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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., debates his challenger, Rep. Shelley Berkley, D-Nev., at the Reno public television studios, Sept. 27, 2012 as Mitch Fox, center, moderates.
By J. Patrick Coolican (contact) 
Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012 | 2 a.m.
J. Patrick Coolican
Some quick thoughts on Thursday’s debate between Sen. Dean Heller and Rep. Shelley Berkley.
Overall, a weak display. The format wasn’t helpful, allowing only brief statements and responses that made watching it feel like you were watching the two candidates recite their own 30-second attack ads.
I was most disappointed in Berkley. She failed to make an affirmative case for the Democratic position, which President Barack Obama — with an assist from former President Bill Clinton — has made effectively enough to put him in a strong position to win re-election.
Here it is: We inherited one of the worst economic crises in recent history, losing 800,000 jobs per month. We stabilized the banks, we saved the auto industry, and then we passed the stimulus bill that cut taxes and sent money to the states so they wouldn’t have to lay off more teachers, cops and nurses.
We stabilized the patient, and now things are slowly improving.
Moreover, the knee-jerk anti-government rhetoric of the Tea Party is historically inaccurate. Public investments such as the land grant colleges, the Hoover Dam, the GI Bill, the Interstate Highway System and Department of Defense research — in other words, government projects and programs — helped build the middle class.
Berkley failed to make that case.
Instead, she groveled to the right, bragging that she’d stood with Republicans to cut the inheritance tax, which is nothing more than a massive tax cut for the children of the wealthy. Andrew Carnegie, the great steel industrialist, favored a steep inheritance tax: “The parent who leaves his son enormous wealth generally deadens the talents and energies of the son.”
She also came out for a balanced budget amendment. This is bad policy on its face — any attempt to balance the budget in a bad economy will worsen the crisis. This is exactly what’s happened in Europe.
Berkley also said she’d exempt programs for seniors and veterans. A fine sentiment, but the idea of a balanced budget without tackling Medicare is a farce. Can’t be done. Anyway, she said she won’t balance the budget on the backs of seniors and veterans — does that mean she’ll balance the budget on the backs of the disabled, children and the Pentagon?
As for Heller, if I had gone to a university that had a Greek system, and if I were the type to join a fraternity, then I’d definitely support him for president of my frat. He looks the type.
But he doesn’t belong in the U.S. Senate.
Coolican states emphatically "I was most disappointed in Berkley. She failed to make an affirmative case for the Democratic position,"
And there you have it
Coolican further complains that Berkley had too many conservative positions. That Berkley failed to make the case that "now things are slowly improving."
Probably because Berkley does not believe it herself
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After not saying anything about Heller in the whole rant about Berkley Coolican says this "As for Heller, ...He looks the type. But he doesn't belong in the U.S. Senate."
That it that all Coolican could come up with? Really?
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Coolican, my vote is for Heller....
Shelley needs to retire...
Oh yes, American taxes paid for all the projects you are trying to help those idiots take credit for...And if it were not for American entrepreneurs, and the businesses they created that brought all the taxes, NONE of it would exist in the first place. The businesses built it! The damn government DID NOT!
The format is just what Heller and Berkley wanted. Heller and Berkley are both borrow and spenders. Check out their websites. You won't find one specific budget cut they want to make. Other than social issues, there isn't much difference between the two.
IT'S THE AMERICAN MINDSET THAT MUST BE REPAIRED FIRST
I've written about this before, and I'll say it again and again. "Greed destroys, and absolute greed destroys, absolutely." Greed never plays favorites. It takes out all those that partake, sooner or later.
A majority of Americans played this roulette game in some level or fashion, and got burned by this path. This includes the wealthy, the middle-class and even the poor.
It was all called, "Easy Money". To see what I saw coming years before the "Great American Financial Meltdown" did not take a genius. Years ago in somehow graduating from high school, I had one of the lowest GPA's ever recorded in my home state of a graduating student. I then became one of those "jar-headed Marine Corps grunts". As years passed, I worked my way through two years of college on the GI Bill. Was I smart at this point? Nah. I was to become just a prison guard.
So when everyone laughed at me in foreseeing a financial collapse of epic proportions both here in Las Vegas and America as a whole, I prepared while most others in their particular economic class enjoyed the "good life".
Surely enough, both my wife and I were "social outcasts" of sorts. We do not take lavish vacations. In fact, we took none at all. We have no jewels, no fancy furniture or electronic devices, no elaborate clothing, and no exquisite vehicles. It has been a very simple life. Back in the day of "show-n-tell", we were mocked as losers. Yes, it is true; we didn't have the perfect gleaming set of teeth. We never indulged in cosmetic surgeries in dressing our appearances up like some kind of "Barbie Doll". Yes, we had a house, but just a middle-class house. We worked hard to maintain our meager home. We had no landscape or maid services. We worked just as hard at home as we did in our "no-nothing" jobs.
Here is my point. My wife and I struggled financially in scraping dollars together during the good times to pay ahead on our mortgage. During the economic boom, I watched as many of my original neighbors sold their homes at extravagant profits, and new neighbors were moving in paying mortgages as much as four times higher than what my mortgage was costing me per month. At this juncture, I knew the financial collapse was near.
I took our family into what I call a "financial lockdown". We have mostly been in this state ever since.
Although I am a Democratic voter, both Dean Heller and Shelley Berkeley have nothing to offer me. One hordes money, while the other spends too much. When I see America as a whole building their lives preparing for "rainy days", and not enjoying the so-called extravagant or good life, I'll know that America will be turning the corner into an economic recovery. Not until then.
But, what do I know? I'm just a surviving peasant.
Coolican you have to be kidding about the budget remark. Typical Dem. no idea how to run a business and government is big business.
Funny, Israel has many of the programs and taxes that Berkley is against. Berkley is as disjointed as Romney.
There is only one way to describe Berkley's "performance": pathetic.
Unprepared, old, petty, stuttering, old, stammering, dislocated, and old also apply but pathetic sums it up the best.
It was embarassing to watch this person who aspires to go to the U.S. Senate go on and on and on the way she did.
Is this the best the Democrats can do? Is this their VERY best?!?!
Berkley should not be believe, like her counter part Obama, she is spreading lies. Dean Heller has done nothing to Medicare nor will he. Its Berkley who raped Medicare of $500 billion, raised taxes for millions of middle class Americans and Nevadans to pay for Obamacare and she places the blame on Heller. Berkley has supported Obama on three foreclosures measures and all have failed, and Heller doesn't care. We need legislation that works, and Heller can get that done. Heller has voted with Obama on unemployment extending unemployment benefits which directly effect thousands of Nevadans, that is much more that can be said about the NON-partisan, Berkley.
Well, thanks Coolican for finally coming clean on where you stand on this election, the Democrat side. Then again, most of us knew as much considering all the bias reporting that comes from the NYTimes echo chamber known as the LVSun. So I won't take your endorsement of Berkely to serious since Heller could have been the second coming of FDR and you would have found a way to disparage him in favor of your girl Shelley.
It took only the first paragraph for Coolican to establish himself as nothing more than a partisan hack. I think this is a new record for him.
If Obama is reelected, the subsequent damage of his eight years will take a generation to fix. And that will include a bankruptcy.
This is her MO. She has no original ideas, except for how to benefit Shelley. Sorry, she had an original idea for a facelift, but I guess that benefited her anyway. Not that Heller is any great shakes. But he should win against such a weak opponent.
Good article Patrick ! Do I really have to vote for another Blanche Lincoln ? A lot of Democrats may be elected, the sad part is that they may as well be Republicans.
Berkley is clearly the better of the two candidates for the job as US Senator from Nevada. But that doesn't guarantee a win. She made a huge political mistake and it will cost her this election. Instead of talking about who won the debate, clearly Heller did, and who will win the election, clearly Heller will, the real question is what is Berkley's future in politics?
CarmineD
Mr. Coolican, why don't you tell us how you really feel? :)
Hey Coolican, the mess that awaits Barrack is horrible, and its his mess, my question is does he still get to blame bush in his second term?
@freedom radio Joan, this horrible state we are in of borrowing money to pay debt, and printing money, debasing our currency, is going to destroy us, not fixable in a generation, and is a sin to leave this mess with our young people.
Can I take my blind fold off and my ear plugs out now? Is it over ? I swear if there was "any truth" to "anything" either party spit out of their mouths in the past months...EVERYONE would be in jail and doing life sentences. So give me a break !! This has been the dirtiest election in recent years on both sides !! By the time it comes to actually pull that lever...I'll have forgotten what the REAL election was all about,not that I knew in the first place with all this cr** being thrown around. This goes for the local and nation wide elections.As for those "undecided" votes....if you think for one moment you're making a statement by not voting you're wrong. Your lack of attention and misguided ideas only strengthen the wrong one getting in.Elections are way too important to be so frivolous to anyone of voting age.This is how your voice is heard,don't waste it. WE need to remind EVERY politician EVERYDAY...they are on borrowed time until the next election, then they are out by popular demand (YOU).
Heller Yes No thank on Shelly She and Larry can enjoy selling frozen yogurt in New Mexico very soon
YAwn.