WSIU, Women Voters host debate on domestic, foreign policy

The Republican, Democrat and Libertarian candidates vying for the 12th District Congressional seat said Tuesday they all agree education needs to be addressed on local levels and President Bush was right to refuse to sign the Kyoto Protocol – but not too much else.

Jerry Costello, the Democratic incumbent, Republican Erin Zweigart, and Libertarian Walter Steele, who are competing to represent Southern Illinois in the U.S. House of Representatives, were in WSIU’s studios to show TV viewers how they differ on the issues.

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WSIU’S TV Producer Jak Tichenor moderated the event, which was sponsored by the League of Women Voters. He asked questions ranging from domestic issues, such as education and the Patriot Act, to foreign policy issues like the outsourcing of American jobs and the war in Iraq.

Costello started out the debate with an overview of his record, one he said shows how well he has served Southern Illinois.

“I am very proud of my record in the U.S. Congress,” said Costello, who is from Belleville. “It’s a record of strong commitment.”

But Zweigart, an attorney and SIUC graduate from Evansville, said Costello hasn’t done enough.

“I think Southern Illinois deserves better representation than what we have now,” she said. “We need more limited, efficient government.”

Steele said the Libertarian party, which believes in limited government, has solutions to the problems neither major party has been able to accurately address.

“I think I’m running for this seat because I don’t believe either the Democrats or Republicans have all the answers,” said Steel, an engineer from Carterville. “I believe both get it right about half the time, and the other half, they leave us wanting.”

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Dorcy Prosser, a member of the League of Women Voters and an organizer of the event, said the league formed a committee to determine what questions should be asked. She said the candidates did not have knowledge of the questions before they were asked on-air, in front of a restricted-studio audience.

Costello said there is no doubt that American troops will be in Iraq for many years to come, but he believes the United States needs to convince the international community they, too, have a stake in the outcome of the country.

Zweigart defended the war, saying America must stay on the defensive to avoid another 9/11.

Steele said he does not believe the United States’ best interest is being served in Iraq and the Iraqis should be given the chance to self-determine, just as Americans were given that opportunity.

Zweigart often suggested tort reform as a solution to the country’s healthcare crisis and said lowering taxes would help keep U.S. companies from going overseas. Steele said any problem of outsourcing could be resolved by instituting truly free trade and the medical problems could be solved with less government intervention. Costello said he supports “fair trade” and not “free trade,” and believes the re-importation of prescription drugs from Canada is a right, first step in addressing the problem.

Both Zweigart and Steele said people should be allowed to opt out of Social Security and invest privately, while Costello said that was the worst thing they could do to Social Security.

Tichenor said one goal of the event was to allow the candidates more time to get their message across to voters.

“One thing we want to add to the process is the opportunity for in-depth discussion and analysis,” he said,” which is something PBS prides itself on.”