11-6-2006
Two challenge Allen
By Jim Kanak
jkanak@seacoastonline.com
This year’s national Congressional elections have stirred interest across the country like no other midterm election since 1994, when Republicans swept to majorities in both houses of Congress. In this year’s election, however, the question seems to be whether Democrats will regain control, at least of the House of Representatives. Voters in southern Maine’s U.S. House District 1 can impact the composition of the House directly, as Incumbent Democrat Tom Allen faces off with two challengers, Republican Darlene Curley and Independent Dexter Kamilewicz.
The future disposition of the war in Iraq is clearly a top issue. “There’s a whole slew of books on the history of the Administration’s rush to war and failure to plan for the post-war situation,’ said Allen. “There’s been incompetent management of the occupation. We’re there. We need to negotiate a withdrawal.
“The President has been emphatic that we won’t have a withdrawal date. We should go to the Iraqis and say we’re going to be out next year, then work with them around that. Our leverage is that we’re not going to stay there.”
The Republican Curley agreed. “When I announced [my candidacy] in January, I called for a new strategy with benchmarks. The goal needs to be an independent government in Iraq that’s responsible for security by the end of this Administration.
“‘Stay the course’ and ‘cut and run’ are both unacceptable. This [war] was a failure of intelligence.”
Kamilewicz has based his campaign on opposition to the war. “The invasion was a passionate reaction to a devastating event [9-11], they’d like you to believe,” said Kamilewicz. “But that rush to judgment clouded many of the facts. I do not believe there was a basis for us to be occupying Iraq today.
“I began to look at what the real reasons might be. We went there to control a resource, not weapons of mass destruction. There was no connection to the World Trade Center or Al Qaeda.”
Kamilewicz criticized Allen for supporting funding for the war. “He’s voted to fund this war seven times, $354 billion,” he said. “He says it’s morally imperative because we have to support the troops. But the moral imperative is that we should not be killing thousands of people, including our troops.”
Allen said that was not the proper route to take. “Dexter says we should cut off funding,” he said. “I don’t believe Congress will cut off funding to our troops, nor do I believe we should. More and more people are interested in bench marks and deadlines.”
Curley said Iraq should take more responsibility. “Iraq has lots of resources,” she said. “They should be paying for all of the infrastructure.”
One of Curley’s leading issues is the need for affordable health care. “I have seen it from both sides, as a registered nurse and as a business owner,” Curley said. “Insurance must be more affordable and health care less expensive. I would convene a bipartisan group to look at a model of health care that everyone can have [access to]. There are too many patches out there, like Tom Allen’s small business plan.”
Allen highlighted his plan to provide coverage to employees of small businesses as an important initiative. “People realize the wheels are coming off of our employer based system,” he said. “It hurts the competitiveness of businesses. I have the Small Business Healthcare Plan that’s an attempt to provide them with the same plan federal employees have. That’s a significant step toward universal coverage.”
Kamilewicz said the healthcare system is the victim of the Administration’s preoccupation with military spending. “We spend $500 trillion on the military,” he said. “That tells me our priorities are upside down. We’re not investing in people and are doing it at the expense of the middle class.”
Allen agreed that the middle class had not fared well under the recent Republican Administration and congresses, but that that would change with Democratic control. “When we take over the House, you’ll see a return to a middle class agenda,” said Allen. “We’ll look at how to help people get healthcare, at reducing the cost of prescription drugs. The big multi-national corporations won’t have as much influence.”
Curley said the key to legislative success is the ability to work across party lines. “I’ve been in the minority in the state house,” she said. “I proposed 13 pieces of legislation and passed seven. You can only do that by working together.”
Kamilewicz said his campaign was all about change. “Try to find a positive vision for the country now,” he said. “The only way we’ll have one is to demand. It. This campaign is about exposing that and turning it around We can’t do that with the people who are in power. We have to change them.”
Allen said the change should involve the Republicans. “What’s happened is that the Republican Party has lost its pragmatic, fiscally conservative roots,” Allen said. “It’s much more ideological and has become much more rigid. Something’s happened to that party over the years. It’s good at elections but not so good on policies that benefit the middle class.”
Curley said she would take action if elected. “Tom said he’s been waiting 10 years to get something done,” Curley said. “That’s really sad. I can’t wait.”
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