Cal GOP Senate Candidates Square Off On Israel
FF Liveblog: The focus of Friday afternoon's on-radio debate between the three California GOP Senate candidates centered on America's foreign relations, with Tom Campbell arguing that his opponents had unfairly painted him as anti-Israel.
Amazing debate. Free-flowing, aggressive, and very interesting to listen to.
Campbell sounded solid. DeVore and Fiorina are fighting to represent the 'true-conservative' label.
Posted at 4:00pm by Tim Mak
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Fiorina to Campbell: You supported internet taxes!
Campbell: [laughing] So did you!
Fiorina: Why haven't you signed the taxpayer pledge?
Campbell: Here's an example: what if we needed a tax increase in airline tickets to pay for increased security? Would you be against that?
Fiorina: I would vote against that.
Posted at 3:55pm by Tim Mak
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Fiorina to Campbell: Are you suggesting that the Federal Government print more money to balance the budget? That would be disastrous.
Posted at 3:54pm by Tim Mak
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Moving onto economics. Eric Hogue: What would you say to increasing the tax burden?
Fiorina: The tax burden must be lowered. We must cut taxes. Fiorina takes Campbell to task on tax issues: He won't sign the taxpayer protection pledge!
Campbell: The National Taxpayer Union has rated me the most fiscally responsible Congressman in two of the Congresses that I served in. I have never supported raising taxes federally to balance the budget.
DeVore: Tax rates are too high. Campbell has been good on cutting on the spending side; not so much on cutting the tax side.
Posted at 3:52pm by Tim Mak
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Campbell tries to explain his supposed vote for Jerusalem. He calls his vote "courageous".
Fiorina: We must stand and defend Israel. Jerusalem is Israel's capital.
Campbell to Fiorina: If Israel and the Palestinians agree to a shared capital, would you oppose it?
Fiorina: It's a hypothetical question. It's an academic question. It's irrelevant.
Posted at 3:43pm by Tim Mak
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Fiorina: I think we all support a two-state solution. Israel has made unprecedented concessions to get the peace process moving again. I do not support the notion that Jerusalem should be a divided capital.
Campbell: No, that's not true.
Posted at 3:40pm by Tim Mak
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Campbell to DeVore: I honor your service to our country, and I thank you.
Campbell: Links terrorists to pirates - that's the American precedent, he says.
Posted at 3:40pm by Tim Mak
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DeVore to Fiorina: While you were advising the Dept of Defense, there were seven meetings in your committee. You only attended two.
Fiorina: I was battling cancer.
DeVore: Well, these meetings were before "your unfortunate illness."
Posted at 3:35pm by Tim Mak
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From @TalktoTom's twitter:
Posted at 3:35pm by Tim Mak
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Hogue: Why are you best for America's national security?
DeVore: I'm a Lt. Col in Military Intelligence. Worked in the Pentagon. I've been to Israel four times. I've studied in Egypt. I've been shot at in Lebanon. This has given me a unique insight.
Fiorina: I have spent 20+ years travelling all over the world. I have advised Defence, CIA, and so on. I have traveled to the Middle East extensively. I have the highest clearance available to a civilian. The next California Senator will have an obligation to vote on very important matters.
Campbell: I served in the House International Relations Committee. I voted to go to war with Iraq during the first gulf war, when they invaded Kuwait.
Posted at 3:30pm by Tim Mak
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Frantic debate. #Fiorina out for Campbell; #DeVore out for Fiorina; Campbell calmly defends himself. #casen #tcot
Posted at 3:26pm by Tim Mak
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Moderator Eric Hogue brings the topic back to the controversy surrounding Campbell's views on the Middle East.
Campbell: The United States needs to support Israel if it needs to use force on Iran. "If Israel needs to take that step. We support Israel."
Fiorina: Tom Campbell's voting record is quite clear... we have lost a year to Obama's failed foreign policy. We should cut off Iran leadership's access to finances and petroleum.
Posted at 3:22pm by Tim Mak
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DeVore is criticizing Fiorina's MIT thesis, saying that it asserts that the constitution was a roadblock to excellence in education.
It's clear DeVore wants nothing to do with the Campbell attacks - is going to be focusing on chipping away at Fiorina.
Posted at 3:19pm by Tim Mak
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Fiorina: I've been talking about substance the entire campaign. Feel free to take a look at my MIT thesis.
Posted at 3:16pm by Tim Mak
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DeVore: Carly's campaign has been running a campaign of whispers about Tom Campbell and myself.
Posted at 3:16pm by Tim Mak
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Campbell: Points out that he couldn't refund contributions from Abdurahman Alamoudi because his campaign was over. He says that he supports Israel; he tried to cut economic aid to Israel, not military aid.
Posted at 3:13pm by Tim Mak
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Devore: Fiorina's campaign is attacking Campbell in an illegitimate way.
Posted at 3:12pm by Tim Mak
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Fiorina: Tom Campbell didn't refund the contributions of terrorist sympathizer and American Muslim Council member Abdurahman Alamoudi. I don't think you are an anti-Semite... California voters need to know our views.
Posted at 3:10pm by Tim Mak
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Tom Campbell gets the first question: How does he respond to the charges of anti-Semitism?
"I have never flinched from my strong support" of Israel, he says. Should have looked into Al-Arian's associations more, says Campbell.
Posted at 3:08pm by Tim Mak
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Chuck Devore has an excellent advertisement voice. His opening statement: "The principles of the founding fathers are not antiquated, and they don't require moderating."
Posted at 3:06pm by Tim Mak
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Carly Fiorina's opening statement: "We have arrived at what Reagan once called 'a time for choosing'."
"I'm the only candidate who has ever... created a job. And I will fight for every job."
Posted at 3:02pm by Tim Mak
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Opening statements: Tom Campbell starts.
Immediately - Campbell addresses anti-Semitism charges, and head on, in his sixty second opening statement. He's on the defensive, but sounds calm and reasoned. "Silent slander stops today... Today, that stops."
Posted at 3:02pm by Tim Mak
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Eric Hogue hosts Carly Fiorina, Tom Campbell and Chuck DeVore for an on-radio debate.
Check it out here live: http://www.ktkz.com/
I'll be liveblogging as the debate continues.
Posted at 3:02pm by Tim Mak
