Blunt, Carnahan square off in debate
Republican Roy Blunt and Democrat Robin Carnahan went toe to toe in a senate race debate in Kansas City Thursday evening.
The candidates for the U.S. Senate seat soon to be vacated by Republican Christopher "Kit" Bond fielded questions on the budget, health care, the Middle East, lobbyists and the environment from journalists.
On the budget and economy, Blunt insisted that he has "campaigned on the issues" and tried, as a congressman to create private sector jobs; he said they pay the bill while government jobs "are the bill." Blunt also stood by his vote supporting TARP.
Carnahan went on the offensive and called Blunt's record into question saying that after 14 years of service and nothing getting any better you shouldn't ask for a promotion. She also said TARP meant more to those on Wall Street than on Main Street. Blunt defended his views on earmark spending and Carnahan said it is a corrupted process and called for full transparency and accountability for spending.
Blunt called the present health care reforms "a bad idea." He said the state spends way too much money and that, "Missourians know the plan won't work." Carnahan countered with her personal experience with the health care system as a cancer patient and called Blunt's record of taking money from health care lobbyists into question. She asked him to "man up" and do what your asking of the people.
A question about senior citizens and Medicare part D prompted Blunt to say we should save Medicare. "It's her side that has made cuts, " he said. Carnahan again went on the attack saying that "no one listening thinks you're a protector of Medicare, Medicaid." Your record shows otherwise she said.
Carnahan didn't think negotiations with members of the Taliban were wise but said she was glad that "we're finally focused" in the region. Blunt said "It's a dangerous part of the world." He said he thought the current administration was in denial of the real danger there and that he doesn't "have any problem talking."
The final question of the evening was on global warming. Blunt said, I think climate change is real." He said he didn't think that the United States alone could stop it, "but we can make it worse. He added that cap and trade, "an ill thought out plan," would only make it worse. Carnahan said the country needed to wean itself from foreign oil and look to the future, which "is about our own homegrown energy."