Adler-Runyan debate

by: Hopeful

Fri Aug 27, 2010 at 08:34:05 PM EDT

According to KYR, both candidates claim to support freedom of religion yet are trying to pressure a religious group to move their house of worship. Do you want to vote for Adler, who calls the Muslims in New York indecent, or Runyan, who calls them "tasteless" ?

Philly.com has a more detailed account of the debate, where the candidates apparently agreed on many other subjects besides religious minorities outside New Jersey.

If one could believe his words, Runyan apparently would oppose the plan to extend the Bush tax cuts:

Runyan said tax cuts must be matched by spending cuts. He criticized the stimulus package, and said the government was "trying to buy their way out of a recession."

although of course we know that's not actually Republican policy. I think it will be interesting to see if Runyan is lying by commission or ignorance, but it's all moot since Democrats are too weak to let the cuts expire anyway.  

Adler did defend the stimulus:

Adler agreed with the need to curb spending, and said he consistently voted against wasteful spending in Congress. But he defended President Obama's stimulus package because it sent millions of dollars to New Jersey and included tax cuts for families.

"To suggest somehow that the stimulus failed because it didn't bring us out of the recession, I think it's one of the political tactics people take when they're desperate," Adler said

Runyan also opposes any timetable in Afghanistan.

In other words, Adler is a lousy Congressman but Runyan will be worse. I hope the debate video is posted online after airing.