October 19, 2004: Headlines: COS - Somalia: Politics: Congress: Election2004 - Petri: The Post Crescent: Challengers question Petri, GOP in debate

Peace Corps Online: Directory: Somalia: Special Report: Tom Petri: Tom Petri: Archived Stories: October 19, 2004: Headlines: COS - Somalia: Politics: Congress: Election2004 - Petri: The Post Crescent: Challengers question Petri, GOP in debate

By Admin1 (admin) (pool-141-157-9-111.balt.east.verizon.net - 141.157.9.111) on Saturday, October 23, 2004 - 5:24 pm: Edit Post

Challengers question Petri, GOP in debate

 Challengers question Petri, GOP in debate

Challengers question Petri, GOP in debate

Challengers question Petri, GOP in debate

Three face off Nov. 2 for area seat in U.S. House

By Alex Hummel
Gannett Wisconsin Newspapers

OSHKOSH — U.S. Rep. Tom Petri equated fund-raising ethics violations House of Representatives majority leader Tom DeLay has weathered to a “traffic violation” Monday.

Petri, 64, a Fond du Lac Republican and 6th Congressional District representative since 1979, defended both himself and his GOP leader, as he debated with two Nov. 2 election challengers — Democrat database marketer Jef Hall, 31, of Oshkosh and Green Party candidate Carol Rittenhouse of Plymouth.

During the 75-minute debate at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh’s Reeve Memorial Union, Petri was asked whether he believed DeLay — a Texas Republican rebuked for raising campaign funds from a company standing to gain from an energy bill — should resign as majority leader.

“I don’t think so,” said Petri, a former House ethics committee member.

“It’s a little like a traffic violation,” he said of DeLay’s recent ethics reprimands. “You can get arrested for things, but it’s not like it’s murder.”

It was just one question put to Petri in the mostly cordial debate sponsored by UWO’s political science student association. Petri also defended transportation bill votes amid his support from related political action groups, saying there is “no quid pro quo.”

Hall asked Petri to defend his vote for the fall Medicare bill given the congressman has at least $5 million in Walgreen Co. stock. The company could benefit from the legislation via new prescriptions.

“Walgreens is not a drug company,” Petri said. “They just sell prescriptions.” He further argued the stock of the company dipped after the Medicare bill vote.

Hall called the issue “a big question” for him and constituents. But he didn’t criticize Petri on all points.

The Democrat, who only recently raised $5,000 to Petri’s $1 million-plus, complimented the Republican for his support of bike trails.

But Hall argued for middle class tax cuts to bolster the economy and new jobs, called no-bid contracts in Iraq a “sin and a shame,” and said 6th District voters — after 40 years of Republican rule in the district — are gravitating toward a Democratic party for people, not property.

“(President) Bush even says ‘the ownership society,’ which sounds a lot like feudalism to me,” Hall said.

Rittenhouse said she decided to run as a Green largely based on environmental issues. She advocates the end of “Iraq occupation” in two years, closure of U.S. bases there and universal health care.

Alex Hummel writes for the Oshkosh Northwestern.





When this story was posted in October 2004, this was on the front page of PCOL:

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The Kerry campaign wants the RPCV vote. Read our interview with Dave Magnani, Massachusetts State Senator and Founder of "RPCVs for Kerry," and his answers to our questions about Kerry's plan to triple the size of the Peace Corps, should the next PC Director be an RPCV, and Safety and Security issues. Then read the "RPCVs for Kerry" statement of support and statements by Dr. Robert Pastor, Ambassador Parker Borg, and Paul Oostburg Sanz made at the "RPCVs for Kerry" Press Conference.

RPCV Carl Pope says the key to winning this election is not swaying undecided voters, but persuading those already willing to vote for your candidate to actually go to the polls.

Take our poll and tell us what you are doing to support your candidate.

Finally read our wrap-up of the eight RPCVs in Senate and House races around the country and where the candidates are in their races.

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Story Source: The Post Crescent

This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Somalia; Politics; Congress; Election2004 - Petri

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