Republican Congressional candidates Jeb Bradley and John Stephen last night went toe to toe in a debate in Manchester.
The two candidates fought it out on Manchester Community Access Media, the city’s municipal cable station.
As New Hampshire Public Radio’s David Darman reports, the rhetoric is heating up between them.
The two candidates debated some of the nation’s most pressing problems,including the nation’s mortgage mess and the high cost of gasoline.
They both also pointed out that they are strong supporters of the state’s veterans.
But Former Health and Human Services Commissioner John Stephen said it was time to hold the line on veteran health care spending.
Former Congressman Jeb Bradley told Stephen that wouldn’t be good enough for him.
I don’t know how you can support veterans and then stand here and say, but o by the way, I’m going to cut veteran’s health care. Not when they’re coming back, from Iraq, from Afghanistan in harm’s way. They need a health care system that matches the commitment that they have made to this country.
Perhaps the most contentious argument between the two candidates was over budget earmarks. (
Bradley said they often benefit New Hampshire, providing money for needed projects like theatre renovations or equipment for state police.
But John Stephen charged the earmarks had gone too far, and that Congressman Bradley had been part of the problem.
If I was in congress during your time and the president sent me something, and even though he’s a republican that spent too much money, that spent money on the things you voted for example teapot museum 500,000 dollars, 50 million dollars rain forest in iowa, 500,000 dollars, artic games in Alaska, the 250,000 dollar cattle program, and I could go on and on jeb. These are wasteful pork projects that I would have stood up and said no way am I supporting…
Bradley said he didn’t like voting for pork barrel projects, but sometimes had little choice.
The Wolfeboro Republican said that was because they were often tied to bills that funded Medicare, veterans programs, and community block grants.
Bradley also criticized Stephen for ruling out earmarks, because without them, the status of the state’s biggest defense outpost could be in jeopardy.
And the Portsmouth naval shipyard is a classic case of why you can’t tie both hands behind your back when you’re fighting for your state…because 5,000 jobs are at risk, hundreds of thousands of dollars of economic activity are at risk….
John Stephen told Bradley he would want a vote on the shipyard to come up before Congress, without any earmarks attached.
And Stephen said he wasn’t ready to accept Bradley’s argument that earmarks were a cost of doing business in Congress.
You know you have to vote for the teapot museum is what you’re telling me, the 500,000 dollar teapot museum you have to vote for, because you want to support jobs. That’s wrong. And the American people with the 9 percent approval rating of congress are telling you jeb, change your position, stop wasted pork.
About 50 people attended the debate.
More than half were there to support John Stephen, who lives in Manchester.
After the debate, Stephen supporter David Horan said he thought the candidate had done well, but could still improve his performance.
He’s having difficulty during these debates. This is the second debate that I’ve attended, I think there have been 4 of them, he’s having difficulty avoiding the distortions of his record.
Stephen’s supporters say Bradley has been unfairly criticizing the former Commissioner for spending increases that were beyond Stephen’s control.
But several of Bradley’s supporters said they thought their candidate had performed well.
Both candidates have about six weeks left to identify supporters.
The state’s primary is scheduled for September 9th.
The winner will face Democratic incumbent Carol Shea Porter in November.
