2012 Maine Senate Debates: on War & Peace

Charlie Summers: Iraq & Afghanistan have taken a turn for the positive

Cynthia Dill: Afghanistan is not as irresponsible as was Iraq

Matt Dunlap: Iraq war was poorly thought out and enormously expensive

Scott D`Amboise: Time to bring our troops home from Afghanistan

Matt Dunlap: We cannot stand by while Syria slaughters its citizens

Hinck said he also would be reluctant to commit troops abroad. "I think we've overextended. We've hurt our economy and we are not achieving the objectives" of current military operations.

Pollard said he would support providing arms to Syrian rebels, and also would consider airstrikes.

"I do believe we have a respond as the world only superpower to keep the peace in the world," he said. All four said they would work to reduce the nation's debt.

Dill said she would focus on military spending and regulation of Wall Street financial firms that helped cause the recession. "We had, basically, people looting our economy who haven't been held responsible," she said.

Dunlap said he would look at the Bush tax cuts, adding, "The deficit problems we have today are rooted in the growing inequality in the tax code."

Hinck said it will take both spending cuts and tax increases, but debt