2nd District Candidates Debate at Wesleyan

By GARY MALLONEE, Staff Writer
West Virginia Wesleyan College hosted a political debate with the Democratic candidates for the House of Representatives and Republican candidate for Attorney General in the Social Hall of the Benedum Campus Center Tuesday evening. The event was co-sponsored by the Young Democrats and College Republicans at Wesleyan.

The three 2nd District Democratic candidates in the debate were Anne Barth, of Charleston, a 21-year member of U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd’s staff; Thorton Cooper, an attorney and retired state employee from South Charleston; and Richie Robb, the former mayor of South Charleston. The two Republican candidates for Attorney General were Dan Greear, a lawyer and former state legislator from South Charleston; and Hiram Lewis a lawyer and National Guard member from Morgantown.

Each candidate was given time for an opening and closing statement and to answer two questions from a three-person panel.

Dr. Rob Rupp, professor of history at Wesleyan, introduced the candidates to the large crowd in attendance.

“We are delighted to have all the candidates here tonight,” Rupp said. “This will be a great opportunity to hear what each candidate stands for.”

The three Democratic candidates for the 2nd District House of Representatives were the first to take the stage.

“It is great to be here tonight,” Barth said. “ “I believe it is time for a change in Washington.”

Barth said she is a woman, a wife, a mother and a Christian and told the audience that she shares their concerns.

“After eight years of this administration we need a change now,” she said. “Shelly Moore Capito and President George Bush together has hurt West Virginia.

She said the U.S. government is currently building new roads and schools in Iraq, but the problem is we need new roads and schools in West Virginia.

The state of West Virginia has lost thousands of manufacturing jobs to third world countries, Barth said. Companies should not have to lower safety and wages to keep up with the overseas jobs.

“We should find a level playing field and also fine adjustments for workers who lose their jobs,” she said.

Barth said that more needs to be done for Homeland Security.

“Better measures need to be put in place to protect our borders and if I am elected I’ll push for changes to border security,” she said. “I know what it takes to get the job done and how to get the job done in Washington. I will fight for all West Virginians.”

Finally, Barth said she would push for a better health care system if elected.

Cooper, who said he has been a political activist for most of his life, listed three points that he would work for if elected.

First, he would like to raise the minimum wage to $9.60 an hour by 2011. The current wage being paid is not sufficient to support a family, he said.

“We need to help the people not hurt them,” he said.

Second, he would implement a universal health care plan. The plan is very close to the one that Sen. John Edward had proposed, Cooper said.

Third, the country need to get out of Iraq as soon as possible. He said going to war with Iraq was the worst mistake since 1964 when the U.S. moved more troops into Vietnam.

“We need a change in Washington and a change in the way things are done,” Cooper said. “I believe I am the one to make them changes.”

Robb listed three thing he would like to accomplish if elected. First, he said we need to bring the middle class back to West Virginia. Second, improve the health care for the citizens.

“It is unexcusable that the United States ranks 25th in the world in health care,” Robb said. “This has to change.”

Third, he said being in Iraq was a bad idea and we need to pull out.

“I also believe that the financial industry has taken advantage of home owner with their mortgages,” he said. “There needs to be some changes made to the system.”

Robb said he was for fair trade, but on a one-by-one basis. In West Virginia mining is a plus; however manufacturing is not, he said.

“In my 32 years as mayor of South Charleston, I got the job done,” Robb said. “If I am elected I will also get the job done in Washington.”

The Attorney General candidates took the stage following the Congressional candidates.

“I don’t believe the the state is being taken care of and we need a change,” Greear said. “Your first duty as attorney general is to represent your clients. Being the chief legal officer of the state is not the chief financial officer, which is the case with the current Attorney General Darrell McGraw.”

Lewis echoed the words of Greear saying the current officer holder is abusing state funds to promote his own political agenda.

Both candidates agreed that there has to be a change.

“We need to stop the trend of an unfair legal climate by the current attorney general,” Lewis said.

Lewis who ran against McGraw in 2004, but was defeated by about 5,000 votes.

Lewis said if elected there would be positive changes in the office.

Greear said that he and Lewis agree on most of the issues and problems with the attorney general’s office. However, where they disagree is who is the best candidate.

Both candidates asked the for the people’s support and hope that one of them would win in November in order to make a better West Virginia.

This was the second debate at Wesleyan. In 2004, the college hosted a debate for the Democratic candidates and for the Republican candidates for Congress and Senate.