(Chris Shays defends failed Bush economic policies, Bridgeport Debate, 10/14)
(Jim Himes' Opening Statement at Bridgeport Debate, 10/14)
Just got back to Orange to Blue candidate Jim Himes' HQ from this morning's first CT-04 debate in Bridgeport, CT which focused on health care. Congressman Shays was defensive for the entirety of the debate - defending his positions against allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices, his procedural vote against S-CHIP, and his support of the disastrous Bush economic policies.
Ken Dixon at the CT Post seems to agree:
Shays, Himes clash in first debate
U.S. Rep. Christopher Shays and Democratic challenger Jim Himes finally engaged, face-to-face this morning, exchanging charges on tax cuts, health care and the nation's perilous economic state.
During a nearly 90-minute debate in Housatonic Community College -- the first of seven candidate forums over the next week -- Shays called Himes' campaign attacks of the last few months "scurrilous" and "deceptive."...
"I frankly hope that this election is decided on the facts," Himes said in the college's new $55-million Beacon Hall. "If this election is decided on the facts we will see wholesale change in this country, the kind that we need. The fact is, for a long time Chris Shays has been wrong on the critical issues of the day: on the war and the economy."
As does Jon at MLN:
"Himes: Eloquent; Shays: Petulant"
Chris Shays was angry and defensive - he opened by attacking ads from the Himes campaign and closed by blaming the press for the breakdown of society and lack of personal responsibilty because they don't report the news.
Jim scored in many areas - a big win in an extended discussion of the Shays vote against letting the US bargain on pharmaceutical sales to Medicare, on the Shays vote to not allow Democrats time to gather votes to overide the veto of extended Children's Health Insurance coverage, on Shays' name calling during the debate, on extending a path to citizenship and health care benefits to undocumented immigrants, on the need to encourage more doctors to provide primary care (if you say you want everyone to have access to doctors you need to provide more doctors - an issue that most people don't address) on the rights of people injured by malpractice to a trial by jury, among others.
Jim also scored big by asking where Chris Shays was on Universal Health Care for the first 20 years he was in office, especially when he was in the majority and really could have moved the legislation forward, a point that was also made eloquently over at CT Local Politics at the time the bill was introduced.
Chris Shays talked about being the only Congressman to work in a bi-partisan basis, of voting against the President at times, of giving up the home he loved in North Stamford to move to Bridgeport. A lot of whining and complaining.
And here is Mark Pazniokas on this morning's debate and Shays' bizarre characterization of allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices as some type of "price control" (isn't it exactly the opposite?):
The candidates disagreed on basic aspects on health policy, with Shays
standing by his refusal to allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices, a
policy that Himes said is driving up health costs. Himes said health
care consumed 5 percent of gross domestic economic activity 45 years
year ago during the presidency of John F. Kennedy, but it has reached
25 percent and threatens to climb.
"That's unsustainable," he said.
A Republican-controlled Congress, in expanding drug coverage for the
elderly under Medicare, forbid the federal government to negotiate
prices, an ability that the Veterans Administration has used to cut
costs for veterans.
Shays said the federal government and Medicare are so big that
negotiated prices are tantamount to government-controlled prices, a
curb that will discourage research by drug companies.
"I don't believe in price controls. I'm willing to lose the election over that," Shays said.
Paz also notes the best part of the debate (video above) - where the only sustained applause came for Jim after his discussion of Shays's support for the failed Bush borrow and spend policies:
Himes said he would oppose any tax increase in a recession, but that
the Bush cuts supported by Shays were "tax deferrals," not true cuts.
"That is double-speak," Shays said.
Himes replied that Bush and Shays cannot take credit for a tax cut,
since spending increased, pushing off the eventual tax bill to the next
generation.
"They didn't cut taxes. They put spending on a credit card," Himes said.
He was interrupted by applause from the rear of the room.
It came from college students.
More CT-04 debates are scheduled for this week including one which will air (taped) locally tonight locally on News12 CT.
(Cross-posted from My Left Nutmeg.)