JCC Candidate Forum Open Thread
Use the comment section to let us know what’s going on at tonight’s JCC Candidate Forum!
Tags: 2010 Election, JCC Candidate Forum
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A stay-at-home mom with an obsession for National politics.Comments (94)
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- Advice For Chip Flowers : Delaware Liberal | September 20, 2010
- Advice For Chip Flowers | Politics – Delaware | September 20, 2010
Tons of Coons support here. I have seen 5 COD supporters
Is Evan Q anywhere to be seen?
Not that I have seen
Christine is not here
Now she is
Yes
Can someone find out how we can listen online?
Does it look like its going to be recorded?
It is on TV, somewhere
Someone tell me where it’s being livestreamed. I’m stuck outside.
I can’t find it on TV either.
Lots of support for Coons in the peanut overflow gallery.
anybody have any idea where its on tv? I can’t seem to find any info.
Coons starts with standard stump speech. Raised in Delaware, Washington needs change. U.S. is at risk – strength of economy, the future. DE’s next Senator must fight to economy back on track, restore middle class. Good clear ideas on how to get things done. This is a job interview. Look at our ideas, experience.
O’Connell…excuse me O’Donnell.
O’Donnell to speak now.
Thankses….unflattering portrait painted. I want you to get to know me and why I’m running. I’m concerned about direction. Leaders no longer view limited gov, low taxation no longer indespensible. It’s too complicated to know what I’m proposing. More of the same unsustainable. We’re going broke. We can’t spend our way to recovery. Common sense knows that won’t work. Common sense is buzzword.
Private sector approach – gov get out of the way let them create jobs
temporary capital gains tax (I assume she means cut)
Thriving private sector
Politicians who vote to spend money are just as guilty as tax raisers
John Carney up now.
someone ought to ask Carney about those Cancer clusters he was going to take care of during Ruthie’s admin.
We need someone on our side. Tired of constant fighting. We need leaders with real ideas of how to create jobs and understand what families are struggling with. Bio…large family
Value of education. Too many people worry about how to pay for things. I understand these struggles. I attend to rep Delaware. Progress over partisanship – independent voice
Canada?
Urq up.
Humbled. “I am on your side.” Billionaires got bailouts and we got the bill. Debt. Debt destroys jobs. Bill is coming do. Afraid to hire & expand. Life after debt – new jobs, new economic growth. Tried & true solutions – cut taxes & respect the Constitution. Scotland story now.
Urq: my family fled persecution. I’ve lived the American dream. We know how to build economy. I’ve personally paid debt. I’ve never depended on gov. Gov is the problem. Debt destroys jobs. We can cut taxes. Urq praises Canada?
Colin Bonini
Background. 16 yr senator. I’m strongest fiscal watchdog. I’ve never voted for state budget. I’ve never voted for tax increase or fee increase. I want to be Treas because of spending. We spend most per person of any state. We need to stop the madness we’re going to be in trouble.
The #1 employer in DE is state of DE. We need someone with political courage and political will. You will know where every penny of your money is going.
Chip Flowers
Chip Flowers tells everyone he’s young? Unemployment is high, bad economy. Election is about solutions not slogans. Vote for solutions. Plan 4 components: fiscal responsibility, work with GA, 2) economic growth, support small business 3) revamp financial agencies, what do we want T office to look like 4) planning & forecasting. How can we get our budget down? We need economist, I have law & business degree.
Auditor – Tom Wagner
Large peanut gallery response (?)
Exciting week. Acknowledges Carla Markell. Private sector has more roles. Role of auditor is 1+1 = 2. Our record, $92M in cost savings proposed. $10M in fraud uncovered. 100% conviction rate. Pleasure to serve. A whole lot of nothing.
Richard Korn
3 generation Hadassah member family. I’m running because need more accountable gov. Private citizen assure transparency. $242M in NCCo in 2005. US dept of justice to account for $140M in NY. Workplace fraud act from construction industry. Strongest in any state. Fighting for poor, discounted heating oil for past 5 years. St Francis Hosp grant of heating oil. Hiring forensic accountants to find waste. We can’t afford business as usual. Encourage public input.
So COD wants to go to war with Iran?? neat!
BTW, great work, UI!
Qs (1 min. only)
Israel & Palestine – U.S. Senate
Do we agree with path?
COD: ME talks won’t get square 1 as long as Israels’s right to exist. Palenstinian terrorists. There will never be peace. Iran must be broken. These are roadblocks. Dangerous waste of president’s time. Wants to confront Iran.
Confusion in the peanut gallery.
Coons: our most vital ally. Rooted in shared principle. Must stop Iran from being nuclear power. I support peace talks.
Israel peace process
Carney: I visited Israel to see security situation. I visited hot spots. What’s clear is security is tenuous. Peace process is so important. At the table w/o pre-conditions. I’m supportive.
Urquhart: I support Israel. I’ve been 2x. Talking about Iran. We must deal with Iran & Syria. I don’t support peace that “papers over the truth” We support those who want peace.
Health care
Would you modify or fix bill?
coons: No repeal. I would work to implement responsibility. Who supported AARP, AMA, nurses. It’s made some steps forward. A lot needs to be fixed. We have to reign in cost w/o squelch innovation. Medical devices.
COD: I support advocating for full repeal (peanut gallery screams). Quality hc to every American. Federal gov is too intrusive. More control by gov. We shouldn’t have mandated policy. We need reform. Patient-centered reform we must repeal. Uncle Sam between you & your doctor.
HC control costs:
Urq: HC bill, it’s a tax bill. 17000 new IRS agents. This is a tax bill. It raises taxes. (RE now you know why Urq) Health savings accounts, state pools for pre-existing. Singapore’s system. We need competition.
Carney:
We need to implement. Cost raise at unsustainable. 10 yrs. cost double, cost share 2.5x. Focus on cost – patient-centered primary care, keep people healthy. Focus on health & wellness. Increase insurance pools. We must get our arms around this cost.
COD: I don’t want to reward those that break laws (immigration reform). I support secure both borders. Canada is a gateway for terrorists! Fence & troops. No amnesty.
What is greatest threat to security of U.S.:
Urq: the greatest threat is debt by Adm Mullen. The accumulation of “Democrat debt” We can’t maintain our military. We need missile shield
Carney: greatest military. I will work to keep military funded. We need to be strong & smart against terrorist. Avoid undermining our own actions. Counterterrorism. Fully fund military. No obsolete weapons. Strong & smart both.
COD: A strong defense is a strong America. Our financial situation. We must recover our economy through private sector. Best foreign policy we win, they lose. No miranda rights to terrorists. They don’t deserve rights.
Coons: Independence & self reliance. We rely on countries to provide energy & debt. loss of our values. We need to be smart in how conduct. Rest of the world believe in civil rights. We have greatest fighting force. World’s greatest principles.
Canada? That place that Christine wants to build a fence around?
Tax cuts for superrich:
Carney: Economy is flat on back & rising debt. Must get economy moving. Don’t raise anyone’s taxes right now. Agreement with deficit reduction in long term.
Urq: Don’t raise taxes. Canada again! They cut their taxes & cut their debt. Cut unemployment. Tax cuts help economy. Need BRAC-like committee.
To Coons: have you raised taxes unnecessarily
Long term financial prospects. Reducing growth of spending and size of county gov. 2008 collapse hurt. I took pay cut. No more cuts to make. $502/yr cut $130M in spending
COD: I pledge to not vote for tax increases.
To COD: what is role of gov in private sexual matters
Whether or not it’s constitutional. These were 15 yrs ago. I’m more mature. It’s the Constitution, not my personal beliefs.
Energy:
Carney: create jobs with new green energy jobs. Expansion of green tax credit.
Urq: DOE has never produced energy. We have energy on our own shores. Nukes. I like windmills. I don’t like tripled energy bills. There’s no green jobs. I like water & air. Drill here.
Coons: R&D tax credit & manufacturing credit. Invent & make things here. Encourage in alternative energy. No offshore drilling without spoiling our wilderness.
COD: We must support market-based solution, need alternative source. America has oil. Wean off foreign oil, domestic drilling. Oppose cap & trade. Lame duck session. Cap & trade will be in lame duck session. It’s horrible.
Privatize Social Security
Urq: No. We need to tell the truth. State & national budgets must be balanced. 3.5T to debt destroys jobs. Gov is too big. Competition is solution.
Carney: No. IRAs investments. Risky practices & system almost collapsed. Our accounts went down. FinReg will prevent that. Oversight & implementation is important.
So, Carney would continue Bush tax cuts to super-wealthy?
Is that what you took from that, UI?
Education
COD: I support charter schools. Public schools, create competition. Teachers have to purchase school supplies. Our children shouldn’t be trapped. No 1-size-fits-all approach. Repeal role of federal government.
Coons: I support RTTT. Key goals: accountability, support for charter. Accomp of Markell. Praising Delaware. Set up fund, you can receive funds.
Regulations
Urq: FinReg means destroying our banking industry. We need less regulation. It’s a monster for Delaware. Written by bureaucrats. DC is disaster. Competition is solution. Strangled with regulations.
Carney: FinReg many haven’t been written. Congressman who takes responsibility seriously. It impact jobs here. Small business cut their taxes – payroll tax holiday.
Social Security
COD: must make SS solvent. I have political will to make impossible possible. Solutions that don’t make it dependent on stock market. Take out of general fund. Raise retirement age.
Coons: sacred trust, critical program. Privatize disastrous. Difference in view of positive role of government – protect environment, protect investor, protect seniors SS & Medicare. Gov can be ally.
US aid to Israel:
Carney: strengthen relationship. Support aide. Tough sanctions on Iran, support aid, peace process. Peace w security
Urq: I support aid for Israel. Building our military. Talking about missile defense again.
COD: support Israel as much as we can. We need strong ally & friend. Would not scold Israel. I would do what is necessary. Whatever they want. I can’t say yes or no to specific legislation.
Coons: Our relationship is most important, shared principles & history. Fight for foreign aid to Israel. Great provider of humanitarian assistance.
Abortion rape incest & health
Coons: protect reproductive rights. It’s her choice. Strong pro-choice statement.
COD: put emotions aside. I’m pro-life. Our laws must respect every life. Profound loss of respect for life
Abortion in case of life of mother
O’Donnell railing against bailouts. Big cheers in peanut gallery.
Coons: I would not have supported TARP. Stimulus – put together package for Fisker automotive. Strategic & critical investments that our country should make.
COD: Stem cells – adult not embryonic. Embryonic doesn’t work waste of money. Cites snowflake babies.
Coons: Enormous promise – can cure terrible diseases
Abortion:
Urquhart: I’m against abortion. We must respect life. Minority communities decimated by abortion. Population is dropping.
Carney: Gov shouldn’t tell women to make decision. Personal & private decision.
So was COD saying that the Constitution spells out who we can have sex with?
Too much attention to Senate race?
Coons: It’s a great thing to have a moment as a state. It’s Delaware’s seat. Biden served well. Delaware state of neighbors. I’m grateful, ppl hold you accountable personally. DE is special. Long tradition of civil debate, constructive tone. It’s DE’s question. Dig at COD – I’m not worried about who from out of state will endorse me.
COD: Open process on we the people. I’m running against both parties. I broke the establishment. I’m grateful for money. I’m asking you personally. I chose to come here instead of all the media tonight. 🙄
This comment will probably not post in the correct spot… Geek!!
WTF does she mean she’s running against both parties? She’s running as a Republican. Well… she did break the DE GOP, but she should be worried about how she’ll put it back together.
Urquhart: I’m against abortion. We must respect life. Minority communities decimated by abortion. Population is dropping
OMG – the fastest GROWING minority is the Latinos – what rock is he under
OH he means WHITE population growth is down – the new minority..
Closing statements
John Carney: I came back to Delaware to help people. I love the state. I strive to live oath. Power of office flows from the people. DE is struggling. Don’t put politics over progress. Don’t just criticize. Leaders with ideas.
Glen Urquhart: I have bet my life on the free enterprise system. Minner-Carney administration. Debt destroys jobs. Pelosi sucks (paraphrase). We’re gagging on programs. We’ve had so many programs our economy is frozen. Lack of confidence. I understand how jobs are created. Failed exp at gov expansion. It ends like Greece. It’s your money. Cut taxes. I spent my life creating jobs & liberty.
Closing statements
Coons: Figure out which candidates have right solutions. It’s about ideas, not social agenda. Get country back on track. Hands on practical experience. Made tough choices. Balanced budget. Our next senator must fight for middle class. Get economy on track. I have experience and values to get on track for you. Real solutions that Delawareans know.
COD: It’s refreshing to have opponent who talks issues. We have similar soundbites. We increase size of gov. I understand hard economic times. Both parties have lost their way. Return proces to we the people. We must replace career politicians with citizen politicians.
It ends.
Who read from prepared answers the most? Did anyone not use notes? Just curious as this shows knowledge good grasp on issues…..
Thanks for the coverage UI.
COD is really wearing out that “we the people” thing.
Thank, U.I. Carney sounds like a future blue dog.
thanks for the play-by-play…it was great…can someone who was there provide some color commentary…how did each candidate come across? etc
COD NO solutions all bumper sticker talk
Coons we have alot to run on talk facts and numbers and you will win!!!
thanks…how about the others? anything of note?
I was in the room, but no battery on my iPhone.
Christine O’Donnell read her opening and closing statements, and read at least three canned answers on Social Security, Middle East peace and Israel.
Carney also looked like he was reading his opening statement, but his normal wooden appearance and delivery warmed up significantly.
Chris Coons is just an amazing speaker and debater. Not once did he read anything, he engaged the audience, looked nearly everyone in the eye. An excellent performance. He stood head and shoulders above everyone else as being the most prepared and most knowledgeable of the issues.
Urquhart has charisma, and I think against Carney, that alone will make this a close race, but his answers and positions are as extreme if not more so than O’Donnell’s. He is against all abortion, even in cases of rape and incest. Indeed, he turned that answer into an incoherent “abortion kills minorities” answer. There were audible hisses and “What the fucks?” from the audience. Seriously. O’Donnell also stupidified the audience on several answers. On Social Security, she didn’t answer the question, and then in a second answer endorsed Al Gore’s lock box idea from 2000. The irony.
When she was asked about her personal views about sex and how she would approach it in Washington, some teabaggers shouted out “that’s personal!!!!” which prompted Christine to agree, and then I shouted out “Then stop talking about it!” She looked right at me, unnerved. LOL. And then proceeded to give an answer that seemed to walk back all of her assine beliefs as “youthful indiscretions.”
The slammer of the night requires some context. Bonini spent the evening joking around, about having snacks afterwards and other things. And in his closing statement, Chip Flowers said “I consider myself a funny guy, but I find nothing funny about the tough times we are in right now, and we need a serious Treasurer to help.”
The crowd in the audience was 75% pro-Coons vs. 25% teabaggers, who were loud in their very visible minority.
I agree with A1, that Carney sounds like a future blue dog. His answer on tax cuts right now was horrible, conceding the ground to the Republicans. I understand the politics, as his answer pretty much took the air out of O’Donnell’s and Urquhart’s outrage over taxes, which was surprisingly muted afterward.
Yes, Carney said that no one’s taxes should be raised right now but we need a deal to deal with deficit. Bush tax cuts in exchange for ??? Yes, both Carney & Coons kind of undercut Urq & COD on taxes & most economic issues.
Just got home. Caught the last hour after class. Walked by the AC360 guy on my way to the car. They just finished the segment and Ari Fleisher brought up the “Marxist with a beard” thing.
Stopped a fight between my dad and a 9/12 patriot when COD talked about raising SS age.
OD supporters were quite loud in the lobby, erupting into boos once or twice.
Afterwards saw Carney, Urk, and Flowers (no senate candidates to be seen)
Liked the part where COD didn’t know the answer to the question and said “i’ve been busy. I haven’t even had the time to do my laundry!” Think that was in response to Israel.
I might be biased as a former Carney intern, but frankly I think it’s ridiculous to say Carney sounds like a future blue dog, based on that one mistaken policy point. I definitely disagree with him on that, but that doesn’t make him a blue dog or future blue dog by any means. Are there any blue dogs who highlight climate change as one of the top three issues facing the country today? I’m pretty sure there aren’t, and in fact, most of the blue dogs in Congress have actively opposed even simple clean energy incentives. Carney’s a progressive Democrat.
Carney definitely doesn’t come across as a Blue Dog but I was shocked that he wanted to extend Bush tax cuts.
BTW, the question to Christine about how her personal beliefs affect her governing sounds like the one I asked in the earlier thread. Thanks whoever put that one in!
Here’s my take:
Urquhart was the loser of the night. He came off as totally crazy. He definitely doesn’t have the support that O’Donnell has.
O’Donnell did o.k. she was very buzzword heavy and Palinesque. She also came across as egotistical with her crack that she could have been somewhere else but chose to come here. She also said she’d been so busy she didn’t have time to do laundry. She seemed to contradict herself at times, too.
Coons was masterful.
Carney was good, but had the WTF moment.
Bill,
And yet… this is a campaign and he can’t out crazy Urkle, so what gives with that unforced error?
ooh i forgot, there were disappointed murmurs when COD took her dig at Castle. Something along the lines of it being refreshing to have an opponent who focuses on the issues instead of nasty attacks and restoring The Delaware Way to the campaign.
From team Coons:
“For over 25 years Chris Coons has worked in the public and private sectors and helped create jobs – he reformed a corrupt county government – and he has put working families ahead of partisan bickering. In stark contrast, Ms. O’Donnell in her 20 year career has never created a single job and has never made a tough decision. She has no interest in working across party lines and finding common sense solutions to get people back to work. Ms. O’Donnell appears most interested in promoting herself and her radical social and economic agenda. She wants to repeal the role of the federal government in education and raise the social security retirement age. She opposes a woman’s right to choose, even in the case of rape. She is a part of a national movement that believes that any attempt by Democrats or moderate Republicans to reach a compromise is bad. Chris turned around New Castle County by bringing people together to get results. Chris believes that we will get the nation back on track by setting party aside and focusing on results. That is the Delaware mainstream view and that is the difference between Chris Coons and Ms. O’Donnell.
I wonder how times O’Donnell mentioned “free market” and “competition.”
Well, the crazy people were crazy. I was trapped near a woman explaining that the government exceeded its “Constitutional authority” by collecting taxes, at all. And Boninii bragged that he’s never voted for the state budget. In 16 years. In my town, I served with a woman who wouldn’t sign our work product… after 3 years I made a stink and we turfed her out. For 16 years he hasn’t done the ONE piece of his responsibility that keeps our government functioning and he thinks that’s a GOOD thing?
One of my favorite O’Donnell quotes is “America is one of the most free places in the country.” That gives you an idea. And Urquhart was just plain babbling, half the time. Debt upsets you, Glen, we get it.
I was sincerely impressed with Chip Flowers. I think this campaign has been good for him. He was terrific.
Chris was great, as we expect. Richard Korn stayed tight on message. Christine’s buzzword was “Constitution”. Odd to hear that coupled with a lot of bushwah about “granting” rights (like due process) to people. My kid sidled over to me to whisper “those rights are inalienable”.
I was very proud of our slate. It’s a tough thing to do.
>> Bonini spent the evening joking around, about having snacks afterwards and other things. <<
Don't concede the race to Bonini; as this behavior demonstrates, he's a profoundly unserious politician.
His attendance at legislative committee meetings is terrible. Somebody in the Flowers camp should do the research. Particularly for a legislator who lives close to Dover, he misses a lot of committee meetings, where the real legislating takes place.
"I've never voted for state budget." This is a disgrace; we don't send our legislators to Dover to perform symbolic acts, we send them to negotiate with their colleagues to produce practical solutions to serious problems. To vote against a budget one time might properly draw attention to an issue; to vote against it regularly is an abdication of responsibility. Zero political courage is required to vote against something that you know is going to pass.
As a wise Legislative Hall veteran once explained to me, if you've never voted "yes" on the state budget, you've never voted to pave a road, or build a school, or protect our drinking water.
Flowers should hammer Bonini on his failure to perform the minimum requirements of his present position.
Good advice kurward. Bonini was pretty good overall but his line that he’s never voted for a budget was appalling.
I was near a group of wingnuts (near heragain) and they didn’t really respond to that talking point.
WDEL has some highlights of the forum.
TNJ’s article on the debate.
After watching the forum clips, if Chris Coons is telling the truth about what is most important to him, he appears to be a terrific candidate for Senate.
Thanks again for all your great work on this, U.I.
O’ Donnell was a freak show. She mentions free markets yet she has never been part of the free market? What a loon.
Bonini has been right to vote against the fools in the Assembly who have spent and wasted so much money but a lot of these people have been republicans also. Colin has been consistent unlike fools like Lavelle who whines all the time. Bonini has shown principle and courage, the other GOP people are fakes.
Legislative committee meetings when you are in the minority so badly don’t matter, GOP matters get no attention in the State Senate so why bother with the pre canned meetings which produce nothing?
The Other Geezer is so clueless as to legislative procedure that it’s embarrassing.
‘Vote for me b/c I never bothered to do my job in Dover’ is hardly a justifiable argument for winning votes. Especially since the Treasurer’s job is to make sure that money is disbursed properly. The Treasurer HAS to do their job. It is perhaps the worst place imaginable in government for someone who claims to ‘hate government’, but who has cashed his Senate paycheck for a dozen years. A paycheck the treasurer makes sure he gets.
Bonini used to be on the Budget Committee, yet always voted against the budget he helped craft. He is nothing but a Gingrichesque blowhard with not a single legislative accomplishment to point to in his entire career.
By TOG’s admission, he couldn’t be bothered to do his job:
“Legislative committee meetings when you are in the minority so badly don’t matter, GOP matters get no attention in the State Senate so why bother with the pre canned meetings which produce nothing?”
He is as unqualified to hold this office as O’Donnell is to serve in the Senate.
At least we know that TOG is a Bonini plant (‘plant’ perhaps in two senses of the word). In no way should he/she be compared to the one and only Geezer.
Let me put it in terms that loyal readers of DL should understand–Bonini is as unqualified to be treasurer and perhaps even more dangerous…than KWS is to be insurance commissioner.
Wanna play games with the state’s Triple-A bond rating? Elect this guy who hasn’t bothered to do the one job he’s ever held for any period of time–and brags about it.
Try to get the last clip from Morning Joe. It was a funny commercial about Christine and the masturbation issue and ends up with Chris Coons’ campaign slogan being “Chris Coons — Masturbating for Delaware”
“Comment by Delaware Dem on 16 September 2010 at 10:20 pm:
Chris Coons…stood head and shoulders above everyone else…”
I didn’t realize they had arranged to provide Coons with a booster seat.
Well, Phil, when the opponent is in preschool …
Congressional Budget Office reports the Obama bank bailout just made the nation $7 billion! The Bush/Paulson giveway didnt require the banks to pay back one penny. The CBO say, “the money going to banks to keep them solvent maybe the most important piece of legislation that came out of this administration”. Even AIG is repaying. Facts seem to get in the way of the baggers!
Your wrong, whodunnit. Check your numbers and read a bit closer. TARP is still expected to cost over $100 billion, according to the CBO report in May.
O’Donnell should make sure to appear with Urquhart as often as possible. It’s much harder to make the case that Christine is crazy when Urquhart is in the room.
Urquhart was the loser of the night. He came off as totally crazy.
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He peaked with “Bring back Ronnie Reagan’s Star Wars Missle Shield program”.
Wagner; 100% conviction rate.
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That is of the cases that the AG choses to prosecute. The whole picture says that there are a lot of investigations that aren’t chosen. Question for Tom: are many of these the AG declines the witch hunts you take on for your friends and are a waste of time and money?
Relax, Nancy. I’m sure Tom is figuring that Colin will win, and then the state will never again issue a dubious check because he’ll be looking at each one personally.