DECISION DAY DRAWS NEAR: Florida congressional hopefuls find plenty of common ground

Florida’s congressional candidates’ battle focused more on President Obama and the federal government than a competition between the mostly like-minded candidates.

Independent contender Diane Berryhill said, “We should be arresting our president for treason.”

If elected, she will "go there" and seek to “impeach the President,” Berryhill said.

The Republican and independent candidates for District 2 faced off in the last of the candidate forums hosted by the Sandestin Voters and Walton County Taxpayers Association at the Coastal Library Branch,

All candidates said they would continue drilling in the Gulf.

“I would definitely continue to drill in the Gulf, Alaska and go nuclear,” Berryhill said. “I am against wind and solar energy.”

Independent Paul McKain agreed in part with Berryhill, saying “man made global warming.”

Olschner split slightly with the other contenders on the issue.

“We need to set a goal and be a leader in the world,” Olschner said, all means to become “energy independent” should be on table.

Candidate David Scholl said he remembers the long gas lines of the 70s, and suggested “getting rid of the Department of Energy” as a viable solution.

To see video of entire forum courtesy of neighborvision, click here.

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For more coverage of Primary Election 2010.

http://www.waltonsun.com/articles/candidates-5300-judicial-court.html

http://www.waltonsun.com/articles/florida-5299-find-common.html

http://www.waltonsun.com/articles/aug-5217-county-commission.html

http://www.waltonsun.com/articles/board-5154-school-walton.html

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National Security topped the list of concerns for the candidates.

Berryhill was opposed to the current “terms of engagement.”

“I am concerned about Islam, they are killing us,” Berryhill said. “…the president has no desire to win.”

Eddie Hendry, a Republican candidate for the Congressional seat now held by Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Monticello, said ff elected, “my top priorities” would be the “War on Terrorism, and to cut the United Nations.”

Candidates weighed in on the topic of the economy.

China “owns so much of us” McKain said. “We need to go to China and negotiate with them from a position of weakness, and they’ll have to listen.”

For Berryhill, “Tax cuts can not be allowed to expire.”

The candidates found common ground again when it came to term limits.

McKain said he would term limit himself, because “the longer you are there the more you expose yourself to corruption.”

Immigration questions elicited strong language from the candidates.

“We absolutely need to build a fence and pull a Castro here,” McKain said.

The Berryhill approach varied slightly.

“Take the Okinawa troops and Guam troops and stick them on our borders,” Berryhill said. “We need to round up the illegals, we have done that three times before,” Berryhill said, adding “It looks like a 3rd world country.”

How are you going to make education more affordable for the disadvantaged?

“I don’t know,” Olschner said and pointed to more important issues that would have to take precedent.

Davis Scholl would “get rid of the Federal Department of Education” all together.

Questions on financial reforms were posed by the voters.

“It does not address Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac,” Scholl said. “It is pushing the small banks out.”

Berryhill said, “It’s just another power grab by the Obama administration,”

Hendry said. It is “punishing" those banks that were "doing good.”

Olschner “disagrees” with her colleagues. “There are some good and some bad in it,” she said, adding “we have to have some regulation.”

Much of the same sentiment expressed by the candidates on the financial reforms was repeated for the healthcare issue.

For Hendry, “It is a power grab.”

McKain said, “It is unconstitutional.”

Olschner disliked the package but said, “We have to find a way to amend the bill,” she said. “We don’t have the votes to repeal it.”

Scholl was dire in his assessment.

“If it is allowed to pass it is the death of Federalism,” Scholl said. He advocated for a “full repeal” of the healthcare bill.

Hendry encourages voters to choose him or face the possible consequences.

“Those people are not like us,” Eddie Hendry said, of some constituents in the district. “They are Democrats.”

Olschner said people may not always be “happy” about what she says, but if elected she offers “the truth.”

If Scholl were elected, he “would roll back taxes, limit government.”

DECISION DAY

Saturday Aug. 21 is the final day voters can cast early ballots at the main Elections office in DeFuniak Springs at 571 U.S. Highway 90 East and the satellite office off Hwy. 331 South at 31 Coastal Centre Blvd. Suite 300 in Santa Rosa Beach. The offices will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

If you choose to cast your ballot on Election Day, Tuesday, Aug. 24, you must go to your precinct’s polling place to do so. Polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m.

A current identification card (driver’s license, passport, student, military ID, etc.) that includes your photo and signature must be shown to vote at a polling place. If you do not have the required identification, you will be provided with a Provisional Ballot. If the signature on record at the Supervisor of Elections office matches that on the Provisional Ballot Certificate, the canvassing board will accept the ballot. 

For a complete listing of precincts, polling places and sample ballots, see votewaltoncounty.com.