The three candidates vying for southern Illinois' open congressional seat debated last night in Belleville.
Republican Jason Plummer, Democrat Bill Enyart and Green Party Candidate Paula Bradshaw took part in the hour and a half long forum that was full of the usual campaign posturing.
One question from the media panel asked the 12th District candidates to comment on their opponent's civility or something that surprised them about their opponents. Republican Jason Plummer said he's enjoyed getting to know Bradshaw but had less kind words to say about Democrat Bill Enyart.
“I think the american people, the people of Southern Illinois, are thirsting for substantive conversations, about the issues that are really impacting them,” Plummer said. “I think we are trying to deliver those things. You’re never going to see a TV commercial for Jason Plummer yanked off air because its not being honest. You’re never gonna see us get in trouble for distorting anything.”
Enyart also had kind words for Bradshaw, but took the gloves off for Plummer.
“Frankly I’m astounded that Mr.Plummer can sit here and call me a liar, when I don’t know anything about a TV commercial not being played that was mine,” Enyart said. “But you know his televisions commercials, the only thing I see, the only thing anybody in this audience has seen, on TV in St.Louis, or in the other markets for the last two weeks, has been attack ads against me.”
Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw says both Enyart and Plummer have been polite but she's a little surprised by their pro-military positions.
“Because I thought the Democrats were suppose to be more pro-peace. And Republicans were suppose to be more nationalist, but you know, there you go, you’re surprised by both parties,” Bradshaw said.
The candidates debated questions on topics ranging from the economy to pay equity and foreign policy.
One of the debate questions included how to improve the economy.
“You can’t fix this economy by cutting, the wall street journal, about 6 weeks ago, said if you fired every single federal employee, including everyone the military, you would only fix about 1/3 of the deficit,” Enyart said.
Plummer fought back discussing the consequence of job loss in America.
“It’s important to have people that aren't going to turn everything into a partisan battle, but lets talk about the broader problem, why do have one in four children out there that aren't sure where their next meal is going to come from,” Plummer said.
Green Party candidate Paula Bradshaw disagrees with both of her challengers approach to jobs.
“The idea that cutting taxing, will lead to increase tax income, was call Voodoo Economics by George Senior Bush. Way back in 1980 when Reagan first proposed it, and he was proven right when Reagan ran up the biggest federal deficit this country had ever seen,” Bradshaw said.
All three did agree that cutting food stamp assistance as proposed in the current farm bill is a bad idea.
The debate from Lindenwood college was the third in a series of debates hosted by WSIU public broadcasting, the Paul Simon Public policy institute, the southern Illinoisan and the Belleville news democrat.