Platts, Avillo, Maitland (Jason Malmont/The Sentinel)

War, anti-incumbency mood dominate debate

By John Hilton, Sentinel Reporter, October 10, 2006

Congressman Todd Platts’ Democrat opponent called for an end to the “occupation” in Iraq Monday — highlighting the incumbent’s unwavering support for the unpopular war.

“It is setting us back,” said York College professor Phil Avillo, an ex-Marine who lost his left leg in Vietnam. “We must have a tougher, smarter plan.”

Green Party candidate Derf Maitland, who owns a book store in Hanover, joined Avillo in criticizing Platts’ positions during the debate at Dickinson College’s Anita Tuvin Schlecter Auditorium.

Both declined to back down, waving off Platts’ challenge to “run a positive campaign” that doesn’t focus on his performance during his six years in office.

“I’m in this because I’m not happy with the representation we have,” Maitland said, “and if I’m not happy, I’m going to speak out about it.”
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Mood among voters

Not surprisingly, the challengers saved their best lines for the Iraq war and the anti-incumbency mood among voters.

“The current people in Washington have made power an end in and of itself and that’s gotta stop,” Avillo said. “We need new leadership in Washington at every single level.”

Awarded the Purple Heart for his Vietnam service, Avillo said he would support ousting Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and ramping up diplomatic efforts — all in the name of “redeployment of our men and women in Iraq to get them out of the crosshairs. We owe it to them.”
Several hundred people filled Dickinson’s Schlechter Auditorium on Monday to listen to the 19th Congressional candidates debate the issues (Jason Malmont/The Sentinel)

Platts countered by noting the best intelligence at the time indicated Saddam Hussein was a major threat to the United States.

He conceded the information was faulty, but said the invasion freed 25 million people from Hussein’s reign of terror.

‘Cut-and-run’ not option

The congressman visited Iraq for the fourth time earlier this year and has been solidly behind President George W. Bush on the war.

“When it comes to Iraq, cut-and-run is not an option,” Platts warned his opponents. “Stay the course is not an option. The only option is winning the war.”

“In its present situation, it’s not winnable,” Maitland responded. “There is a middle course. Unless you choose that middle course, you’re going to be rolling that rock up the hill and up the hill.”

The debate drew strong policy differences between the candidates as they covered a wide range of issues in the two-hour event.

For example, Avillo favors amnesty for illegal immigrants already living in the U.S. Platts does not. Maitland supports an income cutoff for Social Security eligibility. Platts does not.

Avillo endorses a national health care plan, “one that is affordable.” Platts said, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution,” and added he would not support a national health plan if it resembles the Clintons’ proposal introduced in 1993.

Where’s ‘higher standard’?

Of course, the Mark Foley scandal eventually surfaced. Platts lumped Foley in with former Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham, who was convicted of bribery and tax evasion charges earlier this year, and Rep. William Jefferson, who awaits his day in court on bribery charges.

“Our office should be held to a higher standard,” Platts said. “Unfortunately, we’ve not seen that.”

The incumbent took issue with Maitland’s general comments about the culture of doing anything to get re-elected in Washington. Platts noted he was one of just 20 House Republicans — out of 233 — who voted against the lobbyist disclosure bill because it didn’t go far enough to ban gifts and travel.

“I return home every night to this district,” Platts said. “One reason I do that is to stay grounded in central Pennsylvania values.”

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