LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Republican Rand Paul said he would support raising the retirement age for "young people", while Democrat Jack Conway claimed he never supported the clean air act known as Cap and Trade, during a thirty minute nationally televised debate in Louisville Sunday.
The debate was hosted by Fox News Sunday and moderated by anchor Chris Wallace. It was broadcast from the studios of WDRB TV, the Fox affiliate in Louisville.
Wallace asked Paul pointedly if he favored raising the retirement age for Social Security. Paul replied, "Don't do anything for those now receiving...Social Security." But, he added, "The baby boomer generation is getting ready to retire. There will have to be changes." When Wallace asked if that meant raising the retirement age, Paul said, "Yes."
Conway was on the defensive about whether or not he ever supported the Cap and Trade bill, which is strongly opposed by the Kentucky coal industry. "I'm against Cap and Trade, always have been," Conway asserted. When both Wallace and Paul mentioned news reports to the contrary, Conway repeated, "I am against Cap and Trade." Paul has repeatedly stated his opposition to Cap and Trade and said, "If we pass Cap and Trade, it will be a disaster to Kentucky's economy and to Kentucky jobs."
Throughout the thirty minute debate, Paul repeatedly tied Conway to the Obama administration. "I think this election really is about the President's agenda. Do you support the President's agenda, or do you not support it?" Seated next to Conway, Paul said, "What he needs to do is either defend his president or run away."
Conway said he supported "some of President Obama's agenda." He said he would have voted for the healthcare plan and supported the stimulus plan, which he said created or saved 17,000 jobs in Kentucky. Conway said one third of the stimulus went for tax cuts, a third went to save the jobs of police and firefighters and the rest went to "shovel-ready" projects. He admitted the Obama administration has "not done that good a job" on the jobs part of the bill.
Conway also said he would not have voted for the bank bailout bill.
On the healthcare law, Conway said "we've got 654,000 Kentuckians getting health care for the first time because of this bill." But he said the bill needs work. "We are going to have to look at costs going forward."
Paul, who favors overturning the healthcare law, claimed that a third of the people who were helped by the law are illegal aliens. When moderator Wallace said that was not true, Paul replied that it was happening because "it's illegal to ask if they were illegals."
Paul also said "My health insurance went up 15% since Obamacare passed."
Paul, a fiscal conservative, talked often about the rising national debt and government spending levels.
"I'm very concerned about the debt," he said. "We're piling on mountains and mountains of debt...Where does the money come from?" he asked. "Jack acts like the money's for free. Just go and get it from Santa Claus in Washington."
Conway attacked Paul for his opposition to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), saying "there are 12,000 disabled veterans in Kentucky since 9-11. I don't think it's appropriate to stand up and say you are against the ADA in that environment."
Both candidates said they support extending the Bush tax cuts. When Wallace asked Paul to explain how he would make up the $4-trillion it would cost to do that, he said, "I'm not seeing it as a cost to government. I will immediately introduce bills to reduce spending," adding, "I will have a balanced budget amendment introduced in the Senate."
Conway said the first bill he would introduce would allow Medicare bulk purchasing which he said would save $200-billion.
Conway also said he is proposing a hometown tax credit of 20% for businesses that create new jobs.
Paul said he would back Senator Mitch McConnell for party leader, adding, "Hopefully the majority leader this time around."
The thirty minute debate was broadcast live on WDRB TV and scheduled to be shown on Fox News Sunday at 2-pm and 6-pm local time.
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