AR-01 candidates Chad Causey (D), Rick Crawford (R), and Ken Adler (G) taped a debate today that will air tonight at 6:30 on AETN. Here’s a sneak peek at what transpired according to one source who I spoke to.
• Crawford says he “risked his own money” to create jobs in his small business, claims that he has “common sense” and is pro-life at conception.
• Crawford wants to defund and repeal “Obamacare.”
• Adler suggests promoting the use of thorium as a nuclear fuel source for creating energy. [Editor’s note: This is a fantastic idea.]
• In response to Causey’s statements about Crawford’s position on privatizing social security, Crawford claims that Causey is either wrong or flat out lying, and that he (Crawford) has never advocated privatization.
• Crawford followed that with something along the lines of (I’m paraphrasing): If you say a lie long enough, maybe Mr. Causey thinks it becomes true. Crawford then reiterated that he has never advocated privatizing social security.
[Brief aside: Friday’s Dem-Gaz featured a story on Crawford’s bizarre positioning on this issued. That story said
When asked Wednesday by the Democrat-Gazette if he advocated privatization, Crawford said: “No. Never have.”
But on March 8 in Lonoke County, Crawford had a different take on the issue. He responded to a question from a group of county Republican committee members on Social Security by speaking for nearly two minutes about his support for private accounts.
“Well, you know, the old third rail of politics – don’t talk about Social Security. That’s something we need to talk about. Social Security is not solvent and we need to make some changes on Social Security. And for those people, particularly those people that are my age and younger, I think we need to allow them to participate in a private plan and come up with a way to provide for their own retirement,” Crawford said in a video of the event posted on YouTube. “And then we can, hopefully, restore some solvency to Social Security for those people who genuinely need it.”
I am continually amazed by this “nope, never said it” defense by politicians when the fact that they did in fact say it is caught on tape. I’m also amazed that Paul Greenberg has not written a lengthy rant about how Causey is unethical for suggesting that Crawford changed his position.]
• Crawford claimed that farmers and seniors are directly affected by “Obamacare’s” funding due to cuts.
• Causey suggested that he, too, would work to repeal healthcare. [Editor’s note: This is an awful idea, especially for a Democrat.]
• Crawford claimed that “Causey lies about [Crawford’s] support of the flat tax.”
• Adler said that he thinks Crawford, if elected, would break most or all of his pledges.
• Causey also attacked Crawford on his myriad “pledges,” including some comments on Crawford’s support of the national sales tax.
• Crawford retorted that it is “flat out lies” to say that he “supports privatizing and a 23% tax.”
• Both Causey and Crawford talked about the need to balance the federal budget.
• Causey said he wanted to sponsor a balanced-budget amendment and a 10% pay cut for members of Congress.
• Apparently Crawford’s closing was terrible.
Like I said, all of this is second-hand, but I trust the source and have no reason to doubt him/her. (Before anyone asks, no, it was not a member of Causey’s campaign.)