Candidates for New Hampshire’s 2nd congressional district also had their last debate before Tuesday’s primary. The four Republicans sought to distinguish themselves from one another in a race that hasn’t garnered much attention.
As New Hampshire Public Radio’s Amy Quinton reports, the candidates had some heated exchanges.
Bob Clegg, Jennifer Horn, Grant Bosse, and Jim Steiner had their last chance to show how they would be the best challenger to Democratic incumbent Paul Hodes.
The GOP candidates agreed on almost all the key issues…
They oppose the government’s bail out of the mortgage industry.. and support gun rights and domestic drilling for oil.
But during the hour long debate on WMUR, the candidates took the opportunity to criticize one another.
Nashua radio talk show host Jennifer Horn, and Hillsboro resident Grant Bosse, a former staffer for Senator John Sununu exchanged jabs the most.
“Bosse 311 4:01 Jennifer at the beginning of this campaign was undecided on drilling, halfway through this campaign she called for more hearings, and now she’s in favor of drilling.”
Horn fought back.
“Horn 311 4:40 you know Mr Bosse has made a habit in this campaign of making false accusations and half truths and he just pulled one right out of the air…”
Even the moderator couldn’t stop their debate.
Exchange (alright let’s go on to next question…Tom she just called me a liar can I respond?...)
But Horn wasn’t the only candidate to come under attack.
The working mother of five children criticized opponent Bob Clegg, a state senator from Hudson, for his 14 years in the state legislature.
She scoffed at Clegg’s commercial that recites the number of lawyers and congressmen with advanced degrees that can’t balance a budget.
Horn (there are 229 former state legislators in Congress, and isn’t the real issue that we have too many career politicians in Washington?)
Clegg (I don’t know how many career politicians we have in Washington I can tell you what Washington is missing, its common sense and common sense isn’t something you learn in a college classroom, common sense is something you learn as you go through life)
When it came time for Clegg to challenge Horn, he instead threw a softball question that allowed them to criticize the Democratic incumbent.
(do you believe that anyone of the four of us standing on this stage would make a better congressman than Paul Hodes..of course I do)
Candidate Jim Steiner, a Concord attorney asked Bosse a tough question - criticizing his opponent’s lack of business experience…
Steiner (Grant I’m wondering if you would comment on whether you feel the fact that you haven’t been involved in small business and supervised employees is any kind of limitation)
But Steiner got an answer he wasn’t expecting.
(No I don’t think so because I do have experience supervising employees, I was in charge of a newsroom at WTSL….)
During the debate, Steiner pointed out that he is the only candidate to promise he won’t take money from Political Action Committees or special interest groups.
On the issues, the candidates showed only subtle differences.
When asked how they would encourage alternative energies, both Bosse and Horn favor a free market approach and agree companies should not rely on government subsidies.
Clegg added that the government should also lead by example – such as being the first to purchase alternative fuels to encourage a marketplace for them.
But Steiner said he’s in favor of tax incentives for alternative energies because it will take time to get over America’s dependence on fossil fuels.
For NHPR news, I’m Amy Quinton.
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