Small/Grassley debate, Iowa Press, 10/24

From: press@artsmallforsenate.com


Be sure to watch the rebroadcast of Art's side-by-side with Grassley
Sunday at
noon on PBS!




Small rakes Grassley on spending

By JONATHAN ROOS
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
October 23, 2004

Democrat Art Small challenged U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley's reputation
as a
fiscal conservative Friday in a televised exchange between the two
candidates.

Small, a former legislator from Iowa City, said the Senate Finance
Committee
chairman has been in a position of power at a time when the federal
government
has been ringing up record deficits.

"He has voted for all the spending, and he has voted for all the tax
cuts,"
Small charged. "We have the largest deficits in American history, and I
think
it's time to call a halt to this."

Grassley defended tax cuts that he said have helped the nation climb
out of a
recession. He said the Republican-controlled Congress is working to get
spending under control after the Clinton years, but the nation has to
spend
more to fight terrorism and secure Iraq.

"When you go to war, the budget deficit is not the most concern. The
most
concern is putting the resources behind the men and women that are on
the
battlefield," Grassley said on "Iowa Press," a program on Iowa Public
Television that will be shown at noon Sunday.

Small derided Grassley's efforts to secure federal money for an indoor
rain
forest planned in Coralville. "I think it's a stupid project," Small
said. "I
don't know of anybody who was really pleading for that type of thing."

Grassley defended the $180 million Iowa Environmental Project, saying
it will
enhance education, the environment and the state's economic development.

"It's all about kids," Grassley said.

Small, a retired businessman, lawyer and college teacher, faces huge
obstacles
in defeating Grassley, who is seeking a fifth term. The Republican
incumbent
has enjoyed high job-approval ratings in polls and has an enormous
fund-raising
advantage over his Democratic challenger.

Small rejected the suggestion that he's a token Democratic opponent. "I
frankly
think I'm running a good campaign."

Small complained, however, that Grassley isn't addressing the issues,
as shown
by ads Grassley is running to stress his work ethic. The Democratic
candidate
cited one commercial in which his Republican opponent is shown mowing
the lawn
with three mowers attached.

"He mows his lawn. Wonderful!" Small said. "I used to have a route
mowing
people's lawns. I'm happy now to have a bed of hostas, and I don't have
to mow
the lawn."

Grassley called himself "a hired man for Iowa" who is serving the state
well
with his experience and clout in Congress, and who has a reputation for
rooting
out fraud and waste. "With this seniority, I will be able to do more
for Iowans
in the next six years."

Small said Iowa voters should question that claim: "He has great power,
but what
has he done?"

Most big spending "flows from policy decisions and not saving 50 bucks
on a
hammer, or things that (Grassley) is noted for," Small said.

Grassley rejected Small's contention that he is influenced by the
acceptance of
campaign donations from pharmaceutical companies and other special
interests.

"My principle of campaign contributions is to accept money that's legal
with no
strings attached," Grassley said. "I don't think there's any evidence
whatsoever that because I accept campaign contributions that I make any
commitment" to a donor.

Small, who served in the Iowa Legislature from 1971 to 1986, said he
won't take
contributions from political action committees.


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- posted by John @ 11:00 PM