 "Photo: PREFACE PHOTO/Jenn Zellers")
At times on Saturday, it seemed like it was two weeks before the general election, not the primary. Republican candidates Jack Jordan and Jackie Walorski traded political jabs with one another over campaign contributions and earmarks.
Jordan, an IU South Bend professor and former Eli Lily executive, attacked Walorski on accepting campaign contributions from 42 different special interest groups.
Jordan said that these campaign contributions offer incentive to candidates.
“When you take that money, it affects how you vote,” Jordan said.
Walorski stands by her record telling a group of about 50 that her interests are the 65,000 people she represents. She noted that about 97% of her campaign contributions come from Indiana Hoosiers.
Jordan is running on a platform of a non-politician candidate who reject the status quo, stating enough is enough in Washington. Campaign contributions aside, earmarks on bills also sparked another heated debate.
Jordan claimed he was the only candidate that will refuse earmarks on bills, adding that they offer incentives to politicians in Washington to vote for something to get their own project funded.
Walorski countered saying that it wasn’t enough for one person to just simply say they won’t accept them. Offering that she’ll lead a coalition to destroy earmarks from bills.
A third candidate on the panel, four-time challenger Tony Zirkle added that earmarks make up a small percentage of bills and that trading votes is just something that happens in Washington. Zirkle said that the best way to eliminate earmarks would be to prohibit adding issue to bills that are not related—single issue bills. Zirkle cited the recent healthcare bill which included a student loan reform position.
Healthcare was another topic that was brought up. Both Jordan and Walorski indicated they would introduce measures to either repeal it or defund it.
“It is legislative malpractice. It is representative malpractice. It is humanistic malpractice. It is also fiscal malpractice,” Jordan said.
He noted that the healthcare reform will create 100 new medical boards that will end the sacred relationship between the doctor and the patient. Jordan said that it would be best to start over.
Walorski said she would vote to defund the reform.
“We’ve got to make a stand and take this country back,” Walorski said.
Zirkle diverted from the Republican party view and said that a single-payer system would be the best. However, he did question whether or not Congress has the authority to force states to do something.
Changing the status quo in Washington also sparked another often talked about proposal. The institution of term limits for federal office holders.
Both Jordan and Walorksi favor term limits of two or three terms.
Walorski stated that she didn’t run for her seat in the state house because she didn’t want to serve forever.
“Both parties need to clean house,” she said.
Zirkle doesn’t favor term limits stating it may take him several years to do what he wants to do. He added that campaign finance and other reforms would help clean up Washington. He added that media needs to stop endorsing candidates and party leadership needs to step back and not endorse candidates.
Changing the landscape of Washington also means a change of leadership in Congress.
All three candidates said they would not vote for California Representative Nancy Pelosi as Speaker of the House.
Jordan attacked current 2nd District Rep. Joe Donnelly’s recent voting record.
“[Donnelly] stands for almost everything the 2nd District stands against and is less of a conservative blue dog, more like Nancy Pelosi’s lapdog,” Jordan said.
The May 4 primary election is two weeks ago and the winner will face off against Rep. Donnelly in the November election.
In addition to the three candidates at the panel, a fourth candidate from LaPorte, Martin Dolan, will be on the ballet in May. Dolan withdrew from the race last month and has endorsed Jordan for the republican ticket.
