Wiscasset Newspaper - "Six Congressional Candidates Meet In Bath for Debate"

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Wiscasset Newspaper - "Six Congressional Candidates Meet In Bath for Debate"

Six Democrats sat side by side in the Bath Middle School cafeteria Sunday night, talking about why they disagree with Republicans, and why they also disagree with one another on occasion.

Three newspaper editors and residents of the midcoast area quizzed the candidates, who are all trying to win their party's nomination next month in Maine's First Congressional District. The seat is now held by U.S. Rep. Tom Allen, who is not seeking re-election to the seat.

The debate was sponsored and organized by Coastal Journal editor, Geena Hamilton. Others on the panel were Jim McCarthy, managing editor of the Times Record, and Paula Gibbs, editor of the Wiscasset Newspaper.

The candidates are Michael Brennan, Adam Cote, Mark Lawrence, Steve Meister, Chellie Pingree and Ethan Strimling.

One of the common views of the candidates was their opposition to the Bush administration's "shredding of the Constitution," especially the passage of the Patriot's Act.

Mark Lawrence, who has been a District Attorney in York County, said, "You can be tough on crime without trampling people's Constitutional rights."

Another common theme was, in the words of Ethan Strimling, "the Bush tax policy set up to benefit the rich."

Predatory lending by some of the banks and mortgage companies came under fire from several of the candidates, including Adam Cote, who said Congress should crack down on the practice and provide incentives to switch over to 30 year fixed mortgages.

Lawrence agreed.

"The Congress should hold immediate hearings on this. Our banking regulatory system was created in the 1930s - there are lending schemes outside of this. Credit card companies encourage people to go further and further into debt. We used to have usury laws the regulated interest charges.

Chellie Pingree agreed.

"There has been a lack of oversight on the part of the government. The Democrats are just as much at fault on this as the Republicans are," she said. Pingree said Congress should look into providing "bail outs" for areas of the country where there are entire neighborhoods of abandoned homes.

Michael Brennan called for the establishment of a consumer products division, "so that consumers have a better way to evaluate problems."

"Congress bailed out Bear Stearns, but they haven't figured out how to bail out homeowners," he added.

Jim McCarthy asked the candidates which committee they would like to serve on and why. Brennan said Energy and Commerce or Health Care and Education.

Steve Meister, a pediatrician, said he would also like to serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee because of the need to oversee pharmaceutical companies. Strimling said being on the Ways and Means Committee would give him an opportunity to influence how revenue is collected and repeal the Bush tax cuts.

Cote said if he served on the Energy and Commerce Committee, he would be in a position to "influence major legislation to bring money to the Brunswick Naval Air Station for re-development - for a green energy park or a research and technology park."

"I would choose Armed Services," Lawrence said, in order to protect the shipyards in Kittery and Bath.

Admitting the chance of a freshman getting on the Appropriations Committee isn't great, Pingree said this would be her choice. "This is where we spend our money, and where I could do the most for Maine," she said.

Asked whether they would vote for more money for the war in Iraq, Pingree, Lawrence, Strimling, and Brennan all said they would not. Pingree noted that she also opposed the war in 2002.

Both Cote and Meister said they oppose continuing the war, but agreed there cannot be an immediate pullout. Cote served in Iraq, leading over 100 missions.

"The problem is we tried to transplant a society into another culture," Cote said.

Meister, who served in the U.S. Navy in the Gulf War, said, "We can't just suddenly leave - there would be a horrible humanitarian disaster."

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