Joe Manchin III in 2012 W.V. Senate debates
On Education:
More accountability & more audits in the education system
Manchin brought up the importance of adding more accountability in the education system. "We have to start demanding more and more accountability, responsibility," said Manchin. "There is an audit going on in West Virginia now and
I hope they adopt this audit in the legislature to make the changes that need to be made to improve education in the state of West Virginia."Raese, on the other hand, said that competition is what's good for education.
But he didn't stop there, he added that competition is also good for
America and West Virginia.
Source: West Virginia MetroNews on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Education:
Keep public education infrastructure strong
Manchin says the state can and needs to do much better on public education, but he wants to keep public education infrastructure strong. "I don't believe in getting rid of the Department of Education," Manchin said.Raese wants more opportunities
for programs that would allow families a voucher to send their children to private schools, which he says create competition and improve the quality of education. "We don't need a federal education system to set our curriculum," Raese said.
Source: West Virginia Public Broadcasting on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Energy & Oil:
I fought for coal in past & will fight for coal in future
The coal industry in West Virginia was another big topic during the debate. Raese said the decline of coal was all because of the Obama administration, which Manchin was a part of.
Manchin disagreed and said he has fought for coal in the past and will continue to fight for coal in the future.
Source: West Virginia MetroNews on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Energy & Oil:
EPA regulatory practices unfairly hurt Appalachian coal
Raese aggressively criticized the Obama administration on coal regulations, and environmental policy. He also wants to cut some federal programs that currently regulate the environment. "The Obama administration has been regulating coal out of existence.
Try to get a permit today, if you can," Raese said. "He doesn't want to burn fossil fuels, he's making coal priced so high that it's not competitive anymore," he said, "I'd like to abolish the Department of Energy, and I would also like to abolish the
EPA. I think they are both redundant."Manchin says all energy resources in the country should be developed, to stop dependence on foreign oil. He says regulatory practices from the Environmental Protection Agency are unfairly hurting
Appalachian coal mining. But he says a balance must be drawn to protect both industry and environmental interests. "There's a balance to be had, the economy and the environment has to work together," Manchin said.
Source: West Virginia Public Broadcasting on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Government Reform:
Not more government, but easier government
When it came to jobs and economy, Raese was all about free enterprise and less government, which he said was unlike his opponent Senator Manchin. "Most of his answers are about government and what government can do," said
Raese. "Mine are not about government and what government can do, I think we need less government."
Manchin said he isn't about more government but rather making government easier to work with. "Government should be your partner. It shouldn't be your adversary, it should be your ally," said
Manchin. "That's what we don't have in Washington and that's what I've been working for."
Source: West Virginia MetroNews on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Health Care:
ObamaCare makes healthcare more affordable for everyone
Manchin said the goal of ObamaCare is to make healthcare more affordable for everyone which would result in a healthier population and lower healthcare costs.
But Raese deems ObamaCare as part of the problem.
Source: West Virginia MetroNews on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Health Care:
Reform & repair ObamaCare, not repeal
On health care, Manchin and Raese clashed over the Affordable Health Care Act. Manchin says a complete upheaval of the law would be the wrong idea. "I have been for reforming, repairing, and not repealing. Pre-existing conditions is wrong,"
Manchin said. "You don't have to throw the baby out with the bathwater, sometimes you just have to change the water every now and then."
Raese disagrees with that. In 2010, Raese fully supported a full repeal of the bill. And he still does. "This country, right now, I call it a coalition of taking.
They are taking our money, they are taking our power, and they are taking our freedom, and they are giving it government to control. That's unacceptable," Raese said.
Source: West Virginia Public Broadcasting on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Principles & Values:
We can only fix things by coming together
Manchin repeatedly stressed he is working for West Virginia, and its best interests, as a senator in the nation's capital. "Let me make it very clear the only team I belong to is team America, and team West Virginia.
I'm the most centrist senator in the Senate. I don't vote for the party, I vote for the issues. Always have, and I always will. I think West Virginia we have proved that you can only fix things by coming together," Manchin said.
Source: West Virginia Public Broadcasting on 2012 W.V. Senate debate
Oct 3, 2012
On Energy & Oil:
2010 ad: Shot a hole in the cap and trade bill
West Virginia's incumbent senator, Joe Manchin, recently said he's not sure he'll even vote for Obama. West Virginia is not exactly a swing state--Obama lost it by 13 points in 2008--and Manchin's political brand is predicated on this type
of cheeky partisan heresy. In an ad for his 2010 campaign, he raised a rifle and shot a hole in a pile of paper labeled "cap and trade bill." (That was a special election to replace the late Sen. Robert Byrd, so Manchin has to run again this year.)
Source: Molly Ball in The Atlantic on 2012 W.V. Senate debates
May 8, 2012
Page last updated: Dec 05, 2018