By RYAN RAUZON
Candidates from Utah’s most heated Congressional race met on Wednesday, discussing among other things, the effects of negative campaigning.
Democratic challenger Lily Eskelsen and Republican incumbent Merrill Cook took their differences to the debate floor in the last of KBYU’s televised debates.
Candidates fielded questions from local college and high school students, and remained relatively calm, despite past encounters of interruptions and outbursts.
Cook began the debate reaffirming his position on the possibility of an impeachment hearing against President Clinton.
“What our president has done is indefensible,” he said. “His actions have been against the constitution and he should be punished accordingly.”
Eskelsen agreed, reminding voters that she was the first Democrat to ask President Clinton to resign.
“I won’t pre-judge President Clinton without seeing the evidence, but I think it would be honorable for him to step down,” Eskelsen said.
Asked whether her campaign’s negative television ads were appropriate, Eskelsen said she displayed nothing in her ads that she couldn’t back up in writing.
“I have the documentation to prove everything in those ads,” she said. “Merrill continues to misquote me, however, placing remarks I never said in quotations,” Eskelsen added.
Cook repeatedly said Eskelsen’s ads were trying to destroy his high approval ratings.
“Lily’s television campaign has tried to smother people’s positive perception of me,” he said. “Mudslinging and personal attacks don’t need to be a part of any campaign.”
Cook also acknowledged the unattractive photographs shown in the ads.
“I’ll admit that sometimes I have bad hair days,” Cook said.
Eskelsen agreed that issues should dominate any political campaign.
The debates frequently returned to the issue of education. Eskelsen, a sixth grade school teacher, said she is better suited to address issues of education.
“I’m a school teacher. I’ve taught 38 kids in a classroom at the same time. I think I’ve learned a thing or two from that, including the effects of growth,” Eskelsen said.
Cook said he was best suited to address issues of taxation and social security.
“The number one most important issue for me,that congress has direct control over, is fair tax codes. We can improve taxation,” Cook said.
Cook said he’d like to see the entire Internal Revenue Service wiped out with implementation of a straight income or sales tax.
Eskelsen called his plan “unrealistic” and, using one of Cook’s lines, “out of touch” with second district residents.
Both candidates said soft money donations should be restricted, but admitted to accepting forms of soft money for their campaigns.
“I have to level the playing field. You can’t win without a level playing field,” Eskelsen said.
Cook said he’s told his party to change campaign finance, but that they “don’t always listen.”
