Cape Cod Times - Keating, Perry Clash in NECN Debate

Press Release

By George Brennan

They differ on Social Security. They differ on federal health care. And the two candidates in the 10th Congressional District have little in common when it comes to the war in Afghanistan.

Republican Jeffrey Perry and Democrat William Keating, sitting within inches of each other, clashed over the issues and personalities in a debate Wednesday that aired on NECN's Broadside with Jim Braude.

Maryanne Lewis, one of those independents, showed up at the studio but was turned away. Still, she claimed victory, saying that the constant sparring between Perry and Keating gives her an opening. "(Voters) are completely disenfranchised with our current two-party system," she said. "They feel the nominees will toe party lines and will adhere to a national partisan agenda."

Inside the studio, as he has done since his victory speech, Keating hammered away at Perry's character, saying the former Wareham police officer continues to be untruthful with voters.

While Perry was a sergeant, a subordinate officer was convicted of two illegal strip searches of teen girls. Perry and the police department were accused of complicity in the officer's misdeeds in two federal civil rights suits -- one that ended in a jury award and a second that was settled out of court.

Last week, Perry's former police chief, Thomas Joyce, broke his public silence on the strip search cases and endorsed Perry's campaign, something Keating scoffed at during the debate.

"Heck of a character witness," the Norfolk County district attorney said. "I wouldn't want someone that said one thing under oath -- that you were untruthful -- and then said something else later on. It sounds like instead of a character reference, it's more of a continued cover-up to me."

Perry told Braude he made no material misrepresentations on his 2007 application before the Massachusetts Board of Bar Examiners, even though police and court records show that he did not initiate the investigation into the officer as he claimed in his answers on that application. "I disclosed all material facts and, at the end of this, it's all political mudslinging," he said.

After the debate, Keating said Perry's answers on the bar application don't match what happened. "The untruthfulness continues," he said.

Perry shot back at Keating, raising the issue of a $1,545 campaign donation made by a defense attorney representing a man being prosecuted on an attempted murder charge by the Norfolk County District Attorney's Office. The defense attorney also co-sponsored a campaign fundraiser on Keating's behalf, Perry said.

But Keating countered that Perry, who is a partner in a law firm that does some criminal work, gave donations to the district attorneys on the Cape and Islands and in Plymouth County.

The accusation appeared to catch Perry off guard. "I gave money to the DA?" Perry said.

State campaign records show Perry gave $100 to Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz and a total of $250 to Cape and Islands District Attorney Michael O'Keefe.

"Not with pending trials, not with big high-profile cases, not with fundraisers with significant amounts of money coming your way in a political campaign," Perry said, defending his contributions.

Perry also accused Keating of using what he called the Democratic Party's playbook of smearing a candidate's character and using fear on issues such as Social Security.

Keating's campaign has sent out as many as four mailings that distort Perry's views on Social Security, the Sandwich Republican said. Perry said he will wait to see what recommendations are made by a national commission on Social Security, but he added that it might require raising the retirement age. Perry added he would only support changes in the system for those 50 and younger.

Keating defended his campaign's mailings on Social Security. "He's changed his position three times in a week. I haven't," he said. Keating has said he won't support any increase in the age to begin receiving Social Security benefits.

The two also clashed on Cape Wind, with Perry saying it would hurt ratepayers, including small businesses that will face increased electric bills. Keating was forced to explain his flip-flop on the issue, but said he now favors the project because of the country's over dependence on oil.

The two candidates contrasted sharply on foreign policy.

Perry said he supports U.S. troops unconditionally, including $37 billion for the recent surge in Afghanistan, even though he also criticized President Obama's policy. "I don't believe you tell your enemies you're going to be here to a certain date," he said.

Keating said he would have questioned spending any additional money on the war in Afghanistan without getting detailed answers on the plan. "I won't give Barack Obama, George Bush or anyone a blank check without knowing where they're going," he said. "You don't sit there and nation build when the nation we should be building is the United States of America."

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