Democrat Rep. Peter DeFazio and Republican challenger Jim Feldkamp faced off in front of a crowd of 300 in a town hall-style debate Monday night at Lane Community College.
The candidates answered questions ranging from education and Pell Grant funding to global warming and veteran’s services.
Each candidate received one chance to ask the other a question. Feldkamp asked DeFazio about his campaign finances, questioning why he accepted support from the “radical, extremist group” HSUS – the Humane Society of the United States.
DeFazio said the Humane Society is not an extremist group, responding by asking Feldkamp why he supported “canned hunting,” which is limited in Oregon. Feldkamp accused DeFazio of using the democratic process to stop all hunting in the nation.
Both answered a question about repealing the Patriot Act legislation passed after Sept. 11 that increased federal law enforcement authority.
DeFazio said no one in Congress had read the bill before voting on it. He had insisted on reading the bill, which he said was rewritten in the middle of the night and voted on the next day. Feldkamp said that the Patriot Act was not a change in government and that tactics it allows had been used to track criminals before.
Asked about campaign finance reform, DeFazio said he would support publicly funded elections, while Feldkamp said he would not. DeFazio said 66 percent of his campaign funds have come from small donations from Oregon. Feldkamp said the other 44 percent must have come from Washington, D.C., to which DeFazio replied, “That would be 34 percent.”
DeFazio said he supports a government-funded health care system that would provide a basic health care package to every American. He also said he would work to lower the cost of prescription drugs. Feldkamp said he believes all people should have health care and “we have to figure out how come drugs are so expensive these days.”
In light of North Korea’s successful test of a nuclear device Monday, the candidates were asked what they think the U.S. should do to support the nonproliferation of nuclear weapons. Feldkamp and DeFazio agreed that the U.S. would not be able to take on North Korea by itself.
Goshen, Ore. resident Cecile Haworth said she was glad she had come because she had never seen a political debate before, but she said she came with her mind made up.
“It reinforced my feelings about politicians, especially DeFazio,” she said. “I wish he would have addressed his comments to his opponent instead of Bush.”
Eugene resident Frank Plaisted said he felt DeFazio came across as a polished politician.
“Jim’s not as slick and his responses are more genuine,” he said.
Lane Community College student Ashley McDowell disagreed.
“It showed both their true colors,” she said. “Feldkamp didn’t do his research, and DeFazio had back-up and proof.”
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