Economy at heart of Grassley, Conlin debate

Over a lively hour, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Democratic challenger Roxanne Conlin took decidedly different approaches in a televised debate Tuesday to what they agreed is the public's top concern, the economy.

They also clashed on the federal budget deficit, trade, term limits, special interests and the 2008 bank bailout.

The debate, hosted by WHO Radio in Des Moines, was broadcast a couple hours later on Iowa Public Television.

Conlin had been trying for several weeks to get a televised debate with Grassley, and it came together just days before the Nov. 2 election.

In response to a question about the economy, Conlin called for greater investments in infrastructure and the ability of middle income Americans to delay paying their income taxes over five years.

She says that would put billions of dollars into the economy.

She also accused Grassley of backing economic policies “that plunged our economy into this crisis.”

Grassley said he would extend the Bush-era tax cuts, warning that letting the rates go back up would stunt job creation. “Leave taxes right where they've been for the past 10 years,” he said.

Conlin favors extending the Bush-era tax cuts for middle income Americans, but not the wealthy. Grassley wants to extend them all.

Grassley also said it would help the economy to lower the budget deficit, and he accused Conlin of favoring trade policies that would lead other countries to retaliate.

“We can't have a trade war, if you're going to create jobs,” he said, adding it would hurt companies like Deere & Co. and Rockwell in Cedar Rapids.

Conlin responded she didn't want a trade war, either, but the U.S. isn't taking on countries that put up barriers to its products.

“I think we need not be international patsies,” she said.

The deficit was a central point of the debate, too.

Conlin tried to shift the responsibility to Grassley, who is a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and was its chairman during much of the Bush presidency.

She said he backed tax cuts and two wars “off the books and on the credit card.”

Grassley, though, said spending has exploded with Democrats in control of Congress and the White House.

The deficit, he said, could be cut significantly by simply holding spending in some areas of the budget to just under the rate of inflation.

Conlin, meanwhle, proposed collecting unpaid taxes and stopping subsidies for oil companies.

Toward the start of the debate, Grassley said he didn't wish to respond to Conlin criticisms. He said he wanted a “positive” debate.

However, it didn't take long before the two of them were both lobbing accusations.

Conlin said Grassley had become a professional politician. She also said he was “fear mongering” on the health care reform debate.

Grassley, on the other hand, said Conlin had criticized his vote on the bank bailout but still made campaign donations to several House members who voted for it. And, he said, she railed against political action committees, but didn't get rid of the national trial lawyers association's PAC when she headed the organization.

The pair also differed on term limits.

Conlin said Grassley supports them, yet is seeking a sixth term. She said she'd like to serve two terms.

Grassley said he has supported term limits legislation but that Iowa would be deprived of seniority in the Senate if it had members and other states didn't do the same.

• REPLAY: Watch the entire debate at IPTV.org