James Wensits, reporting for the South Bend Tribune, has an article on last night’s debate between challenger Joe Donnelly and incumbent Chris Chocola. He rated it something of a draw, or at least stated that neither candidate landed a knock-out blow.
Fred Brown, of Rochester, thought Donnelly won, thinking that Donnelly made a good point about Chocola sitting on his hands during the Toll Road privatization debate.
(An aside, but I certainly admire Mr. Wensits working the word “gigged” into his story:
The candidates also gigged each other on their willingness — or lack thereof — to conduct more debates than have been scheduled.
The most likely definition I found is “slang n. To give a military demerit to.”)
On the issues.
War in Iraq
Donnelly: “What we need is leadership in Washington as good as our troops. We can’t walk out of Iraq. We have to stabilize that country, and we have to win, but we need better leadership.”
Chocola: Conflates the War in Iraq with the War on Terror. (Doesn’t mention that it was Bush’s invasion that provided terrorists with opportunities in Iraq.)
Stem Cell Research
Donnelly: [T]here are different branches of stem cell research, such as adult stem cell research, cord stem cell research and embryonic stem cell research, where one stem cell can be taken out while the embryo continues with life. “That holds incredible potential for greater scientific development,” he said. “I believe in pushing the frontier, but in not damaging the embryos.”
Chocola: Agrees with Bush. Says the government shouldn’t pay for stem cell research but there is nothing wrong with it being funded privately.
Toll Road:
During the debate, Donnelly needled Chocola for not intervening in the Toll Road decision. “All you had to do to get started was to call Mitch Daniels, but you wouldn’t do it,” Donnelly said.
“Joe has no idea whether I called Mitch or not,” Chocola said after the debate. “This is a state issue,” he added, saying that if Donnelly wants to focus on the Toll Road, “he’s running for the wrong office.”
Let me repeat, “Joe has no idea whether I called Mitch or not.” How is that for an evasive answer? If he called Governor Daniels, he could have just said so. If he didn’t call Governor Daniels, why waste everybody’s time with that “you don’t know what I did” statement.
Typical Chocola. Mute on Toll Road, Time Zone and Taxes. I get weary of hearing politicians say that, in effect, it’s someone else’s problem. Perhaps Chocola should look up the definition of LEADERSHIP in Webster.
Chocola was not mute on the time-zone issue! In an article published 11/04/05. Chocola called for the commissioners of St. Joe County to “rethink” their petition. If that is not stating that he favored Eastern. I really do not know that statement could be taken any other way. If he would have favored Central the story would have read something like “Chocola calls for Elkhart to petition for Central” or Chocola says” Elkhart allow St. Joe to go Central and wait and see what happens”
Good point Larry. In a more general sense I wanted to focus on the issue that Chocola seems to be drawing a distinction on State issues with the implication that it’s not his business. I guess, in a strict sense, he’s correct. Yet the time zone issue has quite literally divided the 2nd district.
Jim, I agree with you in principle the issus here are state issues that are not his business. So , therefore he should have kept his mouth closed last November and simply said that he did not contact Mitch this year about the tollroad. You cannot have it both ways!
Chocola’s arrogance just amazes me.Does he really think that people are that short-minded,that they would not remember him saying such things. Or does he really not care??
Chocola: Agrees with Bush. Says the government shouldn’t pay for stem cell research
I hate seeing this one get mis-quoted all the time. Bush, along with most who have any opposition on this issue, are against the government paying for EMBRYONIC stem cell research. There are many other forms that don’t kill embryos, and that is the sticking point.
I just think some people feel those who oppose embryonic stem cell research just don’t care about curing disease…
Re: embryonic stem cell research — if it’s morally wrong because it takes a human life, why is it acceptable for private funds to fund such research?
Because existing law does not determine what you can fund. The president can just say that the government won’t fund those opertations and it is done, there is no procedure. Banning that research is the goal, but you can’t ban that research and still allow abortions.
If it is OK to kill a fetus that a mother does not want, then it is OK for someone to do research on that “biological item”. If we ban reseach on moral grounds, then how can we allow abortion?
The point is, while I want fetacide to be illegal, I would be even more outraged if my tax dollars paid for it too, regardless if it is for reseach or abortion.
I understand your position, and it seems consistent — but if you were in a debate you wouldn’t point to the permissibility of private embryonic stem cell research as a positive thing, which seems to be what Chocola has done.
Agreed