Porter, Gallagher tangle in TV debate

Kirsten Searer

Friday, Oct. 22, 2004 | 11:14 a.m.

Candidates for Congressional District 3 tangled for the first time on television Thursday, focusing largely on prescription drug benefits and taxes, two issues that clearly define the race.

But the most interesting moments came when the two candidates questioned each other.

Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., tried to prove that Democrat Tom Gallagher isn't in touch with Southern Nevada's issues by asking Gallagher if he knew about the Burton-Santini Act of 1980.

Gallagher balked, pointing out that he hasn't served in Congress for two years, as Porter has.

"But I do know that working families in this state are getting a raw deal in Congress," Gallagher said.

The act, Porter said, allowed public lands to be sold for private use and was the basis of the Southern Nevada Land Act. Much of the land in Clark County started out as Bureau of Land Management land that was auctioned.

Porter, who has served in public office for 20 years, said he has a better understanding of what the district needs.

"I understand that you probably weren't aware of it, but it's one of those issues that affects every man, woman and child," Porter said.

Gallagher called Porter's question "gotcha" politics. He asked Porter why he didn't disclose that his son, an insurance salesman, could benefit from the Medicare prescription drug plan that Porter favored.

Porter denied that his son sells insurance policies affected by the plan, later saying his son sells mostly auto, home, property and casualty insurance.

"My son doesn't sell that type of insurance," Porter said. "It's very simple."

Gallagher pointed to documents showing that Porter's son is licensed to sell insurance through a company affected by the bill.

"For Jon to keep saying it's not true when we have the data, why not just say, 'I made a mistake?' " Gallagher said.

The candidates also defended two of the political advertisements they have run.

Gallagher's ad criticized Porter for not disclosing this his son would potentially benefit from the Medicare drug bill.

Porter's ad said that Gallagher moved into the district to run for Congress.

Porter pointed out that a campaign contribution Gallagher made in November came from his Lake Tahoe address.

"Why aren't we talking about issues?" Gallagher said. "I have yet to see a single ad yet where you talk about issues."

When it came to issues, it was clear at the hour-long debate that prescription drug coverage and taxes are two issues where the candidates diverge the most.

Gallagher maintains that he wouldn't have voted for the Medicare prescription drug bill with the many problems he said it contains.

The government should make it easy to reimport drugs from Canada and buy drugs in bulk to pass savings to seniors, Gallagher said.

Porter said he is concerned that terrorists could try to poison drugs imported into the country.

"They just have to be safe," he said.

Gallagher later called the comment "the most farfetched idea imaginable."

During the debate, Gallagher pointed to comments Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson made in Las Vegas this week that he wants to import flu vaccines from Canada.

Porter agreed that the prescription drug bill is too complicated for many seniors, but he said he hopes to clear it up.

The two also clashed over tax cuts, with Porter saying he hopes to keep in place cuts passed in the Bush administration.

"We have to find a way to return as many of your hard-earned taxes down to you as possible," Porter said, adding that he feels the tax cuts helped the nation recover from Sept. 11, 2001, and the ensuing corporate corruption scandals.

Gallagher wants to reinstate some taxes for the nation's wealthiest people.

He argues that the nation took away so much of its tax base by cutting taxes for the wealthy that the costs of government, gas and even health care have been passed down to the middle class.

"The very high have taken the vast majority of the benefit," he said.

Porter calls any attempts to reinstate those taxes a step backward.

"I don't think we should take away tax breaks," he said. "That's raising taxes."

Outside of the debates, supporters of both Gallagher and Porter rallied with signs. The Libertarian candidate in the district, Joe Silvestri, protested with his supporters that he was not allowed in the debate.