Connie Mack IV in 2012 Florida Senate Debates
On Environment:
Criticizes agricultural tax breaks for grazing land
Mack accused Nelson of chronic tax-raising, and even using cows to exploit a tax loophole. When Nelson talked about cutting the budget deficit by eliminating tax loopholes, Mack twice referred to cows Nelson keeps on property in
Brevard County that gets taxed as agricultural land. "There have been cows on that property for 60 years," Nelson protested.
Source: Tampa Bay Times on 2012 Florida Senate debate
Oct 18, 2012
On Health Care:
ObamaCare cuts $700 billion out of your Medicare
Mack accused Nelson of chronic tax-raising, of taking President Barack Obama's side over Florida Medicare beneficiaries, "Bill Nelson cast the deciding vote to cut $700 billion out of your
Medicare to pay for Obamacare. I voted against Obamacare," Mack said in his opening remark, a charge that PolitiFact Florida rates Mostly False.
Source: Tampa Bay Times on 2012 Florida Senate debate
Oct 18, 2012
On Homeland Security:
Budget sequestration guts our military
Mack said several times that Nelson voted "to gut our military," referring to the budget deal approved last year that could lead to draconian budget cuts and tax increases by year's end if Congress fails to reach a new agreement. "You were
going to let this country go into default where it could not pay its bills. Obviously we could not do that," Nelson said, noting that Mack was in the minority who voted against the so-called sequestration plan.
Source: Tampa Bay Times on 2012 Florida Senate debate
Oct 18, 2012
On Tax Reform:
Litmus test: Voting for higher taxes means it's time to go
Mack accused Nelson of chronic tax-raising: "Bill Nelson voted for higher taxes 150 times--150 times!" Mack continued, repeating a claim
PolitiFact Florida rates False. "I've got a simple litmus test: If you voted for higher taxes 150 times, it's time for you to go."
Source: Tampa Bay Times on 2012 Florida Senate debate
Oct 18, 2012
On Foreign Policy:
Keep the Cuban embargo until Cuba is a free democracy
On Cuba policy, Mack said any loosening of the U.S. embargo would "pad the pockets of the Castro brothers.'' The embargo will be lifted when the country has free, Democratic elections, free speech
and releases political prisoners, he said.Nelson said the embargo shouldn't be lifted, but that family members should be allowed to travel and take remittances with them.
Source: Sun-Sentinel coverage of 2012 Florida Senate debate
Oct 16, 2012
On Health Care:
Repeal ObamaCare but preserve pre-existing condition rule
Mack said he'd repeal Obama's Affordable Care Act, though he said he thought there would be a way to preserve at least one of its most popular elements:
making sure people can't be denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions.
Source: Sun-Sentinel coverage of 2012 Florida Senate debate
Oct 16, 2012
On Immigration:
No amnesty for illegal immigrants
Mack said he opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants.
Nelson said he supports a path to citizenship for them that would include paying a fine, having a clean record and learning English.
Source: Sun-Sentinel coverage of 2012 Florida Senate debate
Oct 16, 2012
On Principles & Values:
GOP debates only help Democrats
With former Gov. Jeb Bush and other big-name Republicans backing Rep. Connie Mack's Senate bid and polls showing Mack with a sizeable lead over his GOP rivals, the Mack campaign says a debate of Republican primary candidates would only help
Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson.So Mack has turned down invitations from The Orlando Sentinel and The Tampa Bay Times to participate in debates with GOP rivals George LeMieux, Mike McCalister and David Weldon.
And Mack has effectively said no to an invitation from Leadership Florida to participate in a July 24 Republican primary debate in Tallahassee.
"We are prepared and willing to debate
Sen. Nelson and feel that at this point any such Republican primary debate exercise would only serve to benefit Sen. Nelson, which no Republican wants to see," a Mack spokesman said.
Source: Palm Beach Post ON 2012 Florida Senate debate
Jun 13, 2012
On Principles & Values:
Son of Senator; husband of Congresswoman
[Long ago], a charismatic young man by the name of Connie Mack became a member of Congress and a U.S. senator, not just because his grandfather was a famed baseball player and manager for whom a youth baseball league was named.
Now many years later, his son serves in Congress and seeks the opportunity to take on incumbent Democrat Sen. Bill Nelson in November. Rep. Connie Mack IV has been endorsed by the head of the official third party organization, branded the "Tea Party."
His wife is a fellow member of Congress, Mary Bono Mack, who came to Congress after the untimely death of her late husband, Sonny Bono.
Sonny was a very kind and gentle person. It looks like this race in Florida, unless something fires it up, might be as mellow as was Sonny.
Source: SouthernPoliticalReport.com on 2012 Florida Senate debate
May 17, 2012
Page last updated: May 30, 2019