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Senate candidates spar in feisty debate

E-mail|Link|Comments () November 12, 2009 11:45 AM

By Matt Viser, Globe Staff

In the feistiest debate of the US Senate race, the four Democrats this morning squabbled over health care, congressional earmarks, and charter schools.

Coakley, Capuano, Khazei, Pagliuca

The candidates all continued to say they were wary of sending more troops to Afghanistan, although Stephen Pagliuca, articulating a stance that doesn't come up too often in a Democratic primary, said "I would support a military draft because I think it talks about equality, so I'd support a draft." The other candidates each said they would not support a draft.

About an hour and a half after the debate ended, Pagliuca sent out a statement "clarifying" his comments on the draft.

"I was asked a question during this morning’s radio debate about reinstating the military draft that I misunderstood," he said. "I incorrectly interpreted the question to be asking if I would support a mandatory draft in the event we needed additional troops and my answer was yes.

"I now realize that was not the question posed to me, and I want to be clear that I do not support reinstating the military draft at this time," he added. "If there was a need to increase our troop levels beyond what could be supported by our voluntary recruitment, I would support a mandatory draft that would be fair, transparent and equal."

The candidates' positions on the federal health care overhaul have dominated this week, and they continued this morning to articulate their positions during the hour-long debate, which aired on WTKK-FM.

US Representative Michael Capuano continued to criticize Attorney General Martha Coakley's claim that she would vote against it, saying if people followed her advice, the entire bill would now be dead. Coakley has argued that health care should not be approved if it includes a provision that would limit coverage of abortions.

City Year co-founder Alan Khazei said that, even with the abortion provision, the bill should pass, saying, "At the end of the day we have to keep our eyes on the prize."

Pagliuca, a co-owner of the Celtics, said, "This illustrates all the political sniping that goes on in Washington. I'm strongly pro-choice ... but if it comes down to the 60th vote, we've got to pass health care. We've got to do it."

The broad contours of the race remained unchanged, with Capuano arguing that he has the Washington experience ("I've actually done it"), Pagliuca highlighting his business background ("This election is about jobs"), Khazei running as an outsider ("I started my career in Mission Hill, not Beacon Hill or Capitol Hill"), and Coakley running as a prosecutor, and as the only one to win statewide office.

The candidates also challenged Coakley on her oversight of the Big Dig legal settlements, with each of them saying they would have liked to see individuals charged with fraud or higher settlements from corporations charged with wrongdoing.

The biggest dispute came over congressional earmarks, and whether
Senator John Kerry should have put a $20 million earmark in a defense appropriation in order to help fund the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the US Senate.

"My earmarks are all on my website," Capuano said. "I'm very proud of them if you want the truth."

"This whole thing is out of control, OK? These things should be put to an up or down vote," Khazei said. "It's a pay for play system in Washington ... This system is out of control and it's politics as usual."

Capuano and Khazei then began to squabble until co-host Jim Braude said, "Gentlemen! Hold it, please!"

Pagliuca then criticized the process, saying "it has been taken over by special interests," which prompted Capuano to point out that he and Kennedy had previously helped secure federal funding -- for "a bridge at North Washington to help the Boston Celtics, Steve!"

"This is the problem with Washington!" Pagliuca said.

"You don't understand the process!" Capuano responded.

"Pork hardens your arteries," Pagliuca said several minutes later. "It doesn't create long-term jobs."

Pagliuca kept the conversation at the dinner table, comparing new jobs to steak. At that point Coakley quipped, "What about vegetarians?"

When asked about whether they would vote to raise taxes, Pagliuca drew a line at people earning less than $200,000 while Coakley put her limit at $250,000. Capuano did not give a hard figure, and Khazei criticized the question.

"These no tax pledges are silly," Khazei said. "We're in an economic crisis. We have to have everything on the table."

The candidates also differed on their support for charter schools. Coakley and Capuano both said they would not support raising the cap right now unless more money was freed up for public schools. Khazei and Pagliuca both said the limit should be lifted

In the end, all of the candidates called for more debates except for
Coakley, and Khazei used almost his entire closing remarks to challenge her to do more.

"I want to ask Martha now, will you agree to four televised debates? You're a good debator, it's very clear," he said. "If you aren't willing to debate us, your Democrats progressive colleagues, how are you going to debate Mitch McConnell and the Republicans? Politics as usual says 'I'm the front runner, run out the clock.'"

Coakley largely ignored the challenge, saying, "our campaigns are all talking" about scheduling debates.

Matt Viser can be reached at maviser@globe.com.