CONGRESSIONAL FORUM
If you’re not “following” me on Twitter (@ChuckMuth), you missed my live observations at Friday’s congressional candidate forum sponsored by the Latin Chamber of Commerce and moderated by Jon Ralston. Five of the six candidates for the 1st, 3rd and 4th districts participated.
Here’s my play-by-play account:
- At the CD 1, 3 & 4 debate at Sun Coast. @RalstonReports moderating. All candidates here but Danny Tark, who had a previous event in Pahrump.
- Horsford starts right off by slamming Tark for not being here, saying event has been planned for weeks.
- Disappointing turn-out. About 30-40. These are CONGRESSIONAL seats, people! And 2 of the three are competitive. Plus, no cover charge!
- Oceguera complains about partisan fighting & arguing in DC...while claiming he wasn't guilty of same in Carson. His nose just grew 6 inches!
- First question about SBA - Small Biz Admin, not Susan B. Anthony.
- Titus slamming banks. Says lending money should go to SBA rather than community banks. #dinaheartsgovernment
- Chris Edwards says we need to make the bureaucracy work more efficiently. Barry Goldwater just rolled over in his grave.*
- Oceguera says SBA should do more to reach out to Latino community...at debate sponsored by Latin Chamber. Big 'ol Pander Bear.
- Oceguera says to give more help to start-up home office entrepreneurs...despite voting in Legislature to double state biz license fee in NV.
- Horsford, not surprisingly, starts off answer about SBA by slamming "big" banks. Big banks, big banks, big banks, big banks and big banks.
- @RalstonReports now moving on to health care...
- What are the odds that when it's his turn, Horsford blames health care problem on...big banks?
- Edwards complains about tax hikes in ObamaCare. @RalstonReports asks specifically what those tax hikes are. Crickets. How embarrassing.
- All of the many tax hikes embedded in ObamaCare are outlined by Americans for Tax Reform.** Maybe Edwards should have signed their Tax Pledge.
- Horsford hearts ObamaCare but objects to block-granting Medicaid.
- Joe Heck gives only solid answer on ObamaCare, but Oceguera still to answer. In other words, Joe Heck gives only solid answer on ObamaCare.
- Oceguera does not disappoint. Belches up nothing but talking points.
- Oceguera can't answer whether or not he would have voted for ObamaCare. Says he "probably" would have. Now rambling incoherently...
- @RalstonReports moving on to immigration...
- Horsford attacks "tea party" ideology. Drink!
- Horsford says illegal immigration is the "human rights issue of our time." Supports amnesty for illegal aliens.
- Titus also supports amnesty for illegal immigrants.
- Edwards says we need more ways for illegals to stay here than serving in the military or going to college. Huh? He's a Republican?
- Joe Heck again giving only thoughtful, reasoned, informed answer to DREAM Act question. But Oceguera still to go. In other words...
- Johnny O: Talking point, talking point, can't we all get along, talking point, talking point, talking point, pause, talking point, blah,blah
* Sen. Barry Goldwater from Conscience of a Conservative: "I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size.”
** Click here to read: “Of the twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare, below are the five worst that will be foisted upon Americans for the first time on January 1, 2013.”)
NOW PLAYING LEFT FIELD, CHRIS…EDWARDS
Regular readers know I have little regard for the campaign of Republican Chris Edwards in Nevada’s 1st Congressional District, primarily because of his ignorance over the Tax Pledge, but also because I think it’s a shame to waste so much time and treasure on a such a hopeless race when there are so many winnable races out there.
Anyway, because of my antipathy towards Mr. Edwards, some of you folks might think I was exaggerating about what he said about illegal immigration in my live tweets during yesterday’s candidate forum. But there was no misunderstanding about his position, and he doubled-down on it when given the opportunity to address the issue in a follow-up question.
Edwards said he opposes the DREAM Act - by which some illegal immigrants would be allowed to stay in the United States if they attend college or join the military – because it wouldn’t let ENOUGH illegal immigrants stay in the country and gain a path to citizenship!
But, hey, don’t take my word for it. Here’s how the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported on it this morning:
“Republican Chris Edwards, who is running a long-shot campaign for the 1st Congressional District against Democratic favorite Dina Titus, veered furthest from the party line. Unlike Republicans nationally who have been accused of demonizing Hispanic immigrants, Edwards said the problem with the DREAM Act is that it excludes too many people.
“Edwards said the act's requirements that people go to college or enter the military for a shot at remaining in the country legally are too restrictive. He said as many as 60 percent of Hispanics in the 1st District do not have high school diplomas or GEDs, which means they cannot meet the requirements.
"’That is going to minimize the number of people who would actually benefit from the current DREAM Act as it is written,’ he said. ‘There has to be many more options provided. That, I think, is one of the fundamental flaws. There are only two paths to staying here allowed. We have to come up with other alternatives.’”
That’s right, Mr. Edwards opposes the DREAM Act because it doesn’t provide for a way for illegal immigrants who are high school dropouts to remain in the country. Lovely. Just lovely.
DRIVE-BY MUTHINGS
* If every American were to watch this 10-minute video clip of Mitt Romney “killing it” at the Al Smith Dinner Thursday night – it’s hysterical – the election would be over and the Republican would be swept into the White House with a 48-state victory. Obama would carrythe other nine.
Click here to watch it (you’ll love the line about Biden!).
* In a campaign season filled with lame political mailers, I got one yesterday from the Washoe County Republican Party, which a few weeks ago splintered off from the Nevada GOP so it could “do its own thing.” The essence of the mailer: “Big Lies. A Ton of Cuts. Shelley Berkley’s Putting on a Grand Scale Performance.”
The messaging and graphics are pure Washington, DC cookie-cutter. Lame-o extreme-o. This was worth the secession and dividing of GOP activists here? I don’t think so.
* When it comes to judicial candidates, I’m like many of you. Completely in the dark. So I’m doing what any responsible voter should do: Asking for advice from people who have more knowledge and information than I do.
And sometime next week I hope to be able to take what I’m learning and provide a little guidance on the judicial candidates, at least in Clark County. So don’t vote early this weekend unless you really know who to vote for!
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“(In the second presidential debate, Mitt Romney was) forced to be argumentative and pushy by moderator Candy Crowley’s constant intervention on behalf of Obama. After two debates in which the moderators were relatively passive and allowed the candidates to decide the pattern and rhythm of the debate, this town hall saw the return of the liberal activist as an interventionist force. As I have often warned when Republicans tolerate liberal moderators, they are setting up two-on-one contests in which they have to fight their way past both the moderator and the opposing candidate.” – Newt Gingrich
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