3rd District GOP candidates rage against the D.C. machine

All eight Republican candidates in the 3rd Congressional District primary race are for repealing the federal health care law, support tough efforts to check illegal immigration; oppose proposed federal cap and trade legislation, are against bailouts, are against the proposed federal financial reform bill and are against the expansion of government at all levels.

If this is the first you’ve heard of such Republican political positions, congrats on coming out of your coma.

The only policy disagreement came when Doug Matayo of Springdale said opening up health insurance across state lines may not be a smart move in seeking an alternative to the new federal health care law. Matayo, who was the last of the eight candidates to speak on the health care question, said wide-open insurance competition could result in a national regulator, with Arkansans then forced to deal with a D.C. bureaucracy instead of going to Little Rock to settle insurance issues. The other seven candidates listed removing state barriers in the sale of health insurance as one of several options they’d pursue instead of the federal health care plan.

State Sen. Cecile Bledsoe of Rogers, Gunner DeLay of Fort Smith, Steve Lowry of Springdale, Kurt Maddox of Gravette, Matayo, Boone County Judge Mike Moore, Bernard Skoch of Elkins and Rogers Mayor Steve Womack attended a forum Monday (April 26) in Fort Smith sponsored by the Fort Smith League of Women Voters.

The winner of the May 18 primary will face Fayetteville attorney and Democrat David Whitaker in the general election. Recent polls, including one released by Womack, suggest a possible runoff between two of the three frontrunners, Bledsoe, DeLay and Womack.

Following are paraphrased statements and quotes from the candidates made during the forum.

IMMIGRATION
Bledsoe: Secure the borders first and then address how the country handles illegal immigrants in the country.

DeLay: Americans must remember that not all immigrants are after legitimate work. He said many are here to pursue illegal activities. “I can tell you that not everyone who enters the U.S. is looking for a better way of life.”

Lowry: He recommended “enhanced penalties” for illegals caught trafficking drugs or committing other felonies.

Maddox: He praised the new law passed in Arizona that gives authorities greater rights to arrest and deport illegal immigrants. He said if the “feds won’t” fix the problem, “the states must.”

Matayo: He encouraged more coordination between local, state and federal law agencies in the enforcement of existing laws.

Moore: He said anyone promising a quick fix on immigration reform is not telling the truth. He also said if elected he would seek to reverse what he called the “anchor baby rule,” in which a child born in the U.S. of two illegal parents is automatically a U.S. citizen. “Does that make sense to you? It doesn’t to me.”

Skoch: He took issue with the language of the question that asked their views on undocumented workers, saying that calling illegal immigrants “undocumented workers” is like calling a drug dealer and “undocumented pharmacist.”

Womack: While he understands the frustration behind the Arizona law, Womack said a state-by-state approach simply moves the problem to other regions. “We have to resolve this at the federal level and deal with this as a country.”

NEW HEALTH CARE LAW
Bledsoe: She’s for repeal or defunding. “We have the best health care system in the world. We need to take what we have and reform it,” instead of going with the complete overhaul approved by Congress.

DeLay: He is also for repeal, and suggests more incentives for wellness plans and insurance cooperatives for small businesses.

Lowry: He is for repeal.

Maddox: He said the new health care law will reduce health care quality and increase government bureaucracies.

Matayo: He said tort reform would greatly cut costs, but said “with a ton of attorneys in D.C. … that’s a tough fight.”

Moore: Moore, who advocates for repeal of the new law, called for “loser pay” tort reform and to allow nurse practitioners to prescribe certain medicines.

Skoch: He took issue with the language of the question that asked their views on undocumented workers, saying that calling illegal immigrants undocumented workers is like calling a drug dealer and “undocumented pharmacist.”

Womack: While he understands the frustration behind the Arizona law, Womack said a state-by-state approach simply moves the problem to other regions. “We have to resolve this at the federal level and deal with this as a country.”

PROPOSED CAP & TRADE LEGISLATION (Waxman-Markey)
Bledsoe: She opposes the proposed law, saying the resulting higher energy costs will drive jobs overseas.

DeLay: He said the law would be punitive for areas like Fort Smith that get most of their electricity from coal-powered generation. The higher energy rates would put the Fort Smith area at a competitive disadvantage in job retention and recruitment, he said.

Lowry: He said all Americans will face higher costs for all transported goods.

Maddox: He said it’s “not a common sense solution,” and will push jobs overseas.

Matayo: “It’s a job killer.”

Moore: He said the bill is not about protecting the environment. “This is about government control and taxation.”

Skoch: He said environmental protection is necessary, but advocated more domestic drilling and more nuclear power plants as solutions to energy needs.

Womack: He said the legislation is a “massive and aggressive” tax increase that is “based on bad economics and it’s based on bad science.”

PROPOSED FINANCIAL REFORM
Bledsoe: More transparency is needed in the financial sector, but more bailouts and government involvement is not the answer, she said.

DeLay: He said the provision in the bill allowing federal regulators to take over a financial company at risk of failing or becoming too big is a “quantum leap toward socialism.”

Lowry: He said such federal government proposals discourage private sector expansion needed for true economic recovery.

Maddox: He said the bailouts have to end.

Matayo: The free markets are the best regulators, according to Matayo. “Sometimes you just have to let a business fail.”

Moore: He finds it interesting that the federal government wants to oversee the handling of money. “First of all, our government is the world’s worst in handling finances” and they shouldn’t be allowed to control private-sector finances.

Skoch: He also supports free market rules. “What this is about is picking winners and losers, and that’s not their (feds) job.”

Womack: He said the government has no business being in the business of underwriting risk. He also does not believe any company or institution is too big to fail.