| Candidate Introductions
After moderator Mark Fruiterman had explained the rules of the debates (which featured charming yellow and red balloons to keep the candidates on time), each candidate was given two minutes to introduce themselves.
Tracey Brooks (D): As the only woman on the stage, Tracey Brooks pointed out "I am very different from everybody else standing up here," but her gender wasn't what she was talking about. She was quick to point out that people wanted change, and that she knew this by her door-to-door campaigning. Nearly all the candidate would repeat this theme, but Brooks was ready to differentiate herself.
"You're going to hear a lot of people talking about a lot of experience. Years of experience, even decades of experience," she said. "I have a very different kind of experience." She then summarized the many community service organizations she's worked with, as well as saying she had worked "side by side with Congressman McNulty" and in all seven counties of the district in her role as Senator Hillary Clinton's regional director.
Brooks said her reason for running for Congress as being "to undue the damage done by the Bush administration," and rolled through a progressive platform of reform on health care for all Americans and ending the war in Iraq.
Jim Buhrmaster (R): Introducing himself as a business who knew he people of the 21st through his business, saying it was the same 7-county experience as Tracey's. He's walking, too, and said "The excitement of change is what people are looking for." He said Washington is "broken because of both parties," citing that change happened in 2006 when Congress flipped and then "nothing happened."
Buhrmaster insisted he was running as an independent candidate, while acknowledging he was running on both the Republican and Conservative lines. He hammered on change based on Congress's committee system. Jim Buhrmaster is also a Schenectady County Legislator.
Darius Shahinfar (D): After greeting the audience with a "shalom," Shahinfar introduced the audience to his campaign theme of renewing America's promise. He rolled quickly through his biography as both the son of an Iranian immigrant and as someone who has "worked in all three branches at all three levels of government."
Much of what Shahinfar said was the same as he told me personally in my recent Interview with Darius Shahinfar, and as he did me evoked soft laughter from the audience with quick anecdotes in between stating his positions on the serious issues. "With gas prices going up, with food costs going up, with heating costs going up, with medical costs going up, we feel like we're running faster just to stay in place." He also voiced that "America was no longer the land of freedom and opportunity and hope" to the rest of the world.
A former aide to neighboring 20th Congressional District Representative Kirstin Gillibrand, Shahinfar ended his introduction by saying "I've worked in the system, but I'm not of the system," that was needed to bring a change to Washington.
Phil Steck (D): Introducing himself, Steck quickly noted that there had been a lot of talk about change. Posing the first of many of his own questions, Steck said "We need to ask why government in the last 20 to 30 years has not been making progress." His own answer was that lobbyists had "gotten control of our government at the federal and state level."
"We need someone in this position who is community based in their political involvement," Steck said. He then told the story of his political career as the first Democrat ever elected in a Republican town in a century and rise from County Legislator to Town Party Chair. Steck described himself as "committed" on the issues, going into detail about opposing Iraq "from day one" and his support for single payer health insurance.
He explained that he had a long record in community-level politics, as well as his progressive stances on ending the war and in energy,. "I'm not involved with lobbyists in any way, unlike many other candidates in the race," Phil Steck declared before ending his introduction with a reassurance that he will "work hard to represent all the constituents of the 21st district."
Joseph P. Sullivan (D) The most recently entered candidate chose to stay seated. "My age is getting' to me," he said as he introduced himself as a geographer and professor, as well as community activist. He said he'd been around "a long time," recalling his coming to Albany with former Governor Hugh Carey and musing about meeting Dan O'Connell, political boss of the old Corning machine.
Sullivan went through several years of preserving open space in the city and county of Albany, mentioning several specific parcels of land. He then raised a copy of the Times Union and said "Thus far, this campaign has just been about numbers and how much money candidates has raised." He explained he didn't belong to any special interest group, and added "I'm not going to pay a lot for this seat." He has made a pledge to spend no more than $1,000 in this hotly contested primary, saying "I'm not going to pay a lot for this seat."
On the issues, Sullivan identified homeland security, emergency disaster preparedness, and maintaining a steady flow of oil, with statements such as "If you don't realize it, we're at great risk," "Government's not going to save you.", "If that oil dries up or is interrupted...our nation could fall," and "The troops aren't coming home. Get over it!" Sullivan said his son had just returned from Afghanistan and may well re-deploy, and stated his firm support to remain in both countries.
Paul Tonko (D): In thanking the forum's sponsors for hosting, Tonko noted his constituent work with both NORC and the JCC. He also reiterated his signing the forum's civility pledge after saying "I think all of us bring a particular approach, strength, skill set, and talent to the table." As far as his own strengths, Tonko pointed to the size of the House of Representatives and the large number of people each Congressman represents. "We're asked to insert ourselves as an individual in a much bigger picture."
He then went on emphasize his "life experience, constituent experience, legislative experience, executive administration experience." He reminisced on his door-to-door interactions with constituents for "just shy of twenty-five years" in the Assembly on several issues affecting working-class voters.
Tonko mentioned energy specifically, noting that he was an engineer in politics working on a very technical issue. "Many of at the table are attorneys. That's a difference approach to thinking; engineers are those analytical types." He reiterated that this was just a different approach, not necessarily better. "I think that type of approach would be helpful," Tonko said, and then noted the red balloon before promising to explain his approach as the forum continued.
Steven Vasquez (R) The youngest of the candidates promptly stated "My name is Steven Vasquez, and I'm here to represent you." He introduced himself as technology enterprenuer. "I know how to get a great deal done with very little resources, unlike our government, which gets very little good done with a great deal of resources."
Steven explained that the economy and inflation were his biggest issues, saying Congress "loots" tax-payers money to pay for the war in Iraq and oil subsidies. He appeared to lose his place in his statement after a brief silence, but came out saying "If Congress was a corporation, they'd be arrested for stealing from our pension funds." He said that the deficit itself was a threat to national security.
Vasquez explained what he called "the inflation tax" as a result of deficit spending as well as the war in Iraq, which he believes should be ended. While he stammered slightly through his speech, he made it through his closing firmly. "Finally, we have to follow the principles of our founding fathers, and obey our oath to follow the Constitution of the United States, which I carry with me at all times."
Audience Questions
The moderator indicated the amount of time to be used, going through the math and reminding the candidates of the red balloon. He then issued the first of six audience questions, for which I'll provide what I believe to be the candidates' definitive brief quotes.
Do you support troop withdrawl and will you support it if it comes up?
(D) Brooks: "Yes I do. Our soldiers have done what we've asked them to do."
"Most importantly it's more important that we bring the twelve billion dollars a month that we're investing abroad and invest it back here in the infrastructure of the northeast."
"I do support it's time for our troops to come home from Iraq."
(R) Buhrmaster: "When the decision was made to go overseas and invade and take out a despot that was threatening our way of life, everybody agreed it was the right thing to do."
"We need the troops back as soon as possible. But we need to bring them back in a safe secure way to preserve all that we live for."
"We are now fighting a war of attrition, not unlike we've seen in Vietnam."
(D) Shahinfar: "Yes, we need to bring our troops home as rapidly and as responsibly as possible. I was one of the first primary candidates in the nation to support the Responsible Plan to End the War in Iraq."
"I think the timeline we're all discussing here is six to sixteen months. I believe that is a reasonable time frame."
"Nation-building needs to happen over there quickly and it's not going to happen with a time line."
(D) Steck "In a Democratic primary, there's no one who's going to be in favor of the War in Iraq because Democratic voters are not in favor of the war in Iraq. The question is: What is the candidate's record on the war?"
"I got a call from the majority counsel's office in the Albany County Legislature saying 'You better get off this resolution [condemning the Iraq War]! There's some radio host that's getting people to call legislators at their homes and agitating them against the resolution' And I told the majorities office that I would not get off the resolution."
""We have to rely on our military to make the proper plan for withdrawl. But I think as civilians, we have to make a commitment to withdrawl from Iraq."
(D) Sullivan: "I quietly worked behind the scenes to defeat Mr. Steck's resolution. You can say...lobbying some county legislators."
"I think you need to have some people with some military experience."
"If we abandon the people of Iraq, we're going to do them a disservice. I think the 4,000 people who have died will have died in vain. And we'll also be abandoning our greatest ally in the region, Israel."
(D) Tonko: "I support withdrawl of the troops. And certainly I think the outcome has been a destabilizing of the Middle East, which is a very threat to democracy across the world."
"I think we should also look at some of the checks and balances in our government that need to be in place at all times."
"By standing up for a resolution in the state Assembly, which was encouraging, which was requiring the President and Congress to withdraw the troops, to end this war, my statement is recorded. My support of withdrawing the troops is documented."
(R) Vasquez: "Whether you are for or against the war, the reality is that we as a nation can longer afford to be there as a nation, either in dollars or in blood."
"We were led into the war for false pretenses. And we don't have the authority, under the Constitution, to become the military police of the world."
"We have to look at all the 700 bases in over 130 countries across the world and wonder why we are defending rich nations such as Germany and Japan. This is part of a Cold War strategy that is no longer relevant today."
Would you support passage of a Medicare Part D drug plan to be offered nationwide or regionally with standard coverage and premium deductibles?
(R) Buhrmaster: "Unfortunately the health care system's been hijacked by the drug companies and people in other professions that have taken the medical situation and made it unaffordable for all of us."
"We need to have affordable health care for everybody."
"I would not support coverage of the medical Part D."
(D) Shahinfar: "Jim, are you still a Republican?"
"I do support it, yes. The basic problem in our nation with our health care system is we need to cover everybody."
"I will support HR 676 which is for universal coverage, basically Medicare for all. Mike McNulty has signed on to it and believe most of my Democratic compadres have as well."
(D) Steck "We need to get back to the original commitment of Medicare as a single-payer system for the elderly."
"I was the first candidate to announce my support for single-payer health insurance race and I was previously committed on this issue."
"I favor the Medicare system that will pay all the bills for seniors and for prescriptions."
(D) Sullivan: "The Medicare program, like Social Security, are both in very deep trouble."
"I think we have to look very carefully at the whole system and that there's no easy answer to it right now."
(D) Tonko: "Way back when, in the Legislature, I was one of those who worked on the EPIC legislation."
"The EPIC program has now been a model out there for the nation. It is still there. We've expanded the threshold of opportunity, we've increased the eligibility levels so that we're reaching a broader audience."
"I think that perhaps we should look at a public model of Federal EPIC that would allow for stability, predictability. I think that would be a step forward. How can they choose from sixty plans that are so confusing?"
(R) Vasquez: "In the next ten years, we're going to run out of funds for Medicare. We can't even take care of our senior citizens. How can we be responsible as a nation to expand the program and include everyone else when it would just create the inevitable factors for running out of funds?"
"We can't just make it universal, because we as a country cannot afford to do so."
"We need to get back to the time when we were number one and had the best health insurance in the world."
(D) Brooks: "The Medicare Part D program has been absolutely horrific."
"That donut hole that people could fall into so quickly...it's offensive to me."
"Medicare Part D will go down in history as being a disaster, and we need to make sure that we improve that.:
"It's time to fix it and make sure that seniors aren't making those very difficult choices."
If elected, how will you reduce the destructive influences of special interest groups?
(D) Shahinfar: "Campaign finance reform. I have never been more in favor of campaign finance reform than when I decided to run for Congress, that's for sure."
"It takes us away from doing what we should be doing as candidates, which is getting out there and going door to door and doing forums like these."
"We need public financing of campaigns. That is the most important thing we can do to reduce special interest and the effects of special interest in our government."
(D) Steck "The question is what is your background and have you come up in a way through politics that would lead you to stymie the influence of lobbyists and special interests."
"The answer for me is that I owe my seat to you, my constituents, and not to any lobbyists."
"That is a personal commitment and it comes from my background in politics, which is totally up-front and based at the community level."
(D) Sullivan: "Campaign finance reform is actually quite simple. The candidates should just not take the money."
"My campaign website is up...Google "loneranger," one word, I'm there. I'm not going to burden you with literature...you're job is to get informed."
"You should put a little pressure on the media to get off reporting the incidentals like this," Sullivan said as he again raised the Times Union's recent fundraising report.
(D) Tonko: "The Assembly, in which I had the pleasure to serve, made it not only an issue but a priority in several sessions to try and produce the legislation, which we drafted, and get it presented to the Senate. Unfortunately, it was half a success story."
"The dollars that could be invested in campaigns could be invested in so many other programmatic areas, many of which we have talked about tonight."
"I think we all understand what a heavy burden it is as we try to get our message out."
(R) Vasquez: "Special interests is a major source of corruption and wasteful prospects in our economy and Federal government."
"I propose having a 24-hour a day webcam on me so that when lobbyists come to talk to me, they are also talking to all my constituents."
(D) Brooks: "I think campaign finance reform could go a long way. And I think for public integrity, too."
"Many members of Congress are posting their meetings. That would be one of the first things that I would do."
"In the meantime, while we're working on finance reform, you are very well aware of what we're doing, often being able to come back in the district and communicate with you."
(R) Buhrmaster: "One of the suggestions that I would make for all us is that the Congressional terms are for four years. That would start to save a lot of time, money and effort."
"I couldn't agree more. Campaign finance reform is long overdue."
"Campaign finance reform is getting out of hand. What they did was they carved out an exemption for the Native Americans. Now we found that one of the largest groups supporting of people supporting candidates...are the Native Americans. There's no limitations."
What would you do to bring down property taxes and do you support property tax caps?
(D) Steck "90% of the Albany County property tax goes to pay for Medicaid. And unfortunately, what we've had is a lot of proposals to get universal health coverage by building on the Medicaid program."
"If we went with a single-payer system, we would eliminate the County share of the property tax here, and that would be a great first step towards property tax relief."
"There are two property tax proposals, the circuit breaker and the cap. I think both are a step in the right direction."
(D) Sullivan: "Property tax relief? Relatively simple: you abolish school boards and school districts. In the city of Albany for example, you merge it with the city government."
"If you don't like what they're doing there, you vote them out. That will create some accountability."
"Governor Paterson's tax program? I oppose it. Why I oppose it? Because it's mandating a tax increase of over four percent every year."
(D) Tonko: "At one time I represented as many as 19 school systems in one of my Assembly constructs. "
"I was one of the most outspoken voices for the Campaign for Fiscal Equity"
"I agree with Phil that the Medicaid relief that would come with single payer plans for universal health care coverage will provide to County tax payers."
"The circuit breaker tax, I believe, as a tax-relief measure is one that measures your ability to pay and provides a very progressive response."
(R) Vasquez: "The reality is that everyone here is running to be on a Federal position, not a State position. And one of the biggest problems that we the federal government has taken way too much mandates, shall we say, on state's rights."
"We as federal legislators do not have the Constitutional right to dictate to the states how they deal with property tax or to create property tax caps."
(D) Brooks: "From the Federal level, what we can do is start working on the unfunded mandates. No Child Left Behind has left more than enough children behind in our school districts."
"What we need to do is be looking at how we are teaching our kids."
"By lowering unfunded mandates, changing NCLB, and making sure the federal government is doing its job to provide for the state who provide for the counties who then provide for the localities, we can help with property tax burdens."
(R) Buhrmaster: "You know folks, we gotta start somewheres."
"You've heard all the candidates talking tonight about knocking on doors and talking to their constituents and getting signatures on their petitions. And what are we hearing? Enough is enough."
"I give credit to Governor Paterson. The governor put in 'four percent' and he said 'let's start somewheres.' He's a Democrat, I'm a Republican, but I came out for that."
(D) Shahinfar: "Yes on the tax cap, yes on the circuit breaker. But I'm not wild on either one because the burden will shift to other taxpayers to those who fall under the cap and the circuit breaker."
"Charter schools is also something that we have to take a look at...They're driving up the costs on our property taxes."
"We need to find a better way to fund our public school systems in America. We fund it on the backs of our greatest investment for most of us, which is our homes."
How do you feel about the FISA bill that was recently passed?
(D) Sullivan: "I would have voted with Congresswoman Gillibrand in voting to support the bill."
"I'm sure we have to be careful about people's rights. But you won't have any rights if you don't have any country. You really have to realize that there are people among us. We have open borders, and you've got terror cells all throughout this country. It's not if they strike, it's when they strike."
(D) Tonko: "I would not have supported the effort. I think that certainly the government's role should be to advance, preserve, and protect the Constitutional rights of the people of this country.
"To go further and absolve those who might have usurped those rights is particularly troublesome."
"I think it was legislation that was bothering many and I would have voted against."
(R) Vasquez: "The FISA bill, once and for all, eliminated the fourth amendment of the Constitution."
"The Constitution says no ex facto laws can be created. But we created immunity for the telecommunications companies as part of the administration for violating the law."
"We cannot let fear and war mongering take over the key principles that made this country great: our freedom, and our liberties. That is more important than anything else. And that is how we will be safe and secure: by following the rule of the law."
(D) Brooks: "I would have never voted for FISA."
"I'm asking you to send me to Washington to undue the damage that this Bush administration has done and take our government back and make it accountable to us. FISA flies directly in the face of our Constitution and the principles that we were founded on as a nation."
(R) Buhrmaster: "I would have voted for the FISA bill. I don't think it's appropriate that you go back after 9/11, and we went through the most traumatic time in this country for Americans, on our soil, in decades, centuries, and we ask the telephone companies to help us. Protect us."
"The telephone companies did that. Legally."
"To go back and penalize them for what this did, which was to protect the country, would be absolutely wrong."
(D) Shahinfar: "Does everybody know what the FISA bill is?" A handful of audience members say no, and Shahinfar explained.
"The FISA that was just passed, it called a compromise bill. I think the only thing it compromised was our Constitutional rights."
"We've given retroactive immunity to telephone companies who broke the law. They did not have the right to do what they did, and now they're getting away with it. This speaks to the culture of the lack of accountability that has been in Washington over the last seven years."
(D) Steck: "In my everyday life, I practice civil rights law on behalf of employees and individuals. My understanding of the Constitution of the United States is that searches and seizures have to be based on either probable cause of reasonable suspicion."
"They take computers and put your correspondence, your e-mail, through those computers and they try to predict who is a security risk. There is absolutely no scientific proof that that works at all. It's just and idea, and a very scary one at that."
"I think Darius was right in pointing out that FISA creates secret courts. I appear in the federal courts on a regular basis. Judges are human beings, and I would not ever be in favor of turning over to any judge the type of authority that's given in this law to do things in secret."
What principle should we remember to apply that will enable us to predict how you will vote on any particular measure.
(D) Tonko:: "Earlier this evening, I shared with you my engineering background. That has provided me the opportunity to approach so many issues out there in an analytical format. Where else to go but to government to get problems solved."
"What's important is that we analyze what fits and what responds in a situation and that we work accordingly."
(R) Vasquez: "First off, I will see if any bill will benefit the taxpayers and the people of the 21st district in a positive manner. Second, can the taxpayers actually afford this bill and, combined, that brings back a return on their investment."
"The most important principle, and I keep coming back to it because it's something we've forgotten as a nation, is does this bill follow the laws of the constitution of the United States."
(D) Brooks: "Work ethic, careful consideration, and accountability."
"I recognized that the policies that were being passed by the Newt Gingrich Congress were devastating to our communities. And that's when I made the decision that I was going to change from doing human service work to running one day for Congress."
"That careful consideration, the taking the time and learning the issue, that work ethic that never ends, and the accountability to you, the people of this district. Those are the principles you can count on when I make a vote."
(R) Buhrmaster: "I'm a business person. I take good care of our customers. And that's what I would do as a Congressman: taking care of our constituents."
"As a legislator, my legislative compatriots know that I will vote what is right. Not the Democratic solution, not the Republican solution...what I think is right."
"I'm a boy scout. And one of the things that we had as a boy scout is the principles that we stand by." Burhmaster then recited them...perfectly.
(D) Shahinfar: "When I'm going door-to-door, people ask me, I'm sure they ask everyone else, 'What's the one issue you're running on?' And I say, 'Just one issue?' This is kind of a similar question."
"I don't know if there is one principle that would guide all my votes, I think there are three: One is will the bill advance our security interests? Number two: Is the bill Constitutional? And number three is does the bill work for working Americans?"
(D) Steck: "I've spend 20 years of my life building the Democratic Party in my community against all odds in the most Republican place in this Congressional district. Why did I do that? Because I was always taught by my parents that the Democratic Party is the party of the working people. And that is the clue to what guides all my decision making."
"The purpose of government is to make life easier for working people. And that is the question that has to be answered with respect to every legislation that comes before me."
(D) Sullivan: "You can expect that when I vote on an issue I'll do my best to become as fully informed as I can. I'll also read. I'll listen to others. I won't be guided by lobbyists."
"I'll also consult with the constituents, to see what they think, but I'll also try to provide leadership. This is very important for a legislator. You can't just be a party line puppet."
Candidate's Closing Summaries
Steven Vasquez (R): The young Republican stood and thanked everyone for holding the event, and went into a closing argument by invoking the quote "May we live in interesting times." He went on to identify the largest problems facing the nation again as the economy and inflation. "In each household, over $400,000 is owed by your children and their grandchildren."
Vasquez went through the summary of his campaign with a bit of shakiness, but held on to statistics: the stock market at 20% less than a year ago, inflation at officially 5.5%, but "in reality, it's actually over 13%. The dollar has lost 90% of its value since the 1950s."
"We need someone in Congress who is a business person who will understand the finances and make clear decisions and make hard choices so that we can move forward and be able to survive and establish what makes great our American principles of free, trade, capitalism, and growth."
Paul Tonko (D): The former state legislator thanked everyone again, and went on to explain that he was a community builder, "day in and day out." He recalled the story of the child "that inspired me to fight to my fullest to get mental health parity done in the name of Timothy's Law." Tonko recalled other community inspiration in summarizing his work on EPIC and energy as well.
"You got into battle for them," he said of his constituents, as he recalled fighting for those who's power had been turned off, for schools that faced remedial reading cuts. Although the time had run out, and the red balloon had gone up, Tonko added one more story.
"Some people they run for title. Others run to provide service." Tonko said as a part of a recollection of recent eulogy. "For some it's title, for some it's testimony. For me it has been that testimony. To go out there and make a difference in the fabric of human life."
Joseph P. Sullivan (D): Still remaining seated, Joseph Sullivan instructed the audience members to Google "Lone Ranger Albany" if they wanted "campaign reform, term limits, and substance in a platform." He then mentioned his positions a few more issues, including clean coal.
"I want once again for the City of Albany to deliver little bags of coal and turkeys," he said. Over audience laughter, "Believe me, there was a lot to it. The party did provide for the people, which it's not really doing now. Neither party is"
Sullivan then repeated the opening line of his closing summary and passed the microphone. Phil Steck rose as some in the audience muffled their laughter induced no doubt by Sullivan's unique style.
Phil Steck (D): "This is a change election." He pointed out that everyone was hearing that government is seen as dysfunctional, particularly the state government for the previous three decades.
"We need to go in a different direction, which is a grassroots, a community-based approach," Steck said, and then continued very directly "and not to select someone who is part of the permanent government of the lobbyists and the special interests." He pointed out again that his entire career was based at the community level as both an elected leader and a volunteer.
"I think at this point, if we want change, and we want someone who is in touch with the community, then I think that is the direction we should be looking."
Darius Shahinfar (D): Standing up the tallest in height, Shahinfar again introduced his campaign of "Renew America's Promise." He then talked a bit about the Democratic Party itself, saying "We believe in bottom-up economics, we believe in rising tide economics, we don't believe in trickle-down economics."
Darius said the other way hadn't worked for nearly a decade, and tied it to national health care, public education, energy, finance reform, and getting out of Iraq.
"Those are the reasons that I'm running for Congress. I want America for my children and my grandchildren to be the America that my father came to fifty years ago. The land of freedom, hope, and opportunity.. And if we send someone down to Congress who has the experience of working in the system, but who isn't of the system, we'll get that change that we truly want. Thank you."
Jim Buhrmaster (R): The second Republican in the field said he was running because Congress was broken by both Republicans and Democrats. He cited the growth of the budget and the deficit saying, "This is insane. You wouldn't run your business that way. You wouldn't run your home that way. We can't run Congress and we can't run the country that way."
Buhrmaster also said that change was needed before connecting his business in the heating business with the economic issues of the high price of oil. "The first thing that I am going to address is energy," he said, and directed the audience to his website.
"Right now, we need a major change. And I'm running for the 21st Congressional District because I want to, it's not because I'm 'needed.' I want your vote and I'm looking forward. Thank you."
Tracey Brooks (D): The first speaker was also the last, and both statements began the same way, as far as why she is running on the issues of Iraq and the economy, as well as having "a very different kind of experience."
After thanking volunteers who helped her make the ballot, Brooks also pointed to the recent newspaper reporting of her top-spot in the fundraising columns, thanking donors as well. "It's not the dollar figures that makes the difference. It's the over 1500 supporters that have joined my campaign to say that I can help make change, very real change in Congress." She invited members of the audience to join that group and what they would do when she goes to Washington, exuding confidence with a string a final statements on the issues starting with "We're going to Washington," building to a closing statement.
""I'm asking you for your vote in September, and in November, to send me to Washington so we can be a part of real change in our country.." said Tracey Brooks, officially ending the forum to a round of applause.
Soundpolitic Blogger's Note:
Moderator Mark Fruiterman thanked the candidates in a brief statement after the candidates had spoken, and thanked the candidates for discussion the issues in keeping with the civility pledge. This received the largest round of applause of the night, as far as I experienced.
That is a good step forward to recognize this. The five Democrats who are running are extremely diverse and strong in their own ways, and the Republicans are, to say the least, not that traditional for this area. Yet I haven't seen much uncivil behavior on the part of the candidates - perhaps just here on the blogs or under radar on the streets with supporters.
That's no good, especially on the blogs. These are done with the purpose that all the information necessary is actually available to voters because it is inexplicably unavailable in the traditional media. I think it was a disservice to not cover this forum more extensively in the traditional media. Props to Capital News 9, who brought their van there, and the public radio reporter I bumped into. Think what you will of the Times Union in particular; they told us of the event on their blog, but have yet to follow-up in commercial print.
Thank you for reading the 6,000 words I have volunteered to provide those voters in the 21st district who couldn't make it to still be able to base their upcoming decision on the candidate's own words. Welcome new readers; to those who have been following, thanks you - and I agree to take a civility pledge as well.
Primary Day is September 9th, 2008.
Democratic Primary Candidates Websites:
Tracey Brooks
Darius Shahinfar
Phil Steck
Joe Sullivan
Paul Tonko
Republican Primary Candidates Websites:
Steven Vasquez
Jim Buhrmaster |
