Democrats in 9th District race debate in Cleveland

CLEVELAND — Three candidates in the 9th Congressional District primary election battled over issues of war, abortion, energy development, and the $15 trillion-dollar deficit in a debate taped Monday by a Cleveland cable television public affairs program.

“In the Spotlight,” hosted by Bob Conklin, was scheduled for broadcast on Time-Warner cable outlets in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties, and partly in Erie County, at 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. Monday and 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Political newcomer Graham Veysey attacked both veteran Congressmen Marcy Kaptur of Toledo and Dennis Kucinich of Cleveland over their allowing the federal budget to balloon to the current deficit that he said is headed for $26 trillion.

“I’m talking about the future of America and we’re mortgaging it with this $15 trillion debt. I don’t hear any solution coming from either Congresswoman Kaptur or Congressman Kucinich,” Mr. Veysey said.

Mr. Kucinich objected that the Bowles-Simpson proposal, which Mr. Veysey supported, contained cuts and delayed retirements for recipients of Social Security, while Miss Kaptur said the House deals with legislation submitted by the President not by a commission.

Mr. Kucinich accused Miss Kaptur of failing to use her seniority on the House Appropriations Committee to stop $547 billion in funding for the war in Iraq.

“She would have been instrumental in ending the war early and saving lives and a lot of money,” Mr. Kucinich said.

“When our troops are in the field and our decision has been made we have a responsibility to protect them,” Miss Kaptur replied, saying she did oppose the Iraq war.

At many times during the one-hour show the three of them talked over each other.

They disagreed over unemployment compensation, with Mr. Veysey saying 99 weeks is enough and Mr. Kucinich saying unemployment payments should last as long as a person is out of work. Miss Kaptur’s position was less clear. She said she supports the extension of unemployment.

On the minimum wage, Miss Kaptur agreed with the President’s plan to raise it from $7.25 per hour to $9.50. Mr. Veysey and Mr. Kucinich favored an increase to $10 an hour.

Both Mr. Veysey and Mr. Kucinich agreed with stopping the Keystone pipeline project that would bring oil into the United States to be refined.

Miss Kaptur said she supports the Keystone pipeline because there are refineries in the area investing money to refine it. She said, “if the President has a better route through which to move the product, fine.”

Mr. Kucinich said opening the Keystone pipeline would cause local gasoline prices to “skyrocket” because, he said, Canada plans to shut down refineries. Miss Kaptur, challenged that, saying that prices would decline from having the product being sold closer to where it is refined.

“The gentleman wants to shut down lots of things,” Miss Kaptur said. “I am for producing energy here in Ohio. I don’t buy the gentleman’s argument.”

Mr. Veysey, 29, a Cleveland video entrepreneur, paid no deference to his older fellow politicians, who are both 65.

After Mr. Kucinich talked about fighting to expose unsafe conditions at the Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant, Mr. Veysey said, “this is Johnny-Come-Lately here. I go to Ottawa County and they say they’ve never seen Dennis Kucinich before.”

“Before you were born I was trying to raise questions about Davis-Besse,” Mr. Kucinich said.

“You might have been trying to raise questions, but I was the one working with the Nuclear Regulatory Commission,” Miss Kaptur interjected.

Miss Kaptur said she supports additional nuclear power plants if they can be built safely and if a way can be found to dispose of the waste.

Mr. Kucinich attacked First Energy Corp., the operator of Davis-Besse, over what he said was a concealment from the media of the true extent of the cracks last year in the containment building.

“Either fix that shield building or close the plant,” Mr. Kucinich said.

On abortion, Mr. Veysey and Mr. Kucinich said flatly they would oppose the bill now pending in the Ohio General Assembly to make abortion illegal if a heartbeat can be detected. Miss Kaptur said only, “I probably wouldn’t support it.”

Mr. Veysey called Miss Kaptur “the longest-serving anti-woman’s reproductive rights” [lawmaker] in Congress and "anti-choice," and called Mr. Kucinich, “multiple choice” because his position has been “inconsistent.”

“Don’t describe my position,” Mr. Kucinich cautioned him.

“I just did,” Mr. Veysey replied.

“Don’t be cute,” said Mr. Kucinich.

“This is a perfect example of why we need more women in Congress,” Miss Kaptur said. She defended her position on abortion as in favor of women having choice, but opposing government funding for abortion.

Contact Tom Troy at:

tomtroy@theblade.com

or 419-724-6058.