Former Rep. Doug Ose, left, and state Sen. Tom McClintock square off Wednesday night during a public debate in Rocklin in the GOP race for the seat of retiring Rep. John Doolittle.
Posted on 04/17/2008 8:08:24 AM PDT by SmithL
The leading Republican contenders to replace retiring Rep. John Doolittle pounded each other with charges of selling out their public service on Wednesday in a spirited debate reflecting the tense, closely watched primary race.
Former Sacramento-area Rep. Doug Ose repeatedly assailed state Sen. Tom McClintock for trumpeting conservative credentials while serving as a career politician "taking inappropriate advantage" of some $300,000 in state per diem payments while living just miles from the Capitol in Elk Grove.
McClintock lit into Ose for accepting $600,000 in farm subsidies for agricultural land he owned while serving on a House agricultural committee and making votes in favor of a spending surge that marked "the largest expansion of entitlements since the Great Society."
The debate, sponsored by the Lincoln Club of Placer County, drew 500 people to the Sunset Center in Rocklin. They were treated to a vivid show as the candidates went after each other, clashing over illegal immigration, taxes and – above all – character.
Ose, a wealthy developer, drew McClintock's ire by attacking his receipt of state per diem payments in opening and closing statements and in two of three questions the hopefuls were able to direct to one another.
He jumped on McClintock for taking the money – which the vast majority of lawmakers accept – while visiting his home district only 32 times last year and paying no rent on the Thousand Oaks home of his mother where he is registered to vote. He noted that McClintock claimed per diem expenses for work at the Capitol on weekends and holidays and when he announced his candidacy in Auburn.
"Can you share with the voters why you think this behavior is acceptable?" he asked.
An irked McClintock, who defended his right to live with his family near the Capitol,
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
Former Rep. Doug Ose, left, and state Sen. Tom McClintock square off Wednesday night during a public debate in Rocklin in the GOP race for the seat of retiring Rep. John Doolittle.
FYI
Gosh, at first, I thought that “McClintock” was essentially an amalgamation of choice(s) for POTUS.
Sounds like a Democrat must be sitting around waiting to pick up the pieces of another Republican disaster in the making
McClintock Ping List.
Please freepmail me if you want on or off this list
Not in that district.
We could do a helluva lot worse than Tom and have been for quite a few years unfortunately here in California.
He should be in the Senate... putting the Kennedys in their place. jmo
BTTT
Ose owns land, rents it out to a rice farmer, and pockets $600,000 in subsidies from the feds (sounds just like Bill Jones).
Sweet deal. Did his "millionaire" status result from similar deals?
So who’s leading? I’d prefer McClintock.
That sounds like a good number for this district?
Go Tom! bttt
Well Placer County is the population center of the District so Rocklin would be a good location. It's also 40 minutes from Sacramento just outside the district where Ose's supporters all live.
However, if I'm right, that was considered a "safe district" for liberal carpetbagger Fazio who hailed from the vicinity of the Kennedy Clan. So if that's right, Ose had to be pretty danged liberal to be elected in Fazio's former district, right??? I'm probably all wet on all this.
The clip on Channel 13 last night was really quite favorable to Tom over Dougie the lump-jawed liberal!!! Even played the applause Tom got for his verbal body-slam!!!
If I was appointed to pick the next President, McClintock would be in my top 5. He’s solid on everything, and his experience in Sacramento has taught him how to fight.
My choice would be McClintock in this situation. It does bother me to see candidates carry on like this.
If it was legal for Ose to take the farm subsidies, then it’s a moot point. If it was okay for McClintock to take the perdiems even though he didn’t have out of pocket expenses, then it’s a moot point. I don’t necessarily agree with either of these things.
Ose was in a position to benefit himself. At one point he may have voted to do so. Later in the article it mentions that he voted to close the loophole that allowed him to do so. So he helped himself at one point and voted against his interests in another. Is that really worse than taking perdiems intended to reimburse, when you didn’t have any expenses?
I’m interested in policy. Who has the best policies? Over time Tom has seemed to IMO.
It does bother me when people I want to be able to respect, do things that I wouldn’t feel comfortable doing if I were in their shoes. If I didn’t have expenses, I certainly would not accept money to reimburse me for those expenses.
I would still vote for Tom here.
Sent Tom another donation.
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