Indianapolis Star - "Candidates agree more than not"
News Article
Indianapolis Star - "Candidates agree more than not"
The candidates for the 7th Congressional District seat left vacant by the December death of Rep. Julia Carson had a cordial debate Thursday night.
"We agree more than we disagree," Republican Jon Elrod said.
Advertisement
"I agree with John," Democrat Andre Carson replied.
"We all want the same things, but our approaches may be different," added Libertarian Sean Shepard.
The 90-minute debate was broadcast live from the University Place conference center on the campus of Indiana University--Purdue University Indianapolis. Most of the 340 seats in the conference center's main auditorium were filled by a generally polite and quiet audience.
The three candidates are running in Tuesday's special election to decide who will fill the remaining months of Julia Carson's congressional term. There will be separate elections to choose the person who will serve in the 7th District seat for the next regular term from 2009-10, beginning with the May 6 primary.
In this three-candidate field, no one has served in Congress, and Elrod is the only one with legislative experience after serving most of a single term in the Indiana House.
Elrod and Carson said congressional "earmarks" -- spending items added to bills -- could be acceptable if they helped projects in their district.
Shepard said the problem is with the way Congress handles taxes and spending. "Why do we take this money out of our community to start with?" Shepard asked.
When a viewer sent a question about what federal program should be cut, Shepard said he would do away with Department of Agriculture programs that pay farmers not to grow crops. Elrod disagreed with the government paying for public service advertising aimed at discouraging people from committing crimes, and Carson said American troops should be sent home from Iraq, but he said no specific timetable should be set.
Several times during the debate, Carson emphasized the need to bring American troops home. "We need a new generation of leadership that will stand up to George Bush and say the war is over."
When the audience asked about health care, Carson said he wanted universal health care and an expansion of Medicare, saying Medicare was not perfect but efficient. Shepard said the federal government should not be trusted with health care, because he fears the benefits of the government-operated Medicare program might be cut. Elrod also opposed universal health care, saying a "market-based approach" was needed and insurers should be encouraged to hold down prices.
When asked about religion and politics, Carson, the only Muslim among the candidates, said, "My faith grounds me, it guides me, it directs my sense of values, but it teaches me to respect mankind." Shepard indicated he was more concerned with finances than faith, and Elrod, who said he was a Methodist, noted that the Constitution does not have a religious test for office.
Source