Senate candidates eschew talk of Clinton, Trump

SIOUX CITY - Mentions of presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump were scant Wednesday night in Sioux City in the first U.S. Senate debate between Republican Chuck Grassley and Democrat Patty Judge.

Judge and Grassley focused on their issues in a mostly civil debate before a crowd of 300 at Morningside College. Their debate finished as a third presidential debate between Clinton and Trump began.

Judge pointed to several examples of what she called obstructionism by Grassley in the most recent period of his 42-year tenure in Congress.

Several times, Grassley mentioned his clout in passing farm bills and other substantial legislation with bipartisan support.

Judge retorted, 'Chuck Grassley in 42 years has not changed Washington. Washington, in fact, has probably changed him.”

Grassley, seeking a sixth term, contended he keeps his eye on Iowa. He returns frequently to New Hartford and holds meetings in all 99 counties each year to hear from Iowans.

'Washington is an island surrounded by reality. Get out of there,” Grassley said.

As expected, an issue that has been prominent in the senatorial campaign returned Wednesday. The U.S. Supreme Court has had a vacancy since February, when Justice Antonin Scalia died. Grassley, the Senate Judiciary Commitee chairman, has refused to hold hearings to fill the vacancy until after a new president is inaugurated in January. Obama nominated appeals court judge Merrick Garland for the open spot on the nine-member Supreme Court.

Judge said Grassley is shirking his duty, to the detriment of the court and nation.

'We have a Supreme Court that is unable to function. This is exactly what is wrong with Washington. This is why people are angry,” Judge said.

Grassley was asked whether he would change his mind if Clinton wins the presidency Nov. 8, and majority-party Republicans wanted him to hold court hearings this year. He said he could shift to hold hearings if that Republican urging ensued, but added, 'I don't expect that to happen.”

The two also tangled on the right approach to possible tinkering with immigration policy and the 2010 Affordable Care Act that brought federal health care reform.

'It is a failure. It is a failure. ... We've been lied to about ObamaCare,” Grassley said, pointing to health cost and insurance premium increases, although a recent analysis showed the growth in health costs has slowed.

Judge said Grassley failed by voting against the 2014 immigration reform package that passed the Senate but died in the House. She said it is time to give millions of undocumented workers legal status so they can continue to work hard at jobs, including many in Iowa, and come 'out of the shadows.”

Grassley responded that the proposal didn't have enough border enforcement. He said immigration is a lesser issue now for Iowans than it was two or three years ago.

Grassley has led in money raised a support reflected in polls.

Judge, who lives in Albia, has served as a state legislator, Iowa Secretary of State and lieutenant governor.

Some Democratic candidates have sought to tie their opponents to Trump, who has dropped in national polls in October after a series of controversies, including highly charged comments about women that have come to light. But in the debate, Judge mentioned Trump only to criticize him for 'bragging about not paying taxes.”

Linda Waugh of Sioux City said Judge had the best command of issues, and she didn't mind the presidential candidates getting few mentions.

'I really wanted them to focus on the issues in Iowa,” Waugh said.

Marti Martin of Sioux City said she liked that, as opposed to the presidential debates, the candidates didn't interrupt each other. She thought Grassley dominated.

'(Grassley) stuck to the issues. He talked about specifics,” Martin said.

The crowd was told not to applaud during the debate. During a break for advertisements at the midpoint, a man from the crowd clapped and yelled, 'Good job Chuck!”

Grassley quickly admonished him: 'Don't do that, folks, please.”

The second Senate debate is Nov. 4, aired by WHO Radio of Des Moines.