Kuhl, Massa begin debate series
BY MARY PERHAM THE LEADER

CANANDAIGUA - The candidates for the 29th Congressional District squared off during their first public debate last week in a packed conference room at The Steamboat Restaurant in Canandaigua.

Incumbent U.S. Rep. John R. "Randy" Kuhl Jr., RHammondsport, and his Democratic challenger, Eric Massa, outlined their strong differences on the war in Iraq, terrorism, health care, the economy, the constituency and the national debt.

Massa, a retired Naval officer now living in Corning, promoted himself as the candidate for change in a badly run federal government.

"The question before you is, 'Are we a better nation?'" Massa asked. "Do you want to stay the course or change the course?"

Kuhl, a Hammondsport native, stressed his roots in the region. An elected state representative for 23 years before his election to the House two years ago, Kuhl said he has worked during his freshman term doing what the constituency wants.

"I've held town meetings in 145 towns each year," Kuhl said. "That's 290 meetings and that's a lot."

Both candidates are to debate again at 7 p.m. Wednesday at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Bath.

The candidates were given three minutes to answer the same question submitted by Rotarians. Their styles during their three-minute responses also differed, with Massa's answers emotional and forceful; and Kuhl's replies dispassionate and generally carefully worded.

Among the key topics covered by the candidates:

 The Iraq War

Kuhl said during his tour of the war zone in August, armed services personnel told him they "want to complete their mission." Kuhl pointed to the Iraqi Parliament's agreement Thursday to end sectarian violence as a important step in ending the conflict.

Massa called the war "the greatest strategic blunder in military history" and called for the U.S. to join with NATO in setting up a partitioned semiautonomous state similar to Bosnia.

"I believe, with every fiber of my being (Iraq) will never be a democracy at the end of a bayonet," he said.

 Health Care

Massa called for a universal health care system to cover all U.S. citizens. He said the system would do away with for-profit HMOs that now over-regulate health care.

"It's destroying our nation, it's destroying our families," Massa said. "And we need a solution now."

Kuhl said it is easy to forget that 253 million Americans do have health care coverage through their employers or government programs such as Medicare. He argued that a portion of the 47 million reportedly not receiving health care opt out for reasons of their own, but better access is still needed, he added. Kuhl said he supports the "Baldwin-Price Bill" which would set up a health care overview commission.

Jobs

Kuhl said he now serves on three House committees that encourage local job growth: Agriculture, Transportation and Education. He said he will push for more funding for western New York.

"You know, you look at the unemployment figures, nationally, the Dow, it all seems to be doing well," Kuhl said. "Well, we're not doing very well here. Locally, we're hurting."

Massa said federal free trade agreements are "economic suicide pacts" that harm the host nations by promoting sweat shops and hurt Americans by taking away jobs. He supports fair trade agreements and would help entrepreneurs control their own destinies without relying on government assistance.

 Constituency

Massa said his first responsibility as a congressman would be to defend the U.S. Constitution and protect its ideals. He called for less partisanship and moderate solutions to problems.

"It's unfortunate we talk about Democratic values and Republican values instead of American values," he said.

Kuhl said his first responsibility is to the people who elected him.

"There are many directions you can go in," Kuhl said. "I chose to direct my energies to the people who elected me."

Kuhl said his position as retired U.S. Rep. Amo Houghton's successor has allowed him to become quickly active in representing his district in the national arena.

 National debt

Kuhl said the budget should be balanced immediately, calling current federal overspending "abusive." He said the president should have a line item veto of budget items, with Congress given an override vote. He said the federal government must also investigate fraud in Medicaid.

Massa blamed the debt on the current administration, and "people in Washington, D.C. today, under this Congress." He said the federal government should develop self-discipline in spending.

"As First Lady Nancy Reagan put it, 'Just say no.'"

The debate was attended by more than 100 local nonpartisan Rotarians, and dozens of Massa's supporters, who staged impromptu rallies before and after the debate.

The supporters sat at tables near the head table and twice cheered their candidate, despite reminders the event was nonpartisan.

In his closing comments, Kuhl told the group he wasn't comfortable in a debate setting with time restrictions on his answers. Kuhl said the unexpected presence of Massa's supporters at the debate left him unguarded and ... naked." He called the debate confrontational and urged people to study his record in more depth.

Kuhl then drew startled gasps from the group when he said the 435 members of the House can work well together, as they did when Congress sent immediate aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Massa's supporters jeered him, but after a slight hesitation, Kuhl continued.

"You can laugh," Kuhl said. "But if you want to look at Congress responding in two days to spend $10 billion and another four days to send another $100 billion to help people out, and I don't defend the operation of that, I'm simply saying this government reacted (swiftly) to that."