Accusations of dishonesty and Republican involvement fired up the debate between Congressional District 33 Democrats Domingo Garcia and Marc Veasey as they squared off at 四虎影院 Tuesday.
When asked to explain who has the better temperament to get results in Washington, Garcia, an attorney who served on the Dallas city council and in the state legislature, proudly stood by his reputation for inviting confrontation.
鈥淚鈥檓 a fighter,鈥� said Garcia. 鈥淚鈥檝e always been a fighter always taking on the status quo, whether it was fighting for inclusion of minorities in 14-1 in Dallas County, whether it was taking on the Republicans on the Texas Dream Act and immigration.鈥�
Veasey, a Fort Worth real estate agent and state representative, said he鈥檚 the candidate who can get things done because he鈥檚 a team builder, trusted by legislative colleagues to lead Democratic efforts.
鈥淭hey elected me to be the whip my freshman year because they felt I had the temperament and the skills and the courage needed in order to fight Republicans like Tom Craddick,鈥� said Veasey.
With the mention of former Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick, Garcia launched an attack on Veasey鈥檚 Democratic credentials.
鈥淢r. Veasey鈥檚 first vote as a state representative was to vote and elect Tom Craddick as a Republican Speaker,鈥� said Garcia. 鈥淚鈥檓 kind of shocked that you voted in the Republican primary in 1996 and voted for Bob Dole over Bill Clinton.鈥�
Veasey shot back, 鈥淥nce again Mr. Garcia is being dishonest. The vote for Speaker is one that is just parliamentary. We did not have a Democrat that was running for Speaker.鈥�
Veasey explained voting in the 1996 Republican primary by saying he was just 24 years old and it was a protest vote against Republican Phil Gramm.
But Garcia wouldn鈥檛 accept the explanation.
鈥淕ood Democrats, they file their protest votes in November in the general election not in the primary,鈥� said Garcia.
鈥淗illary Clinton also cast a protest vote when she voted against Goldwater,鈥� Veasey replied.
鈥淭o paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen- I know Hillary Clinton and you are no Hillary Clinton.鈥� said Garcia.
Veasey鈥檚 response: 鈥淚n order to paraphrase Lloyd Bentsen I would say that Mr. Garcia is one of the most distrusted Democrats in the entire state.鈥�
While the two do agree on many policy issues they disagree on Lockheed Martin鈥檚 building of the F-35 fighter plane in Fort Worth.
Veasey applauds the hundreds of North Texas jobs created by the program. Garcia says Lockheed would be better off focusing on the older F-16 fighter jet because the F-35 is a budget buster.
鈥淲e need to be smart about how we use our tax dollars because these are tax contracts,鈥� said Garcia.
鈥淢r. Garcia needs to get caught up on this aviation defense knowledge because the F-16 is a plane that is currently on its way out,鈥� said Veasey.
Garcia also said he strongly supports lowering the penalties for being caught with marijuana. During the debate Veasey said he鈥檚 concerned about stiff jail sentences but he didn鈥檛 take a position. Veasey鈥檚 campaign later said he does not support decriminalizing pot.
In summing it up for voters the candidates returned to that question of temperament and who can get results for voters.
Is it Garcia who says he鈥檚 a fighter?
鈥淲e need to make sure you have somebody who will fight for you, who won鈥檛 say, 鈥淚 got a $1,000 contribution for this specific interest group and therefore I鈥檓 going to vote with that group.鈥�
Or Veasey who claims to be a more trusted Democrat?
鈥淚 am going to the Congressman who fights for local jobs. I am the strong and trusted Democrat in this race,鈥� claimed Veasey.
You can hear the entire half hour debate between Marc Veasey and Domingo Garcia at 10 p.m. on 四虎影院 TV, Channel 13. It airs on 四虎影院 90.1 Sunday at 5 p.m. Or, watch below:
