6:45pm – The room is filling up for the debate between the two home-grown candidates, Smith and Rubens. Skip couldn’t make it, but Scott and Tom are in the audience, and I’ll capture as much as possible.
(Scroll past the pictures to get a rough sense of the debate – video coming soon)
Opening statements in process now.
Rubens on bold new ideas and winning in a liberal district.
Smith on conservative history, and Americans rising to the challenge.
Q1 How are you different:
Smith on being a platform Republican, and being constant on the issues.
Also on being funded by NH grassroots.
Rubens on 40 years residency, small business background, work on the platform committee, measuring officeholders against it. Not a career politician. Not just voting “no” on bad stuff, but also on selling good ideas and building coalitions. Has the resources to compete with Brown and Shaheen.
Q2 Do you believe in AGW, and would you impose Cap and Trade?
Rubens believes in AGW, but won’t impose Cap and Trade – would work to eliminate all subsidies and mandates.
Smith does not support Cap and Trade, and isn’t sold on AGW, plus, there’s no point in regulating US industry much more severely than our competitors. We must produce energy – US domestic energy – and stop doing business with OPEC.
Rubens rebuttal on changing his mind on Carbon tax – cheap energy is key, and a carbon tax is a non-starter, even if it was a substitute for other taxes.
Q3 Shaheen-Portman energy bill:
Smith – Good intentions of improving home energy efficiency will suffocate people in regulations and make house less affordable.
Rubens – Feds making lives more complex and expensive – like common core, the “voluntary” programs with Federal money attached, soon becomes entrenched. Less Federal intrusion means less lobbying, too.
Q4 Thoughts on a flat tax:
Rubens – Must simplify and flatten taxation to encourage investment and grow businesses. Lowering corp taxes will bring home stranded overseas capital.
Smith – agrees, and vehemently opposes current regime’s hunt and kill tactics on overseas income. It will be fun to debate Shaheen on tax.
Q5 Internet taxation?
No
NO
(Trading barbs regarding Smith’s vote on ‘cap and trade in 2002)
Q6 Repeal Affordable Care Act, but what about pre-existing conditions covered by it?
Rubens – Wants to encourage community heath clinics, and beefing up catastrophic insurance, HSAs, MSAs.
Smith – We agree that it must be repealed, it’s costing more and reducing coverage. Shaheen lied, and it has to go – find a different way to cover pre-ex conditions.
(Violent agreement)
Q7 Thoughts on Export/Import
Smith – reduce taxes and regulations to encourage domestic manufacturing, especially corp and cap gains taxes. We can’t keep on giving Chinese manufacturers more favorable treatment than ours.
Rubens – Tax and regulatory reforms, healthcare reform, stop the deficits so the flow of T-bills to China and elsewhere stops. Corporate welfare must end. Favorable conditions for ALL companies
Q8 Regulations and taxation kill more businesses than anything – how would you reduce the burden of government.
Rubens – Government micro-regulation must end, Dodd-Frank is another layer of that regulation that both Brown and Shaheen voted for, even bragged about.
Smith – Reminds us that the government is almost never “here to help”. Starting a business today is very difficult.
Smith reminded us that Brown crowed about voting for Dodd-Frank, and Rubens agreed “We’re not making this up!”
Smith You fix this beh remiving Establishment Republicans.
Q9 Minimum wage – should it be raised?
Smith – government has no business in this whatsoever – we don’t dictate wages to employers. Hell NO!
Rubens – More tinkering by the Federal government never helps, but we need to get the message through to those people. We need to revise welfare programs to provide real help to get people out of dire straits more efficiently.
Smith rebuttal – We should take less of the peoples’ money in the first place so that wages rise. Left needs to be defeated, not compromised with. Truth in advertising.
Q10 Your greatest achievement as a public servant:
Rubens – Charter school bill, which went through over stiff opposition, and has led to 22 charter schools by this year. Kids lives turned around for half the price. Core conservative principle – choice for parents. Bring problem-solving to DC
Smith – 48 years of marriage, kids, grandkids….
Moments which make you proud are when constituents come up and thank him for making government work for them. Took a POW case from MA, and got the remains repatriated – the family’s gratitude was its own reward.
Q11 How would you like to be remembered
Smith – as a good father and husband, but politically, Went in in 1984 with a certain level of income and set of principles, and came out with roughly the same finances, and with the same principles. Did not take a lobbying job when he left.
Rubens – Humans are a very different species, particularly in terms of what they leave behind for those who follow them. Would like to be remembered for fostering the gradual increase in the level of nobility and knowledge of mankind. This does not come from government, but from ourselves.
Q12 Closing statements
Rubens – We have a GOP primary so that voters can choose the best person to
Leadership, vision, knowledge, statesmanship, and someone who can get to yes on essential legislation, not just voting no on bad bills.
Smith – His grandfather told him that the youngsters were ruining the country, but this time it’s true – the government is stealing our money in order to suppress our freedoms. He will not allow our freedoms and values to slip away.
Dan Dwyer for closing comments – either would make a fine senator.
Our focus was purely on business issues.
Now – get out the vote!
