Sunday, October 15, 2006

Stabenow v. Bouchard - Post-Debate Analysis

I've had a chance to sit back, digest, read what I wrote, think about it and get to work. So let's look back at my predictions...

1) She's gonna knock him on experience, and she should.
Yes, but not so much. Mikey did serve in the Michigan Senate, but his tenure wasn't much to brag about.
2) He's gonna knock on her for her latest votes on the so-called Torture Ban. I'm hoping she can come back strong from it.
Didn't happen, at all, no mention - at first I got excited, but then realized he would have voted the exact same way. Darn.
3) She's gonna kick butt...and he'll make a noble effort, but she's still gonna kick butt.
Yes, yes and yes.

Performance Analysis.
Mikey - He's a good speaker, and comfortable in front of the camera (Amway Guy - are you taking notes here?) There a stutter, once or twice, but overall, not a bad job. He got a little hopped up once or twice, particularly when she struck him on the whole Jackson Mutual (getting a paycheck from a group who's website states that they promote out-sourcing from Michigan) I'm sure that the Repub's aren't complaining that Bouchard is slightly easy on the eyes, but I don't think there's any women swooning over him. B-
Debbie on the other hand, composed, very calm, didn't get excited like he did a couple times when she called him out on something. When he tried to slam her with something, she visibly took a breath look the camera square in the eye, and said her piece, cool as a cucumber. She was compassionate, and spoke with passion about growing up the church, getting jobs, protecting the environment, etc. Her vocal infliction was great, she definitely had the 'mother' feel to her, without being overbearing or annoying. A

Issue Analysis
Bouchard did a lot more complaining and whining and twisting facts around about Stabenow's record, than he did actually answer the questions. Wow, surprise, surprise, another page from the ol' Republican playbook. Look back at my unofficial transcript, and look how many times he didn't answer the question. He harped on security, this and that. Scaring us into voting again.
Stabenow answered the question everytime, but was clever about hitting him on the head with some nasty little barb about his paid efforts to help with job outsourcing (Jackson Mutual) and how thick he and Bush/Cheney are. Ouch! Truth hurts!!

Speaking of truth, here's a little reality fact checking from tonight's debate. Wonder how much of this mainstream Michigan media will actually publish?

Fact Checking
*Bouchard said that Stabenow's only managed to do one thing, name a federal building in Detroit.* FALSE
-According to conservative Washington Post - Stabenow "has written 68 amendments, 19 of which were adopted by her colleagues." Washington Post 9/26/06
Of those amendments -

1) Tax Relief for Job Creation - tax cut based on Stabenow's MORE JOBS bill, enacted into law in '04 giving manufacturers $2B in immediate tax relief for creating jobs in the U.S. rather than shipping
them overseas. [SA 2686, passed 3/22/04; Associated Press, 4/27/04]

2) Passage of a Transportation Bill Creating Over 61,000 Good Paying Jobs in Michigan: Senator Stabenow helped lead the delegation effort to secure more highway and road construction funds for Michigan. Signed into law in August 2005, the SAFETEA transportation bill provides $1.12 billion per year in highway funding and over $594 million in transit funding, significantly increasing Michigan's share of federal transportation funds. [S.1072, vote #14, 2/12/04; Detroit Free Press, 7/30/05; Associated Press, 7/29/05]

3)Authored the First Federal Ban on Great Lakes Drilling: Just six months into her Senate term, Senator Stabenow rallied bipartisan support to successfully pass the first ever federal ban on drilling for gas and oil in the Great Lakes to protect these waters and the jobs they support for future generations. [SA 987, passed 7/17/01; Toledo Blade, 8/7/05; Gannett News, 5/13/05

*Bouchard said that Sen. Stabenow has voted to raise taxes on Social Security.* FALSE
-
Stabenow voted to lower Social Security taxes multiple times: In 2003, she voted for a plan that according to Congressional Quarterly specifically “would have repealed a 1993 provision taxing 85 percent of the Social Security benefits of individuals and couples above a modest income level and two more times to push for lower taxes on Social Security benefits. In 2005, she voted again for lower taxes on Social Security. [CQ Daily Monitor, 5/15/03; SA 426, vote #101, 3/25/03; SA 589, vote #148, 5/15/03; SA 556, vote #149, 5/15/03; SA 243, vote #73, 3/17/05]

-Stabenow also has fought GOP efforts to offer Social Security privatization options for younger workers, a plan that Democrats were able to stop. [Detroit Free Press, 10/3/05]


Go, Debbie, go!
www.stabenowforsenate.com

1 comment:

Cathleen said...

Off topic- did you notice that you are being featured on Granholm's website?

You go girl!