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CD8 debate blog and reader chat

Here's a transcript of the reader chat that accompanied the May 23 debate among candidates in Arizona's 8th Congressional District: Democrat Ron Barber, Republican Jesse Kelly, and Green Charlie Manolakis.

3rd & 7 37yd

Does Mr. Barber have any real answers? We need ANSWERS now.

by AMom 5/24/2012 2:21:03 AM
Times have changed way toomuch since 2010. We are in such poor shape. Our economy in the gutter. Tax cuts and keeping cooperations here instead of going abroad actually strengthens the so called 1%

by Aaron M. 5/24/2012 2:21:47 AM
Kelly is running on the platform that lost him the race in a Repubican landslide year. I'm waiting for his other old ideas to resurface... "rethinking" the minimum wage and allowing "free choice" in healthcare (ie, throwing the patients out of their homes when they can't pay their bills).

by Pamela 5/24/2012 2:21:57 AM
Barbie hasn't a clue

by justsaynotobho 5/24/2012 2:22:01 AM
How to protect Social Security? Kelly says "the only way we will save it" and meet the promises made to Americans "... is to grow the economy and grow it quickly." Energy is the way, he says, to create "millions of jobs, trillions of new revenue to the government." Also, he says, give future generations choices on Social Security.
Barber says the answers are to get people back to work to pay into the system, to prohibit people from leaving the system "as Mr. Kelly suggests," because that will hurt solvency; and to find a bipartisan solution.

by Norma Coile, Arizona Daily... 5/24/2012 2:22:06 AM
.@RonBarberAZ is right. Privatizing Social Security is the wrong course. @VoteJesseKelly? Not so much. #AZ08

by andymstone via twitter 5/24/2012 2:22:49 AM
Why won't @RonBarberAZ answer a direct question? Answer the questions Ron #AZ08

by AZ_Wraith via twitter 5/24/2012 2:22:51 AM
baby boomers will never get their "contributions" back, much less any return on their investment.

by beth 5/24/2012 2:23:16 AM
Barber in way over his head. I want a candidate that has his own ideas. Not a puppet. Barber may have been a good manager of the district. But he is no congressman.

by Aaron M. 5/24/2012 2:23:21 AM
Democrat Ron Barber, left, Republican Jesse Kelly and Green Charlie Manolakis during the U.S. Congressional District 8 special election debate at the Tucson Jewish Community Center, Wed. May 23, 2012, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell/ARIZONA DAILY STAR

by Johanna Eubank, tucson.com 5/24/2012 2:23:30 AM
@VoteJesseKelly nailed it Jesse!! Nice!

by JonJustice via twitter 5/24/2012 2:23:49 AM
How will Barbie get people back to work? No answer, just take from others. We do have tremendous amount of energy resources.

by justsaynotobho 5/24/2012 2:23:53 AM
Kelly is puuuuurrrrreeeeee Tea Party

by The Man 5/24/2012 2:23:57 AM
Kelly challenges Barber's comment that "we cannot allow people to opt out," and Kelly retorts, "This is not Europe, this is not Russia ... We are the land of the free" and should have the liberty to opt out of the system.

by Norma Coile, Arizona Daily... 5/24/2012 2:23:59 AM
You can listen now to the CD8 debate live on the radio at 1030 AM in the #Tucson area or online at kvoi.com. #AZ08

by VoteJesseKelly via twitter 5/24/2012 2:24:07 AM
The way to save Social Security is to raise the level for contributions from ~$100,000. Yes, millionaires and billionaires only pay Social Security on the first ~$100,000. That's not fair.

by Pamela 5/24/2012 2:24:19 AM
@VoteJesseKelly #cd8debate Does Barber not realize that every time he tries to defend SS he is explaining exactly why it's a Ponzi Scheme.

by JonJustice via twitter 5/24/2012 2:24:52 AM
@VoteJesseKelly gives inspiring argument for American exceptionalism and freedom. #AZ08 #debate

by Scarpinato via twitter 5/24/2012 2:24:53 AM
Barber says that any privatization of Social Security "will bring the system to collapse. The math does not work." Also repeats his claim that Kelly used to say he would privatize or eliminate S.S. but now says otherwise.

by Norma Coile, Arizona Daily... 5/24/2012 2:25:26 AM
Finally a border question. The missing issue in this race. #AZ08

by Josh Brodesky via twitter 5/24/2012 2:25:33 AM
mr barber: you've been part of the system that has violated our trust and squandered our money. buh bye.

by beth 5/24/2012 2:26:00 AM
@VoteJesseKelly is defending Americans; @RonBarberAZ is defending Washington #AZ08 #madeindc

by Scarpinato via twitter 5/24/2012 2:26:18 AM
by John Bolton, StarNet night... 5/24/2012 2:26:39 AM
Barber on border security: we need more Border Patrol agents and technology #AZ08

by TucsonStar via twitter 5/24/2012 2:26:54 AM
Barber wants to limit $$$ flow across border and improve communications along border. #AZ08

by Josh Brodesky via twitter 5/24/2012 2:27:23 AM
oh goody. more federales.

by beth 5/24/2012 2:27:56 AM
no, thank you.

by beth 5/24/2012 2:28:10 AM
states rights rule.

by beth 5/24/2012 2:28:11 AM
Green party guy wants #camels on the border instead of horses. #AZ08 oh yeah he wants a fence too.

by Josh Brodesky via twitter 5/24/2012 2:28:36 AM
On border security question, Green Party Charlie Manolakis suggests using camels rather than horses.

by BradyMcCombs via twitter 5/24/2012 2:28:48 AM
Manolakis on border security: why not camels instead of horses? He got some laughs. #AZ08 #bordercamels

by TucsonStar via twitter 5/24/2012 2:28:54 AM
On border security, Barber says he was former Rep. Giffords' lead on border issues, working with ranchers, border agents and others. "Ranchers should not have to live in fear on their land," he says. "We put together a package that put 1,000 new agents on the border," increased forward operating bases, provided more mobile surveillance including drones and horse patrols. "We need to stop the flow of money" of the cartels at the border, Barber says.

by Norma Coile, Arizona Daily... 5/24/2012 2:28:59 AM
Barbie - more salaries, no fence, more money, more future democrats

by justsaynotobho 5/24/2012 2:28:59 AM
final comment: these candidates are our best and brightest?

by beth 5/24/2012 2:29:21 AM
If you want to secure the border, end the ineffective War on Drugs and legalize pot. The War on Drugs doesn't work; usage and violence have only increased since it's beginning. Watch the PBS special on Prohibition and you will see that history is repeating itself.

by Pamela 5/24/2012 2:29:24 AM
Scarpinato, perhaps you should disclose your paid advocacy position for Jesse Kelly/NRCC?

by ShortTimer 5/24/2012 2:29:31 AM
Kelly: build a double layer border fence p.twimg.com

by Josh Brodesky via twitter 5/24/2012 2:30:00 AM
ShortTimer - we are pulling in Twitter posts with the #az08 hash tag, and that is where Mr. Scarpinato's comments originate.

by John Bolton, StarNet night... 5/24/2012 2:30:18 AM
Kelly on border security: a double-layer fence is needed. It worked in San Diego, he says. #AZ08

by TucsonStar via twitter 5/24/2012 2:30:22 AM
The fence works. Kelly is right.

by justsaynotobho 5/24/2012 2:30:47 AM
Why does the Star find insults like "Barbie" for Ron Barber acceptable for the live blog?

by ShortTimer 5/24/2012 2:31:00 AM
Remember Ron Barber took a bullet, got up, and is willing to stand up for us still

by The Man 5/24/2012 2:31:16 AM
Kelly says we should build the double-layer border fence as in San Diego, because 50 percent of the narcotics coming into the U.S. come through Southern Arizona and "Phoenix is now the kidnapping capital of the world." "Build the fence, get the manpower and resources we need, and we can solve this problem."

by Norma Coile, Arizona Daily... 5/24/2012 2:31:39 AM
Kelly says he liked a lot of what Charlie said about the border, "with the exception of the camel brigade" that Manolakis suggested.

by Norma Coile, Arizona Daily... 5/24/2012 2:32:18 AM