Aug 21, 2008 3:09 pm US/Central
3rd District Candidates Debate
ST. PAUL (AP) ―
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The Twin West Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring the debate.
CBS
In the race for retiring Rep. Jim Ramstad's congressional seat, everyone's trying to look as moderate as Ramstad did for nine terms.
Two of the top contenders for the western metro seat invoked Ramstad's name repeatedly in their first debate Thursday.
Republican state Rep. Erik Paulsen pointed out that Ramstad, a fellow Republican, is serving as co-chairman of his campaign and has endorsed him. Paulsen dropped Ramstad's name six times in the 90-minute forum at General Mills' corporate headquarters.
Democrat Ashwin Madia, an attorney who served as a Marine in Iraq, mentioned Ramstad four times and described himself in shades of Ramstad as a "moderate, fiscally conservative" Democrat.
David Dillon, of the Independence Party, didn't bring up Ramstad's name, settling instead for disparaging the two dominant parties for overly partisan politics that he said led to gridlock.
Here's how the three broke down on the issues:
--Taxes. Paulsen and Dillon support extending tax cuts enacted under President George W. Bush, while Madia supports extending the cuts for most filers and small businesses.
--Free trade with Colombia. Paulsen and Dillon back the free trade pact with the South American country. Madia supports free trade but wants protections for U.S. companies to ensure they're competing with businesses that are held to the same environmental and other standards.
--Unions. Madia supports the so-called Employee Free Choice Act, which would require employers to recognize a union without an election once more than half its work force signs union cards. Paulsen and Dillon, who owns a printing company, oppose the legislation. Both said it goes against the democratic principle of secret ballots.
--Schools. Madia attacked Paulsen for voting to cut public school funding in the Legislature when the state faced a massive deficit in 2003. Paulsen defended his record by saying Republicans boosted public school funding when he started as majority leader in 2002, and named other education bills he sponsored.
--Transportation. Madia called for federal help to finish the long-delayed Highway 610 and speed up light-rail transit to the western suburbs, and criticized Paulsen for voting against a $6.6 billion transportation spending package that passed the Legislature over Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto in February. Paulsen defended his vote, saying the tax increases in the bill were too large and unfair to Hennepin County; he also said he did not support GOP punishment for six Republicans who helped Democrats override the veto.
--Earmarks. Dillon challenged his rivals to take a pledge against earmarking projects in funding bills. Neither took him up on it.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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