Robin Carnahan in 2010 MO Senate Debates
On Health Care:
Repeal Congress' healthcare if you want to repeal ObamaCare
The Kansas City Star reports that in the race for a Senate seat in Missouri, "Democrat Robin Carnahan and Republican Roy Blunt exchanged accusations and promised changes in Washington during a crisp, pointed one-hour debate. The sharpest exchange came
during a discussion of health care reform. Carnahan accused Blunt of opposing the health care law because of ties to lobbyists. 'I think people should have access,' she said. 'They should have the same access you have as a member of Congress.
So I think if you want to repeal health care reform and let insurance companies go back to their worst abuses, Congressman, then you ought to repeal your own first. And man up. And do what you're asking other people to do.'
That prompted a quick response from the Republican, who accused Carnahan of opposing medical liability reform, a move he said would reduce the cost of health care, because she's taken support from lawyers."
Source: Medical News Today coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate Debate
Oct 18, 2010
On Budget & Economy:
2008 bank bailout helped Wall Street, not ordinary people
Carnahan criticized Blunt for his role in a 2008 bill bailing out troubled financial institutions, suggesting that it demonstrated a willingness to help Wall Street more than ordinary people. "Congressman Blunt time and again is on the side of
Wall Street. He can figure out every rationale to give bailouts to Wall Street, he can say that it was great that it helped our economy--he's said it over and over again," Carnahan said. "But as I travel around our state, it hasn't helped.
It hasn't delivered as promised."Blunt defended the financial legislation, noting that much of the money already has been repaid. He contrasted the bailout with the 2009 federal stimulus package, which Blunt described as a "huge mistake"
and a "huge waste of money." Blunt said the stimulus is not helping the economy. "It didn't have the impact on the economy that the president promised, and we should have known from day one that it wouldn't have," Blunt said.
Source: Associated Press coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On Budget & Economy:
2008 bank bailout helped Wall Street, not ordinary people
Carnahan criticized Blunt for his role in a 2008 bill bailing out troubled financial institutions, suggesting that it demonstrated a willingness to help Wall Street more than ordinary people. "Congressman Blunt time and again is on the side of
Wall Street. He can figure out every rationale to give bailouts to Wall Street, he can say that it was great that it helped our economy--he's said it over and over again," Carnahan said. "But as I travel around our state, it hasn't helped.
Source: Kansas City Star coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On Environment:
Brother's $107M wind project created 1000s of jobs statewide
Blunt pointed out that a wind-energy company headed by Carnahan's brother, Tom, had received a $107 million grant through the federal stimulus package. That money, Blunt said, created only 16 jobs. "Tell me if that's a good investment of money,"
Blunt said.But Carnahan said the business created thousands of jobs around the state and accused Blunt of below-the-belt attacks. "I've got nothing to do with my brother's business," she said.
The federal government previously has provided tax incentives to boost renewable energy. The stimulus package offered cash payments instead of tax credits for wind-energy projects.
The U.S. Treasury Department has said it had no discretion in deciding who qualified.
Source: Associated Press coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On Environment:
Brother's $107M wind project created 1000s of jobs statewide
Blunt pointed out that a wind-energy company headed by Carnahan's brother, Tom, had received a $107 million grant through the federal stimulus package. That money, Blunt said, created only 16 jobs. "Tell me if that's a good investment of money,"
Blunt said.But Carnahan said the business created thousands of jobs around the state and accused Blunt of below-the-belt attacks. "I've got nothing to do with my brother's business," she said.
Source: Kansas City Star coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On Government Reform:
Pledges to not seek earmarks if elected
The two also differed over earmarks, which are funding requests for local projects inserted into federal spending bills. Carnahan accused Blunt of accepting too many and pledged not to seek any if elected. House Republicans, including
Blunt, have banned earmark requests, but only for this year. "For you to come back to Missouri and pretend to be a reformer, I just don't think Missourians buy it," Carnahan said.
Source: Springfield News-Leader on 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On Principles & Values:
Rep. Blunt is an insider Congressman
Blunt sought to tie Carnahan to the Democrats in power. And Carnahan repeatedly referred to Blunt as "Congressman," reinforcing Blunt's insider status. She accused him for being more responsible for the recession than she."The fact was that I was in
Jefferson City and he was in Washington," she said. Blunt shot back that voters put Democrats in charge in 2006, when the party took over the House, and in 2008, when Pres. Obama was elected, "and look where that got us."
Blunt also addressed an issue
that's been the crux of Carnahan's "insider" allegations: She says Blunt attempted to put a provision that benefited his then-girlfriend's company into the bill that created the Homeland Security Dept.
Blunt said the provision was one of many that he
heard that made sense when Congress crafted the bill, though he didn't mention his now-wife, who was then a lobbyist for tobacco giant Phillip Morris. Blunt previously had remained mum on the provision, saying only that it was a national security issue.
Source: Springfield News-Leader on 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On Social Security:
Accuses opponent of voting to privatize
Carnahan accused Blunt of voting to privatize Social Security and of once saying that Medicare shouldn't have been created. But Blunt insisted that Carnahan was flat wrong. "I did not say that (about Medicare),"
Blunt said. "I have the statement right here.""It was pretty clear," Carnahan countered.
Blunt also said he never voted to privatize Social Security. "I don't know why you think you can change the facts," Carnahan said. "The facts are the facts."
Source: Kansas City Star coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On War & Peace:
No date for Afghan withdrawal, but no open-ended commitment
The two sides agreed on at least one thing: there should not at this time be a firm deadline for the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan."The president made a huge mistake when he announced a date for withdrawal,"
Blunt said. "The world is a dangerous place."
Carnahan said that while there shouldn't be a date for withdrawal, there also should not be an open-ended commitment for troops.
Source: Springfield News-Leader on 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 15, 2010
On Budget & Economy:
TARP financial bailout let banks run wild
"I've been in Jefferson City while Congressman Blunt has been in Washington," she said. "To me, if you put somebody in charge of something for 14 years and they don't get the job done, you fire that person."Carnahan took some positions to
Blunt's right: Promising to ban spending earmarks, for example, and criticizing the financial bailout known as TARP. "Congressman, you were there to let these banks run wild," Carnahan said. "You were there to bail them out with
$700 billion of our money."
Recent reports estimate the actual cost of the TARP program at much less than that,
Blunt pointed out, adding the bipartisan program prevented financial calamity. "It was a plan that worked," he said. "Hopefully, we'll never get in that situation again."
Source: Kansas City Star coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 14, 2010
On Health Care:
To repeal ObamaCare, repeal Congress plan first
The pair's sharpest exchange came over the health care reform law, which Blunt has said should be repealed. Carnahan suggested
Blunt should first surrender his own congressional health insurance. "If you want to repeal health care reform and let insurance companies go back to their worst abuses,
Congressman, then you ought to repeal your own first," she said. "And man up, and do what you're asking other people to do."Blunt responded by saying he tried to limit health care costs by limiting medical malpractice liability--a position he said
Carnahan opposed because of financial support from trial lawyers. "Don't tell me I wasn't doing my job," Blunt said. "Don't tell me I wasn't trying."
Source: Kansas City Star coverage of 2010 Missouri Senate debate
Oct 14, 2010
Page last updated: Dec 03, 2018