Live from UNYTEA debate

The three prospective candidates for the Republican nomination in the 23rd Congressional District will debate tonight at the West Side Ballroom in Plattsburgh. The forum is sponsored by the Upstate New York Tea Party, which sponsored a similar event during last fall's special election.

Matt Doheny, a Watertown businessman, Doug Hoffman, a Lake Placid accountant and Paul Maroun, a Tupper Lake resident and Franklin County legislator are all here.

In the crowd is David Kimmel, a Republican candidate running in a GOP primary for the 114th Assembly District against Assemblywoman Janet Duprey, R-Peru. Also here is Jefferson County GOP Chairman Don Coon, St. Lawrence County GOP Chairwoman Nancy Martin and 223 other politically active people.

A few observations about the crowd. It's 100 percent white, 60 percent male with an average age in the 40s. Joe LoTemplio, the Plattsburgh Press Republican's political reporter, says he sees a lot of members from the Champlain Valley Right to Life here.

I'll give updates as the forum unfolds, provided that my WiFi connection holds.

The three candidates were just introduced separately, but no one candidate got a bigger pop than the others.

Paul Maroun intro statement:

"I'm a little ashamed that some of the votes that our congressman made." (big applause)

"I would have know that Fort Drum was going to lose $40 million. I wouldn't have had Chuck Schumer had to tell me."

"For Bill Owens, who made $750,000 last year alone, to say tort reform is not important for health care in this country, that's just not the way to do business."

Doug Hoffman intro:

"We're fed up. And after Sunday, we have to fight back. We have to work hard to repeal that health care bill. That's going to be devastating for America."

"We have to fight for our grandchildren's future. It's on the line. If we don't fight now, they're not going to enjoy the America that we enjoyed growing up."

"I believe the golden goose is being killed one step at a time. And the golden goose is the free enterprise system. And we have to fight for that."

"We cannot continue to run Albany and Washington the way we have and see it go down the tubes. We have to stand up and fight back - and that's what we're going to do."

Matt Doheny:

"I come from a humble background and I worked hard for everything in my life."

"Folks, we are at a serious point in time in our country. ... If you look at the ridiculous bills over the course of the last two years. You think about bailing out banks and auto parts manufacturers, it simply can't happen any more. If you think about the stimulus already laying more debt on our overburden system."

"Voting for me - the first thing I will do is repeal and replace the health care."

"Saying no to bailouts. Saying no to nationalizing our economy. Saying yes to freedom and opportunity."

"You need to decide over the next six months who is up to the task. The only task is who can beat Bill Owens in November? I believe I am the person."

First question: Health care aside, what do you think is the most important issue facing this country today?

Maroun: "The defense of America is probably the most important issue. I know jobs are important. But if you remember what happened after 9/11, the stock market went down and it caused a lot of the problems we have today. ... The tone of war and the way we have to defend ourselves has changed. If we don't defend ourselves and don't defend America and don't keep our defenses strong, ..." (we'll have more economic problems.)

Hoffman: "We need a strong national defense and that's important. But unfortunately, we need a strong economy to pay for that defense. ... If we don't build up small businesses so they can thrive and grow," (can't pay for defense).

"You don't do that by taxing them to death and regulating them to death. That's the major issue in America right now. Small business constitute 95 percent of businesses. ... In the 23rd district, small business is the economic engine. And we have to help them grow and prosper." ... (want to reduce taxes, reduce regulations)

"That health care bill is going to kill small businesses, kill economic growth."

Doheny: There's no quesiton that right now in terms of people on the street is that people are concerned about jobs and economic development. It's just that simple.

"I've signed a no tax pledge. I'm sure everyone else on this dais will too. Electing Matt Doheny is a promise that I will never raise your taxes. Period. Full stop."

"You have to go ahead and let people with the creative talents to go ahead and pursue their own American dream. You cannot continue on with excessive taxes and regulations that make no sense. It's a policy that will ruin our economy."

"All the special interests will continue on... I'm going to go down and fight for every one of you, not a special interest, not a carve out. ... It's that type of thinking you need to bring to Washington which is sorely, sorely lacking."

"You need to bring the core fiscal discipline, lowering taxes and reducing regulations."

Question two: Illegal immigration

Hoffman: "It's illegal. You can't tolerate that." (big applause) "Obviously, we have to do something to make the illegal aliens go back. We need to develop a system to make it easy for employers who need help to get employees on a short-term basis."

"We have apple pickers that come in every year illegally. ... We have that happening in Lake Placid in the hotel and restaurant industry. ... Why can't we close our borders to our illegal aliens?"

"We have to make the paperwork work and make sure people are here legally. And the illegals have to go home."

Doheny: sad that's easier for illegal immigrants to enter our country than legals to enter legal.

"We can't have amnesty in this country. Illegal means illegal. ... Amnesty will not work. ... Two basic things: One is more enforcement. ... Two, develop a robust guestworker program."

"Lastly, immigration is part of an overall national question. This is why we - "

"At the end of the day, this just tells me why we need English as a national language as well." (applause)

Maroun: "These people are breaking the laws of the USA. We have to export them and put them back in their country. ... If you break the law - which these people are doing - you have to be exported back to your own country."

"We also have to get on a track that allows immigrants to be citizens of this country. ... " (I'll clean this up later. Sorry. It's going fast.)

"may mean beefing up our border patrols"

Question three: A situation where you stood up for what you believed in, even when the majority disagreed with you?

Hoffman: I think I proved last year that I'm a man of principles and I can stand up and fight when I think it's appropriate to fight. ... At first, I was on the wrong side of the track and I think I was in the minority. But by sticking to my principles and fighting hard for it, it came around. And that's what I'll do as your congressman.

Maroun: I know just about everyone in this group doesn't want no new taxes, and either do I. .... But one tax I will support: war tax. ... If our men and women need money for themselves to be trained or armed, I will never let a veteran active or retired or disable down. If that means we have to create a special tax to keep them out of harm's way, I know I will support it. I know that's not popular in this room.

Doheny: I'm a person who believes in right and wrong and I will stick up for that. ... (actually, he didn't have a good answer for that)

Question four: Abortion and same-sex marriage

Maroun: I am absolutely opposed to same-sex marriage. (big applause). I think the marriage proper is between a man and a woman and I don't think it should be any other way. I think there could be civil rights.

Abortion: I'm a practicing Catholic and I oppose abortion period.

Hoffman: With marriage, I feel that it should only be between a man and a woman.

I am pro-life. Period.

Doheny: I also believe that it's squarely and only between a man and a woman.

When it comes to abortion, it's a pesonal very very difficult for myself. I'm a life long Catholic. ... But when it comes to government and the coercive part of the government, I believe in freedom. For the first trimester, I believe in a woman's right to choose.

I'm squarely any government funding for abortion. ... opposed to partial birth abortion. ... believe in parental notification.

Question five: How do we know you will vote independently and do what's in the best interests of the United States?

Hoffman: The fact that I'm here today is because I'm sick and tired of politicians and lawyers running this country.

Doheny: I don't need the job. ... It's not going to be financially beneficially. It's not going to make my life better. But my job is to represent each and every one of you. ... How do we correct the system so that we don't have to listen to myself? The answer is simple, folks. Term limits. Term limits. Term limits. ... We have eight years for the president of the United States. ... If that's such a good idea, let's finish the job. ... Two things: Let's cut congressional salaries. ... If that doesn't get me locked out of the cloakroom ... cut pensions for these people. It's simple as that. I'm going to be a stalwart for people in congress if you guys want to send me.

Cut the pay and get rid of the pension. You won't need to ask me those questions, because the system will take care of itself.

Maroun: I'm going to go to Washington and do what I think is right and fair. ... You've got three good people who want to go down and I think all three of us are going to do a good job.

Question six: Entitlements

Doheny: Nearly two-thirds of budget are entitlement. ... How do you get it under control? .. Social Security ... The system just doesn't work. ... You have to respect, honor and you have a moral obligation to honor all the payments that are made into the system. ... There's some common sense basic reform steps that have to be done. ... Everyone loves a 401k. ... The fact that we don't have that as part of our SS system is nonsensical.

Barack Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid want to tell you what to do. I want to give you ... (sorry. too fast.)

Maroun: You don't want to take away money for people who paid into it. ... If you're under $109,000 a year, you have to pay a Social Security tax. If you make $110k or more, you don't have to pay on that extra. If everyone paid what they're paying ... you should be paying on the full balance of your Social Security. ... It's several billions of dollars that would come into the treasury.

We have to come up with a way that people my age and younger can set aside money so that when they turn 65 or retire, they don't end up on Medicaid. ... It's not right that all of us in this room have to pay, but someone making more than $110k doesn't have to pay based on what he makes beyond that.

Hoffman: Congress and president have spent $5 trillion more than they took in the last year. ... We have to do something about people who think you can just keep handing out money. ... The era I grew up in is what can you do for your country. Now it's gimmee gimmee gimmee.

I'd fight programs and try to repeal the health care that's going to be a $1 trillion over the next 10 years. ... I would have fought hard against the drug bill, because we knew Social Security was going on the rocks since I was growing up. So are why were we adding to it and adding to it?

We have to protect the promises we already have.