Overland Park, Kansas
Greg Orman, the independent candidate running against Kansas GOP senator Pat Roberts, did the best he could at a debate Wednesday to fend off accusations that he’s really just a liberal Democrat. There was plenty of non-ideological, centrist talk about how we need to “certainty around things like transporation funding” and casting of blame of both parties. “This afternoon, Pat Roberts will tell you that Harry Reid and Barack Obama are the reason Washington is such a mess,” Orman said. “But the other half of the mess is Mitch McConnell and Pat Roberts. The truth is both parties are more interested in playing political games than problem-solving.”
There were even some feints to the right. “We need to relax the Dodd-Frank regulations that relate to community banks and regional banks,” Orman said. “These weren’t the banks that were responsible for bringing our financial industry to the brink of collapse.”
But Orman, who has tried to keep public events and media interview to a bare minimum, showed some signs that he might have some trouble keeping up the centrist act for the final month of the campaign.
At a debate Wednesday, non-ideological, refused to say who he’d vote for, argued that they ahd the same position. Kept events to a bare minimum.
But pressed on specific legislation the best he could on Wednesday to fend off accusations that he’s really just a liberal Democrat. fended off charges from his Republican opponent continued to fend off accusa “I think president Obama should not take that job. I will oppose it.
“fiscally responsible businessman”
But following the debate: ideological
“The Senate is being run poorly. Harry Reid is running it like a dictatorship,”
“I actually gave money to Scott Brown in Massachusetts in 2010 precisely because he was the vote that was supposed to prevent the Affordable Care Act from becoming law.”
“false choice” because he’s “ignoring the reality that President Obama will veto the bill.”
–Democratic staffers and consulted with Claire McCaskill
–bee stings: 32:44
Reid: dictatorship:
later follow-up
When Roberts pointed out that Orman has given money to Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and the Kansas Democrats, Orman shot back by pointing out that he
Asked if he’d vote for the 2013 Senate-passed immigration bill if it came to the floor in a future Congress, Orman replied: “I would.”
“John McCain, Lindsey Graham, 14 Republican senators supported that bill. They do not believe it’s an amnesty bill,” Orman continued. “They believe it’s commonsense comprehensive immigration reform. Like those Republican senators and like Senator Dole before them, I’d want to have a very practical policy on immigration reform, and not one that’s driven simply to win elections.”
Orman has hired staff from the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee
But Orman was more equivocal on the issue of abortion. He says he’s pro-choice in general but supports Greg Orman, the independent running for Senate
Twice during his press conference, I asked if he’d vote to repeal Obamacare’s individual mandate. He took questions from others each time. After the press conference ended, I asked Orman Individual mandate. Here’s the transcript:
Medicaid, taxpayer-funding for and act Would you vote for or against each of those bills.
You know, what I’ve said on that issue is that as a man–
TWS: But on these specific bills?
Orman: I’ll get there. What I’ve said on these issues that as a man I’m not going to face those decisions and I truest the women of Kansas are smart and they should be able to make those decisions on their own. I do however agree on some reasonable restrictions. I thought the restriction on partial-birth abortion makes sense and I would have voted for that restriction. And as it relates to taxpayer-funding, I don’t believe we should be funding abortions.
TWS: So you’d vote for the no-taxpayer funding–
Orman: But I need to read the bills before I can comment.
TWS: Will you comment on that before the election? On those two specific bills, those are the ones in the Senate right now that would be before you.
Orman: We’ll have our people take a look at it, and
Orman: But you can’t give the people an answer before you face the voters?
Once again, we will go ahead, and I try to read every bill before I say whether or not I’d support it, and I’ll read those bills.
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