Senator Bob Kerrey Laments Opponents’ Unwillingness to Work Across Party Lines

OMAHA –The key contrast in this Senate election was made clear at Tuesday’s Republican Candidate Debate.

When the candidates were asked, and pressed, by NET Radio’s Fred Knapp to identify a Democrat they would be willing to work with on any particular subject, they spent more than five minutes flinching. Ultimately, they couldn’t even name one Democrat they would work with.

“If my opponents are sent to Washington, they will be swept up in the same partisan gamesmanship that is preventing the nation from solving serious problems,” Kerrey said. “Nothing is going to get done if Democrats don’t vote for good Republican ideas and if Republicans don’t vote for good Democratic ideas.

“I can tell you how I would have handled that question,” Kerrey said. “I worked with President George H.W. Bush and Newt Gingrich to balance the budget and cut spending. I worked with Senator Jack Danforth on calling attention to the still growing crisis of entitlement spending. And I worked with Congressman, and now Senator, Rob Portman on a nationwide investigation into IRS abuses that helped lead to groundbreaking reforms. If sent back to serve, you won’t see me flinch. I will work across party lines once again. We don’t have the luxury of playing games anymore because we have too many serious issues to address.”

Read the transcript of the exchange at Tuesday’s debate:

Fred Knapp: Many readers and, presumably, viewers want to hear how you would work to address the excessive partisanship in Washington. Could you name one issue and one Democratic senator you could work with on a particular subject? Mrs. Fischer?

Deb Fischer: Well, I can tell you my experience in the Nebraska Legislature. We are officially nonpartisan in the Legislature, as you well know. In order to get a big policy issue passed you have to work with your colleagues. I’ve done that. I’ve taken on tough issues. I’ve built coalitions. I’ve gathered information and worked hard. And we’ve gotten a lot passed. I think my record shows that I am able to work with a variety of people, under a variety of issues, and I’ve been able to get things done.

Fred Knapp: But as you mentioned, the Unicameral is structured that way. When you get into the hyper-partisanship in Washington, do you envision being able to continue that?

Deb Fischer: I believe I’m known for establishing relationships and establishing good relationships in the Legislative arena. As I’ve said, I’ve done that. It’s hard to say which United States Senator – on either side of the aisle – that I would anticipate being friends with because I don’t know these people. But if I’m elected and go to Washington I will obviously take time, get to know them, establish relationships. It would be nice to see the Senate go back to that body it was established to be; where you could have debate, where you could have consensus building. We can’t make those changes unless we change who we send there.

Fred Knapp: Mr. Stenberg?

Don Stenberg: Well, I’d be happy to work with any Senator that wants to cut federal spending, that wants to reduce federal regulation, that wants to defend the 2nd Amendment, that wants to develop our domestic energy resources. And I think that sometimes we lose focus that the important thing is to get the right policies. And sometimes we focus on the process. Now we had a time for two years when the Democrats controlled the House, the Senate, and the Presidency, and that gave us ObamaCare, it gave us Dodd-Frank, it gave us a failed 787 billion dollar stimulus. They all got along great but the policies were all wrong. So I’m going to go to Washington to fight for the right policies and I’ll work with anyone who’ll support those policies.

Fred Knapp: Mr. Bruning?

Jon Bruning: Well, I think that’s a fair point. I’m somebody who was elected president of the National Association of Attorneys General by a bipartisan group. Well, what did I do with that presidency when I was running that organization? Well, the main thing I did was help file the lawsuit – lead the lawsuit to overturn ObamaCare. We were mocked when we filed that lawsuit. If you recall, it was a group of 13 Attorneys General. Professors from around the country said, “These folks can’t be successful. They’re not likely to win.” We won at the District Court. We won at the Court of Appeals. I was in the Supreme Court for every minute of the argument. We’re now a bipartisan coalition of 26 states and I think it’s important that we stick to our principles. I am somebody that will fight to repeal ObamaCare and I think it’s critical that we reduce the size and scope of our national budget. We right now have 15.6 trillion dollar national debt. It has to be reduced. We’re in a very bad place as a county economically and we must reduce that debt.

Mike Reilly (Moderator): With respect, I’m not sure any of you named a Democratic senator who you could work with on a particular subject. Democratic U.S. Senator – work with on a particular subject. Mrs. Fischer?

Deb Fischer: No, I did not name one.

Mike Reilly: Can you now?

Deb Fischer: As I said, I would wait to see and meet the people and know who they are and see if we can develop working relationships.

Mike Reilly: There’s no issues you find common ground with any Democrats on now?

Deb Fischer: I haven’t researched where they stand on issues.

Mike Reilly: Mr. Stenberg?

Don Stenberg: Well, I’m pretty much in the same boat. I’m focused on running a campaign for the U.S. Senate in Nebraska; talking about issues that are important to the people of Nebraska. I haven’t, in the process of doing that, met any Democratic United States Senators and haven’t really given a lot of thought to where each of them is on any particular issue. But as I said in my earlier comments, I’ll be happy to work with any U.S. Senator of either party that wants to cut the budget and reduce federal regulations, repeal ObamaCare, and develop our domestic energy resources.

Mike Reilly: Mr. Bruning?

Jon Bruning: Well, I’d tell you one person I could work with. It’s Joe Lieberman if we’re talking about Israel. I don’t know that Joe and I agree on much else – whether it’s national debt or deficit. He voted for ObamaCare, I disagree. But when it comes to Israel I agree with Joe. I’m an unabashed supporter of Israel. I’ll do whatever we have to do to defend our friend in Israel. We have shared values. In a very rough neighborhood, Israel is a white beacon of hope and so I’ll do what it takes to defend Israel. And I agree with Joe Lieberman on that issue.