NY-29: Wrap-up of first Massa/Kuhl Debate
I’m sure there will be wrap-ups elsewhere. Here is my take. The debate was divided into a several sections. I wasn’t at a computer so I took notes to convert into a post later. Here is my recollection without reviewing the video. It is not designed to be a complete recap. For that, you can watch the entire debate (broken into six parts on-line at Wham13) on line. Definitely worth watching,
The WHAM13 Moderators (Carroll and Alhart) were fine, the commercials were annoying. Randy Kuhl looked terrible, almost afraid to look at the camera and especially defending the bowling alley loan seemed to be come unnerved.
Eric Massa, on the other hand, was composed, direct and spoke to the audience at home. Wove facts and information into his points. Massa was powerful yet not overpowering. From my perspective - he was prepared and projected to the voters a clearly defined alternative to Randy Kuhl.
Opening statements
I missed the first couple of minutes but liked how Massa came out preempting Randy Kuhl’s attack points. Randy brought out the standard GOP attack lines.
Economy
Here the focus was on the bail out bill. Massa was against both bail out bills. Kuhl voted against the first one and for the second one.
Massa said that there wasn’t significant tax payer protection. Kuhl said that he voted for the second one because there was. Massa highlighted the 440K junket AIG execs took. Massa’s point here was get the right bill not a bill that is rushed. Kuhl came back with but the Democrats (Slaughter, Pelosi, Clinton etc) voted for it. Massa said that the bill is still not as good as it could be. Massa slammed Randy for being a rubberstamp.
Oh, not in the debate but, AIG still doesn’t get it. They wanted to go on another spa trip.
The rest of the recap is below the fold
Energy
Here the big focus was how to lower gas prices
Massa hammered Kuhl over the summer stunt protesting during an out of session Congress and the mantra of “drill drill drill”. Massa then showed how the price of oil has plunged and there hasn’t yet been any drilling. He tied this to record profits of oil companies and stated that it isn’t in the best interest of oil companies to lower prices. Basically Big oil is holding us hostage. Massa also mentioned that the expiration of the oil leases conveniently don’t get mentioned by Randy Kuhl.
Kuhl on the other has talked about a three-legged stool where the legs are alternative energy (ethanol, solar, gas, shale, coal tar, (didn’t mention nukes but probably meant too), conservation and expanded drilling. But the rest of the long winded answer was focused solely on drilling. His answer seemed to be focused on petroleum-based solutions.
Massa countered that Randy is tied to big oil. Kuhl countered with the Energy Bill passed in December where he raised the CAFE standards. Massa was right because Kuhl got an energy bill he could vote for.
Global War on Terror and veterans
Kuhl started with I wasn’t in Congress during the Iraq authorization but said “I support the troops whatever they need”. You got the standard GOP fare here Iraq is working, blah, blah, blah but this nugget was interesting, Iraq is moving to local elections took me by surprise. Really?
He discussed Veterans benefits. Said how he formed a Veterans caucus and saved the VA hospital.
Massa hit this one out of the park when he tied our economic crisis to veterans care. Bail out of Wall street execs is costing us the ability to fully fund veterans programs. That seemed to be a theme of the evening - how the GOP is sacrificing the future for the sake of the present.
Massa’s command of the situation in Iraq was noteworthy. Sure violence against Americans is down but the primary reason is we are paying the people who used to be shooting at us. The militias are on the American payroll.
Questions of each other
The part I liked was the bit where the candidates asked each other questions. (Nice job here Channel 13)
Kuhl to Massa. You want to repeal tax cuts (Kuhl is talking about the Bush tax cuts) and you want to spend 1 trillion dollars on health care. (HR 676)
Massa deftly turned that around. Roughly paraphrased - “Sure I want to spend 1 trillion dollars on health care because right now we are spending 1.7 trillion dollars so that results in almost a trillion dollars in savings. A great point.
Massa to Kuhl - What are you telling the families of these breadwinners lost to CAFTA.
Kuhl denied that jobs have been lost or tied directly to CAFTA. Came out swinging that CAFTA saved jobs mentioned Kodak can now ship product into these countries tariff free. When Kuhl was talking about this I could help but wonder what the demand for Kodak products in Central America.
Earlier in the debate - Massa hammered Kuhl on the concept to reciprocity. I personally don’t know how that works but it makes sense. We have a special relation with a county A. Country A has a special relation with Country B therefore we indirectly have a relationship with Country B. To the point - Randy Kuhl said CAFTA is Central America only, Massa claims that some countries in Central America has reciprocity with South American countries. So, the point here is CAFTA is a gateway form South America into the U.S.
This was a great debate. Better than any of the Presidential or VP debates. As a viewer I appreciate Massa, Kuhl and Channel 13 for allowing this to occur.
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