you want to do.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)

First of all, I think that we need to make sure that young people feel confident that in your community, police officers and fire fighters have what they need to keep you safe, to keep people in the community safe.

I think that in addition to Homeland Security, which is very important, there should be a confidence that the right decisions have been made by the federal government and that young people are not asked to go to war and fight wars unless it's absolutely necessary and that we need the best information, intelligence information, and the best strategies.

Challenger Michael Bouchard (R)

I've got a lot of specific experience and knowledge on that having served on the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force. I served at Ground Zero after 9/11, and I served on the streets in New Orleans after Katrina, so I really know that process inside and out. I know what's failing and what needs to be done. We have to secure our borders because Michigan has a huge international border. We know that's an issue that has to be dealt with in the security community, and yet Washington politicians are still struggling to get it done.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)

I think it had some good provisions, but it is severely underfunded. I'm supportive of high standards and goals, but when that bill passed there were major promises of resources for schools, and the administration is severely underfunded. As a member of the budget committee, I have every year supported, and helped lead efforts to increase and keep the promise of No Child Left Behind. There's over $55 billion that have not been provided to No Child Left Behind for schools. That's created a very serious problem for schools to be able to provide their people with the needs of the classroom.

Challenger Michael Bouchard (R)

I'm not a big fan of the federal government telling us how to run schools. So whether it's that act or other initiatives, I'm not a believer that Washington knows better how to run a school in Marquette, Mich. I'm not a big supporter of that or any other mandate that comes from Washington and tells schools and teachers and parents and students in Marquette, Mich., what they should be doing.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)

When I was in the state legislature, I was the leader in efforts to focus on children and young people. There were a number of things I'm very proud of when in the state legislature before coming to Congress. I authored back in the mid 80s what is called the Michigan Children's Trust Fund, which raises funds to focus on child abuse prevention, on basically helping families to be able to focus on the front end of preventing child abuse and neglect from happening. I was really involved in child abuse and neglect and mental health issues at the state level. And nationally now I am very focused on education and health care related to children.

Challenger Michael Bouchard (R)

When I was in the state legislature, I wrote the Sex Offender Registry Act to protect women and children from the predators that are out in the community. I wrote a number of very specific laws to protect women and children from a variety of victimization. Some of those would be my most important achievements, especially the Sex Offender Registry Act to make sure that we know where some of these people are that are likely to have a lot of victims. And then as the sheriff of one of the largest counties in America, I started the computer crimes unit to protect children on the Internet.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)

We lost so much of our standing by going into Iraq by ourselves, essentially, and we lost our credibility related to the mishandling of the war and the poor intelligence information. I'm a very strong supporter of the troops. I meet with leaders in other places around the world. I go to Iraq. I've been to the Middle East and to Israel. It's very important that we reach out and listen to our global neighbors and letting them know what we want as Americans because we do have a lot at stake.

Challenger Michael Bouchard (R)

We have to be more engaged on a number of levels. We can and should be a very forceful, articulate leader. But having said that, I think we need to engage the world community on a number of levels, diplomatic and commerce. And we also have to have them understand that we are in many ways one of the biggest hopes for the world, both in terms of democracy and in terms of aid. If any country gets hit with a major disaster, the first one to rush to the door is America. So I think we also have to remind the world of that -- that we're the first to be involved, the first to give resources to a country or community that's ailing. And we have to begin to engage that process on a number of levels, but also listen to what some of their challenges and concerns are.

Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)

I talk to young voters all the time. I tell young people I speak to at schools and at universities that they are affected more than anybody else by the decisions that are being made right now. Whether or not our country is going to create a workforce that can compete effectively in a global economy and keep our way of life depends on decisions that are made in Washington. And, what's going to happen to our environment, issues on global warming, protecting the Great Lakes.

The decisions being made in government and the huge deficits that have accumulated that the next generation is going to end up paying back are all things that young people need to be caring about. And they need to hold the public officials accountable for what's happening now that's affecting and creating the world that you are inheriting.

Challenger Michael Bouchard (R)

I think part of the issue is that they don't feel that they can make a difference. But the reality is you can make a difference. And it also is important for you to be involved in the system because either way the system will touch your life, whether positively or negatively. If you're involved, you're more likely to have an impact on it.

I talk to schools all the time and chat with young people about being involved, not just voting. Taking a hand in it, maybe organizing their neighborhood or their block, or talking with fellow students about registering to vote, getting up to date on the issues, so they participate. Because the government is yours; you own it. So you really need to take part in it.