Inslee, McKenna square off in Yakima
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YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) - Republican Rob McKenna and Democrat Jay Inslee sparred over taxes, immigration and health insurance Tuesday in the third debate of their tight race for governor.
Recent polls show Inslee has opened a slight lead in this Democratic-leaning state. Both candidates are seeking to replace Democrat Chris Gregoire, who did not seek a third term.
The debate at the Yakima Convention Center showed a sharp difference between the candidates over a federal plan to expand Medicaid in the state to cover more people without health insurance.
McKenna said he was opposed to the proposal, because the federal government will pay the costs only for the first three years.
"Medicaid is a basic safety net, not insurance," McKenna said.
He said the proposal would prompt thousands of people to drop private insurance and enroll in Medicaid.
But Inslee called it a "no-brainer" that he supported. Washington residents already pay the medical costs of uninsured people who show up at hospitals, he said.
"We all pay $1,000 a year because of uninsured folks," Inslee said.
McKenna, the state attorney general, made a portion of his opening remarks in Spanish, a nod to the large Hispanic population of the Yakima Valley. Inslee, meanwhile, talked of how he spent years as a lawyer in the Yakima area and launched his political career here, including his first term in Congress. He later moved to the Seattle area and won a congressional seat there.
Inslee said he opposed Initiative 1185, which is on the November ballot and calls for a two-thirds vote of the public to raise taxes. He said the law dilutes the concept of one person, one vote. The correct path, he said, is to grow the economy so the state does not need to raise taxes.
McKenna said Washington residents have supported similar bills four times in the past and clearly approve of the concept. He said he would seek to uphold the initiative if it passed.
On the issue of jobs, McKenna said it is too expensive for small businesses to hire people in Washington, and reform is needed on unemployment insurance, workers compensation and business regulation. Inslee pointed to his 75-point plan to spur an innovative economy.
Asked about a shortage of farm labor, a major issue in central Washington, Inslee said the immigration issue had been politicized by the Republican Party and comprehensive immigration reform is needed.
"One of the parties has decided to use immigration and fear of immigration as a wedge issue," Inslee said.
McKenna replied that if Inslee wanted to pursue immigration reform, he should have stayed in Congress.
"It's an irony to be chastised by a Republican on this subject," Inslee retorted.
McKenna said he opposes Washington's law that grants driver's licenses to people without requiring proof of legal residence. Both candidates said they support the concept of a temporary permit for driving that is not a state driver's license.
Given a chance to ask McKenna a question, Inslee asked which state environmental laws should be lowered to be the same as federal standards.
"I don't believe we should reduce our standards," Inslee said.
But McKenna said a mish-mash of local, state and federal environmental laws made no sense.
"We should be looking for harmony in standards," McKenna said, and the state should not automatically pursue standards that are tougher than the federal government's.
On the issue of gang violence in the Yakima Valley, Inslee said a solution would include more resources for law enforcement, a system to help move kids out of gangs and back into schools, and removal of "nuisance locations" where gangs congregate.
McKenna said one barrier was convincing the Legislature about the scope of the problem. He proposed going after the leaders of gangs.
McKenna said a ballot initiative that would legalize recreational use of marijuana should be defeated because it will still be a federal crime to use marijuana. The issue is a federal one, he said.
Inslee also did not support the initiative but said he supported the medical use of marijuana.
Recent polls show Inslee has opened a slight lead in this Democratic-leaning state. Both candidates are seeking to replace Democrat Chris Gregoire, who did not seek a third term.
The debate at the Yakima Convention Center showed a sharp difference between the candidates over a federal plan to expand Medicaid in the state to cover more people without health insurance.
McKenna said he was opposed to the proposal, because the federal government will pay the costs only for the first three years.
"Medicaid is a basic safety net, not insurance," McKenna said.
He said the proposal would prompt thousands of people to drop private insurance and enroll in Medicaid.
But Inslee called it a "no-brainer" that he supported. Washington residents already pay the medical costs of uninsured people who show up at hospitals, he said.
"We all pay $1,000 a year because of uninsured folks," Inslee said.
McKenna, the state attorney general, made a portion of his opening remarks in Spanish, a nod to the large Hispanic population of the Yakima Valley. Inslee, meanwhile, talked of how he spent years as a lawyer in the Yakima area and launched his political career here, including his first term in Congress. He later moved to the Seattle area and won a congressional seat there.
Inslee said he opposed Initiative 1185, which is on the November ballot and calls for a two-thirds vote of the public to raise taxes. He said the law dilutes the concept of one person, one vote. The correct path, he said, is to grow the economy so the state does not need to raise taxes.
McKenna said Washington residents have supported similar bills four times in the past and clearly approve of the concept. He said he would seek to uphold the initiative if it passed.
On the issue of jobs, McKenna said it is too expensive for small businesses to hire people in Washington, and reform is needed on unemployment insurance, workers compensation and business regulation. Inslee pointed to his 75-point plan to spur an innovative economy.
Asked about a shortage of farm labor, a major issue in central Washington, Inslee said the immigration issue had been politicized by the Republican Party and comprehensive immigration reform is needed.
"One of the parties has decided to use immigration and fear of immigration as a wedge issue," Inslee said.
McKenna replied that if Inslee wanted to pursue immigration reform, he should have stayed in Congress.
"It's an irony to be chastised by a Republican on this subject," Inslee retorted.
McKenna said he opposes Washington's law that grants driver's licenses to people without requiring proof of legal residence. Both candidates said they support the concept of a temporary permit for driving that is not a state driver's license.
Given a chance to ask McKenna a question, Inslee asked which state environmental laws should be lowered to be the same as federal standards.
"I don't believe we should reduce our standards," Inslee said.
But McKenna said a mish-mash of local, state and federal environmental laws made no sense.
"We should be looking for harmony in standards," McKenna said, and the state should not automatically pursue standards that are tougher than the federal government's.
On the issue of gang violence in the Yakima Valley, Inslee said a solution would include more resources for law enforcement, a system to help move kids out of gangs and back into schools, and removal of "nuisance locations" where gangs congregate.
McKenna said one barrier was convincing the Legislature about the scope of the problem. He proposed going after the leaders of gangs.
McKenna said a ballot initiative that would legalize recreational use of marijuana should be defeated because it will still be a federal crime to use marijuana. The issue is a federal one, he said.
Inslee also did not support the initiative but said he supported the medical use of marijuana.
After watching the Yakima debate, it was obvious one candidate clearly prevailed. His information was factual, his knowledge broad, his answers were in direct response to the questions, and he was considerate of the Hispanic population of the Yakima Valley and the coalition that helped organize the event. His plans were reasoned, his goals well stated and couched in concise language.
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After watching the news and reading the article, here attached, it is clear that one candidate in this "democratic leaning" state is receiving the nod of the press despite his obvious avoidance of answering some questions and his redundancy and occasional bumbling in responding to others. His false accusations of his opponent's responsibility for court ordered or legislatively generated plans are forgiven by a sympathetic press.
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This state has its issues. Solutions are required moving forward. One candidate is clearly more qualified. That he doesn't fit the mold of the current administration should not be the reason to denigrate or ignore his obvious  ability. The media's job is to inform, theoretically in an unbiased fashion.  We, members of the public, believe it or not, are not dumb. We are capable of making decisions based on facts that have been presented in an unbiased fashion.
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Mr. McKenna's understanding of issues and skill at debate should be acknowledged and applauded. Â
Republicans have gone off the deep end of extremism. Why would anyone vote for these people and their "social issues" They appear to have a problem with everyone. Women, Blacks, Mexicans, Muslims, Gays, teachers, Unions, Evolution, abortion, blah blah blah the list goes on..... I want a government for ALL people not just the rich, male, bigoted greedy racist, whites of America.
 @Andrew Bush I have a problem taking anyone seriously that uses "blah blah blah the list goes on" as part of their argument.
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Why would anyone vote for a Republican? How about to reign in spending and government waste.
Inslee is a rubber stamp politician who will do nothing but extend the Gregoire downward spiral of this state .
As someone who often votes Democrat more than GOP I have to say I was embarrassed by Inslee's performance. McKenna wiped the floor with him. Inslee should have pounded McKenna for wasting our money on the lawsuit opposing the ACA even after the Governor asked him not to, and then the Supreme Court upheld the ACA anyway and he lost. How many millions of tax dollars did McKenna waste on that?
 @NorthwestEconomist They reported McKenna and his venture with the other tea party extremist governors cost the tax payers 50 MILLION dollars in their failed attempt to get rid of the affordable care act. Â
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 @Andrew Bush Let;s not forget how much Inslee cost us with his vote for the Stimulus Package.  Which has failed miserably and has not resulted in anywhere near  the economic growth and recovery suggested.Â
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Lets see, I think that was $819 billion.
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 @NorthwestEconomist But it is the AG's job to protect the interests of the people of the state he represents.  He did what he considered to be appropriate.  The AG is not the Governor's attorney but rather the people's.  I don't think any of would want to live in a state that the AG was only backing and pursuing issues supported by its Governor.  That is a slippery slope.
 @JCCBlvu  @NorthwestEconomist The polls showed a majority of WA likes and supports the ACA. Go out and ask people if they'd like to go back to being denied for pre-existing conditions or losing coverage when they get sick.
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People petitioned him to drop the lawsuit and it was clear to him that the majority will of WA voters wanted him to. He refused and wasted our money and the Supreme Court slapped him back. The whole thing was very regrettable because until that point I believed he was moderate and considered voting for him.
 @NorthwestEconomist    Only Roberts (who is assumed Republican and Conservative) voted to uphold the law.  The other conservative justice's (assumed Republican) wrote and held the dessenting opinion.  That does not mean then that those 4 justices had to admit the law was legit. The  decision was 5-4 to uphold.  The dessenting legal opinion remains of record.  That being, they believed (and still believe) the individual mandate is unconstitutional.
 @JCCBlvu The Supreme Court ruled on it, those 25 other states were all on the lawsuit for pure partisan reasons, and yet republican appointees on the supreme court had to admit the law was legit. This just shows us that McKenna is a tool of the national GOP agenda and has no independent thought.Â
@NorthwestEconomist
I think 25 other states Attorney's General would disagree with you. Â
But you're probably right... I'm sure your legal knowledge and background is much more extensive than theirs.Â
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 @Gino  @NorthwestEconomist  @JCCBlvu No, I was just trying to make the point that there was no basis at all for his lawsuit.
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-The governor, a fellow attorney, asked him not to.
-The majority of the people in WA asked him not to.
-Prevailing legal thought was that the law was OK which the SCOTUS verified
-It was clear from the beginning that all/most of the provisions were tied to the individual mandate in terms of sustainability.
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He had no standing at the end of the day for his actions, and everyone tried warning him about it ahead of time, but he refused to listen.Â
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His excuse for refusing to abide by 502 if it passes would be that it contradicts Federal Law. Yet he had no problem contradicting the ACA in spite of overwhelming local and national opposition. Apparently McKenna picks the federal laws he likes to follow. Is this someone we want as Governor?
 @NorthwestEconomist  @JCCBlvu The polls showed a majority of WA likes and supports the ACA.
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So thinking along your lines: If the majority of the people in this state were to oppose gay marriage, we should just ban it and be done with it. Right?
 @JCCBlvu Most of the prevailing thought was that if the mandate went down everything else would go down too since the mandate is what makes all the other provisions affordable. He knew that, and he chose to keep going.
 @Snarklepuss  @NorthwestEconomist Most of the prevailing thought was that if the mandate went down everything else would go down too since the mandate is what makes all the other provisions affordable. He knew that, and he chose to keep going.
@NorthwestEconomist The lawsuit wasn't about the issue of pre-existing conditions, it was about the ability of government to force an individual to purchase a product from a company.
@NorthwestEconomist
I for one appreciate that an AG does not make his decision based on polls but rather his or her intrepretation of the law.
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The ACA suit was based on whether or not the federal government had the power to mandate individuals to purchase insurance from a private company. The suit, as filed, would have allowed the Justices to strike down the individual mandate without invalidating the entire law. Thereby keeping in place a number of the provisions that would help those that have pre-existing conditions keep and/or obtain coverage.
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McKenna's approach to this suit in my opinion was thoughtful, careful, and needed. Â
Everyone I know in Yakima hates Inslee. He was a one termer over there.
How can anyone who watched that debate even think that Jay Inslee is qualified to the Governor or Washington?He should how truly out-of-touch he is. Â His debate skills were terrible. Â No wonder he wasn't very effective in WDC! Please please please people --- don't send him to Olympia!
Maybe it is time for a change in Olympia.
"Inslee said he opposed Initiative 1185, which is on the November ballot and calls for a two-thirds vote of the public to raise taxes. He said the law dilutes the concept of one person, one vote. The correct path, he said, is to grow the economy so the state does not need to raise taxes."
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Excellent! I propose an improvement to that idea. How about we grow the economy such that a two-thirds vote to raise taxes for whatever purpose becomes feasible. Until then, no new taxes.
McKenna helped show what an out-of-touch-with-reality person Inslee is. Inslee sounded like he was reading from a teleprompter with every answer. It's like he memorized written responses, bad pronunciation and all. McKenna clearly had a firm grasp of each subject and was clear, concise, and to the point. Inslee wore out his shoes dancing around the subject, not answering questions, and repeating himself when asked to, or offering to clarify something. McKenna is smart. If Inslee is smart he will avoid any more public batterings like last night.
This article states that this State is Democratic leaning.... that is a total understatement! I've had enough of it. Seattle Times...take a hike forever!
 @RCF ......KOMO.....AP
pbs... you had 'em until ALL CAPS... DTMDÂ You obviously missed the 'Pres' addressing NATOÂ in Farsi to speak to his devoted muslim audience. Hope this means you're voting against Obama too!!
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I watched the debate and I must say I had no idea that McKenna was such a snippy little thing.
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He's not even the slightest bit likable.Â
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Inslee cam across as respectful and reasonable.Â
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McKenna is too EXTREME for Washington State.Â
 @Andrew Bush ....so is the current Gov. to extreme for you.....ya know, the whole $10 BILLION dollar deficit she got us into along with her crack addicted house dogs in the capitol.??
(crack = our tax dollars).Â
 @Andrew Bush You have very low standards and your evaluation of the debate is shallow. BTW, your Obama phone is ringing....better get it.
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 @CenterFire  @Andrew Bush Keep Obama in president. Obama phone
 @Andrew Bush
This state has a proud history of always supporting liberal dolts. What a surprise. Â
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Define "too extreme". Desire to limit taxes and control spending, "too extreme" ???
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For the average socialist mush brain in this state, you have made your point. Wealth bad. Accomplishment bad. Distribution of gain from others efforts good. Free Obama phone and food stamps, good. Big cars bad. Big companies bad.
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Hmm. Can't recall last time I worked for someone poorer than me. Pretty stupid.
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Vote for the Marxist. Vote for the usual losers. Be like California and go totally broke. Vote for more benefits to non citizens, free medical pot and be sure to always blame Bush for your issues.
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Who gives a rat's backside if you "like" him. So what. Can he manage an out of control state?
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YES HE CAN. LET US HOPE FOR SOME CHANGE OVER THE USUAL IMBECILES.
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People like Obozo and Gargoyle cannot. Neither can manage a rest stop. I mean please, a "community organism" and an self entitled election theft Demonrat queen. Awesome.
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Hey wait, I can blame Bush this time. You would vote for a male Gregoire. Way to go Bush.
@pbs7mm @Andrew Bush Awesome! As you can see there's no brain in Andrew Bush, probably was smoking weed and now has no brain!
 @pbs7mm Cuckoo, cuckoo!  No wait!  Caw, caw!
 @pbs7mm You need to play the glad game and turn that frown upside down. Â
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Thanks to Mckenna for helping me to make my decision. When you open the debate speaking spanish , and then follow in english, this is a no brainer for me. This is not mexico, this is america. Last time I checked, English is still the primary language.
@DTMD The fact that you are basing your vote on a couple words in Spanish and not the State's economic condition, unemployment rate or lack of business growth pretty much sums it up.
 @DTMD @DTMD Really you don't want to take a look at the financial issues our state and country has. Well, guess what, you will be forced to deal with them in 2-3 years when we go into hyper-inflation.
 @DTMD I missed the very beginning. Did Inslee open speaking Spanish? I heard him pandering at the end with "muchas gracias".Â
 @CenterFire  @DTMD I can't believe what I was hearing when I heard it on radio this morning. McKenna is better than that. He didn't need to pander. Although that part really frosts my nuts, I'm still voting for him. Inslee is way out of his league and out of touch with reality, trying to be governor.Â
He said Buenos dias or the equivalent.
 @CenterFire  @DTMD Jay will continue the Democrats policy of making this a D-State a magnet for illegals.
No proof of residency to get a driver's license, sanctuary cities & counties, opportunity to cast a vote for the same said democrats,
Preference over REAL citizens when it come to college admission.....and the beat goes on.