LA 5th District Congressional Candidates Meet in Televised Forum

Alexandria, LA, Daily Town Talk | 10-31-02 | Suzan Manuel

[Theodore R.]

Five of seven candidates for the 5th Congressional District seat responded to questions Wednesday in a televised forum, trying to score votes before next week's election.

Rodney Alexander, D-Quitman, Robert Barham, R-Oak Ridge, Lee Fletcher, R-Monroe, Clyde Holloway, R-Forest Hill and Sam Houston Melton, D-Winnfield, responded to questions from reporters.

Issues included homeland security, health care focusing on prescription drug assistance for Medicare recipients, the war on terrorism and the threat from Iraq, and economic issues including agriculture and free trade, among others.

Barham, a state senator, said, as a combat veteran, he "would never take lightly a vote to commit American forces to a war."

He did not, however, rule out support for an attack on Iraq.

"If it comes to it, because we're the world's superpower, we have to bear that responsibility and make that commitment," he said.

On the issue of agriculture, Barham was open to the idea of trade with Cuba and exempting food from embargoes.

"Embargoes are ineffective tools," he said. "We've got to work toward fair trade agreements for agriculture. We've got to stop talking about free trade and start talking about fair trade," he said. "I'm very open to the possibility of opening trade with Cuba. It is not the threat it used to be."

Barham also said Cuba would be a good market for Louisiana rice farmers.

"Cuba is buying rice from across the world when Louisiana farmers have the lowest rice prices in years and years. Cuba is an example of a potential market that we could desperately use right now in agriculture."

Holloway, a former congressman, also has qualified support for an attack on Iraq, even if the United States has to go it alone, he said.

And while he is opposed to using food in embargoes, he opposes opening trade with Cuba.

"I think that we have to hold strong against Castro. We have to see those people freed. I would not favor giving in one ounce."

Fletcher said Iraq's Saddam Hussein would have to be dealt with sooner or later, so the sooner the better.

He opposed putting U.S. troops under United Nations control, however.

Fletcher said that using food in embargoes was "giving up our best markets." Markets have to be expanded, he said, even into places like Cuba.

"We need to export our democracy and with it, free trade and free ideas," he said.

Alexander would be concerned to go it alone against Iraq, but would "have no reservations.

"I'm still puzzled why we didn't take care of the problem 10 years ago," he said.

Using food in embargoes only hurts U.S. farmers, he said. While he would be "very careful" about opening trade with Cuba, he did not rule it out.

"Farmers are the backbone of this nation," he said. "Whatever we have to do to make sure they survive, we have to do it."

Melton was the lone dissenting voice on war with Iraq.

"I do not believe we can fight a major war with Iraq," he said. "I'm the first to agree Saddam Hussein needs to be killed, but there are better ways to do this than a full-scale invasion."

Melton also was pro-agriculture, urging the embargo against Cuba be lifted "so rice farmers can sell their rice."

"The embargo has hurt those people, the children and the women. They need the embargo lifted the same way our rice farmers need to sell their rice," he said.

"I don't think Fidel Castro is any threat to the U.S. whatsoever. He's too old, and he's nearly at the end of his life," Melton said.

The forum was sponsored by Gannett newspapers' The Town Talk and the Monroe News Star and broadcast by television stations KNOE in Monroe and KALB in Alexandria.