The House debate

Posted by Alaska_Politics

Posted: August 5, 2008 - 1:11 am

From Sean Cockerham in Anchorage--

Ok, it’s late and this is going to be a little rough, but here are some highlights from tonight's KTUU debate among the U.S. House candidates.

Among the Republicans, Lt. Gov Sean Parnell came out swinging against Congressman Don Young in his opening statement, saying “we’re tired of being the nation’s symbol of excess and greed.”

But Parnell didn’t have an answer when moderator Jason Moore asked him to list five Don Young earmarks he found objectionable. He brought up the controversial Young Coconut Road earmark in Florida, but didn't list any others Young authored.

Moore then asked Parnell to list three earmarks Young obtained for Alaska that he doesn’t like.

“It’s not a particular earmark in Alaska I’m concerned about it’s the abuse of the process,” Parnell replied.

Moore asked Young why he’s spending more than a million dollars of his campaign money on legal fees. Young answered that it’s expensive to have lawyers cooperate with the federal government in its investigation, and he doesn’t have money of his own.

Moore pressed him on what’s being investigated.

Young said he's made it clear he can't comment on the specifics (he has said that is at the request of his lawyers and the justice department) but expects to be exonerated when it’s all said and done.

Young went after Parnell for claiming his campaign contributions come from individuals and not special interests. Young said $115,000 -- about half of Parnell’s campaign money-- came as bundled contributions through the Washington D.C. anti-earmark group Club for Growth, The group is also funding its own ads against Young.

“How can you truthfully claim that you’re not taking special interest money?” Young asked him.

Parnell replied those are contributions from individuals who believe in limited government, lower taxes and less government spending. “That’s what I stand for,” Parnell said,

Young charged the Club for Growth is “one of the most extreme groups in Washington D.C.” and wants to cut funding for vets and Alaska Native education, among other things.

Kodiak state Rep. Gabrielle LeDoux also targeted Parnell for supporting the governor’s plan to give a license and $500 million state subsidy to TransCanada to pursue the natural gas pipeline.

“I would say that giving $500 million to a Canadian company is not getting government out of private enterprise,” she said.

Parnell defended the plan as having improved Alaska’s chances for a gas pipeline on the state’s terms. He said he expects TransCanada will end up joining with the oil companies who hold the gas leases to make the project happen.

LeDoux, when asked about her experience compared to the congressman and lieutenant governor, said she would bring a fresh perspective.

She also said she’s a second term state legislator and served three terms as Kodiak Island Borough mayor. She called herself a fighter.

“I’m tenacious, methodical, focused and I never give up,” she said in her closing statemen,

Parnell said in his closing statement that he wants to restore trust and make sure the next generation isn’t saddled with a deficit.

“Frankly, I just want to be a light, and make a change, make a difference,” Parnell said.

Young said “I’m running because I’m the best person for the job.”

The two candidates competing in the Democratic primary for the House seat, Ethan Berkowitz and Diane Benson, also debated.

Benson came after Berkowitz on campaign contributions, charging him with receiving money from big tobacco, Veco executives and lobbyists.

Berkowitz said Benson is attempting to “make something out of nothing.” He said he hasn’t received any Veco contributions since 2000 and fought the company’s influence when he was the minority leader of the state House.

“I stood up to them on the House floor,” Berkowitz said, referring to a speech he gave blasting undue interference in the legislative process.

Benson countered that was after the corruption had taken root and the FBI was already in Juneau.

Berkowitz, for his part, asked Benson if she regretted running for governor on the Green Party ticket in 2002, and taking votes away from Democrat Fran Ulmer to help Republican Frank Murkowski to get elected.

Benson said she didn’t regret it. “I learned a lot… I certainly didn’t influence the outcome of that race.”

Murkowski beat Ulmer in that race 129,279 votes to 94, 216 votes. Benson brought in 2,926 votes, according to the state division of elections.

One question the moderator asked the two Democrats, but not the three Republicans, is if they’ve ever smoked marijuana. Both Benson and Berkowitz said they have.

Benson and Berkowitz differed from the Republicans (who all agreed specifying a withdrawal timeline is a bad idea) in saying the U.S. needs out of Iraq soon.

"I support an immediate planning for withdrawal...It is in our best interest and the Iraqi people's best interest to withdraw," Benson said.

Berkowitz said staying indefinitely in Iraq only draws down the strength of the military and costs the nation far too much.

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