Register-Citizen // Republican-American // New Hartford Plus
A few important notes from tonight's debate (in New Hartford). I made
minor factual mistakes I need to correct, and one campaign commercial
that I stand behind. None of my mistakes change the overall substance of
my positions, nor do they alter the fundamental issue: Larson needs to
work harder.
This is no excuse, but in a low budget campaign, we do the research
we can with the resources we have. Volunteers prepped me for the
debates, and in going through Congressman Larson's voting record, we
relied heavily on Project VoteSmart, because it is an easy-to-use, comprehensive database.
However, when a politician registers a "no vote" — meaning they
didn't show up to vote — Project VoteSmart does not include the
reasoning. I learned tonight that the Congressional Record itself, though, allows room for excused absences.
So in tonite's debate, when I attacked Congressman Larson for his two "no votes" on May 23 and December 13,
2001 on the No Child Left Behind Act, I did not know the reason. After
the debate, Larson himself told me he had to attend to a family
emergency and could not be at those votes. I apologized.
A few minutes later a campaign staffer came up to me and told me
again that Larson missed the votes because of personal emergencies, and
that the Congressional Record would reflect it. So here I sit now,
though, 11:45pm, post-debate, combing through the densely-texted pages
of the Record. I must have something wrong, and will contact Congressman
Larson's office, because the Congressional Record
shows he made various roll calls on May 23, 2001. I must be looking in
the wrong place, because I only find votes for No Child "stuff" on H.
144 from the record on May 23, 2001.
Again, I apologize for not knowing the facts as well as I should
have. Congressman Larson issued a statement against No Child Left
Behind. My challenge to him is to be an activist and repeal NCLB now. He
isn't as vociferous as he needs to be. Let teachers teach.
Secondly, I made a mistake in discussing Congressman Larson's role in
the closing of the Winsted Memorial Hospital. I knew that he was Senate
President Pro Tem, but I thought he left the Senate after 1995, when in
reality he left the Senate in 1995. The Winsted Memorial Hospital closed down in November 1996.
Larson wasn't there for the final nails in the coffin. However, since Larson was Senate President from 1987 to 1995,
I feel that he could have done something to stop the regressive
hospital tax that took money from rural hospitals and funneled it to
urban hospitals. This tax and the philosophy that health care should be
centralized in cities led to Winsted Memorial Hospital's demise. When I
find the information about that, I will post it.
Additionally, on this hospital matter, tonight I said a line to the
effect of "this isn't Kabul where we bomb hospitals, we only bankrupt
them here in America." I should have said Kandahar, where we have in
fact bombed a hospital. Steve Collins of the Bristol Press
caught my gaffe, as he could find no mention of a hospital bombing in
Kabul. Sorry, Steve is correct, here. Call me a liar because I mistook
Kabul for Kandahar.
Looking at the larger issue, though, American militarism hasn't been great for healthcare in Iraq, either. Google "bomb hospital in Iraq"
and you'll get the drift that our invasion of Iraq has led to civil
instability that leads to suicide bombers targeting hospitals, as
recently as September 19, 2010. And, on March 31, 2003, it was reported
that in the early days of the invasion, we bombed a hospital in Rutbah, Iraq.
Finally, Congressman Larson's campaign staff expressed to us in many ways today that our latest campaign commercial
is an unfair "low blow" at a six-term incumbent. I thought they were
upset with the transition. No, they were mad with the mash-up of my
rhetorical questions and his non-answers.
The debate format did not lend itself to him answering, a campaign
staffer told me after tonight's debate. But Larson still didn't answer
the questions, especially the one about raising the minimum wage as
Obama promised. Tonight, Larson replied meekly that he's for a minimum
wage increase, but where's the work, Congressman? The proof is in the
legislation.
I stand by the ad. Larson could have answered the questions. He
didn't. What's even funnier, though, is that they are worried about a
campaign ad that has gotten 200 views. I wonder if Blumenthal's campaign
calls up McMahon's staff and says the "create a job" mash-up from the
debates was unfair.
When I'm wrong, I'll admit it.
