Maggie Brooks and Louise Slaughter came out swinging tonight in their first debate. The candidates for the 25th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Slaughter and Republican Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks, squared-off in the WXXI studio.
The one-hour debate, which was moderated by 13WHAM’s Sean Carroll, followed a somewhat schizophrenic format. The candidates fielded questions from Carroll, a panel of media professionals, audience members, and back again. A rapid-fire round was thrown in for good measure.
Slaughter struck first in her opening statement, hammering away at the many scandals that have occurred in county government during Brooks’ time at the helm. When Brooks says all eyes are on Monroe County, she must mean the state comptroller and the attorney general, Slaughter said.
But Brooks didn’t blink. She continuously cast Slaughter as part of a dysfunctional federal government that is doing more to hurt than help the country.
The questions covered a lot of ground, including poverty, taxes, health care, education, and women’s rights. Both candidates had difficulty at times staying within the time limits and had to be cut off by Carroll.
No one landed a knockout blow, but both candidates got in their licks. Brooks, who seemed to pick up steam as the debate went on, said the race is a choice between “the best of our community and the worst of Washington.”
On health care, Slaughter said seniors should “be very afraid” if Brooks gets elected. Brooks and the GOP bash the Affordable Care Act, but they never offer suggestions to fix or replace it, Slaughter said.
“I have never been afraid to stand up for my beliefs,” she said, “even when I’m standing alone.”
This article appears in Best of Rochester 2012.
Karl Rove’s Super PAC, Crossroads GPS, has been sponsoring television campaign ads for Maggie Brooks. That she is endorsed and accepting aid from the organization headed by the White House advisor nicknamed as “George Bush’s Brain” should tell us all we need to know about Maggie Brooks. To allow her to represent us in the House of Representatives would be one more Representative voting to take us back to the criminal crony capitalism, jingoistic foreign policy and all-around disastrous policies of the Bush-Cheney administration.
Maggie Brooks has aligned herself with the plutocrats who drove our economy into a brick wall, fattened the pockets of the banksters and corporate robber barons at the expense of the middle class, and plunged the US into disastrous wars that racked up multiple trillions in debt. We must utterly reject her in this upcoming election.
Vote Louis!
“I have never been afraid to stand up for my beliefs,” [Slaughter] said, “even when I’m standing alone.”
Translation: Slaughter is one the most extreme ideologues in Congress, and a member of the minority caucus. Her main appeal is to ideologues (see other comments on this page). That makes her part of the problem.
Brooks is a mainstream leader who will serve in the majority. She will be a vastly more effective representative, and will help move the district and the country forward.
Why I am voting for Louise…she has the most experience and I trust her.
Clout is very important when it comes to congress and that is why I am voting for Louise M. Slaughter. When it to comes to congress having experience is essential. We need a congresswoman educated in science, public health and that knows her job. Louise is from here. She taught high school locally for over twenty years. She is from Monroe County and has the most experience as she has served as our congress women since 1986.
Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter is running for re-election against our current Monroe County executive, Maggie Brookes. Louise is a native of Harlan County, Kentucky. Louise moved to Fairport, N.Y., married Robert Slaughter and has three children. Louise taught Science at Fairport School Central School District for more than twenty years. Louise has a Bachelor’s of science degree in Microbiology and Master’s degree in Public health. We need a teacher and a scientist in the next U.S Congress.
Louise has been a strong voice on the national health and science issues of our time. She voted for Obama’s Health Care Plan which will insure that Medicare remains stable for the next one hundred years. It also allows parents to buy medical insurance for their children up to age 26 and those with pre-existing conditions.
Louise’s opponent has stated that she does not follow the Boehner plan but, we all know if she gets into Congress she will be following suit with it. Maggie will go along with her party and Stop Obama’s Health Care Plan and replaces it. The Romney/Ryan Plan is focused on a voucher plan for Social Security. They believe in putting Social Security into a voucher in the stock market. If the market goes up you lose out, if it goes down, you might die. The Romney Ryan plan gives everyone a voucher for their Medicare regardless of their medical needs and their medical problems. It also doesn’t take into regard their income.
One in every two women gets breast cancer. Louise is an advocate for women’s health. She secured $500 million from Congress for research at the National Institutes of Health. Louise fought for legislation guaranteeing women and minorities get clinical trials. Louise established an Office of Research on Women’s Health at the National Institutes of Health.
Louise is the only microbiologist in congress. She has played a leading role in addressing current and science and health issues. She is a Congressional Expert on genetics issues. Louise wrote cutting edge legislation to protect Americans from genetics discrimination, which has now become law. The Genetic Nondiscrimination Act prevents discrimination by health care insurers and employers based on genetic makeup. If for instance your employer could not know that you were genetically pre-disposed to cancer, diabetes or heart disease. If he/she did they could not hire someone else regardless because that was now against the law.
Louise is also a strong voice on national issues including the War in Afghanistan and global trade. She is the first woman on the Democratic Committee on Rules which allows her influence on every pieces of legislation. She became a ranking member of that committee. Prior to serving in congress, Louise served on the N.Y. State Assembly, Monroe County Legislature, and as the regional coordinator to then Sec of State Mario Cuomo and to then Lt. Gov. Mario Cuomo.
Louise has a history of fighting for the needs of the people of Monroe County. She signed the STOCK Act which was signed into law on April 4, 2012. It outlaws trading insuring in the hands of Congress.
NO Maggie Brookes is disgusting..Her campaign here in Fairport even had the gull to pull out Louise’s signs that were legally put up. Maggie ‘s campaign PAINTED OVER Louise’s sign’s. We knew Maggie was doing illegal things at the airport, but now her campaign was doing it to. Also her campaign was too.