Published: September 23, 2008 06:04 pm            

Tackling the issues

Beginning Friday, Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama will square off in the first of three televised presidential debates. The topic: foreign policy and national security.

The Iraq war certainly will be brought up when the candidates meet at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. On that subject in July, they couldn’t be farther apart.

“My first day in office, I will bring the Joint Chiefs of Staff in and I will give them a new mission,” Obama said two months ago. “That is to end this war.”

In contrast, McCain said, “The same people that are saying we have ... to set dates for withdrawal are the same people that said we would fail in Iraq. They were wrong then and they’re wrong now.”

But since then, their differences on Iraq have narrowed a bit. After the Iraq government approved Obama’s 16-month timetable for withdrawal, McCain said, “We will be able to reduce our forces next year and our forces will be out of regular combat operations – dramatically reduced in number – during the term of the next president of the United States.”

If you want to learn more about the candidates, you should tune in Friday. And if you want an up-close look at the candidates for local offices, we invite you to attend the first of a series of political debates beginning Oct. 1 at Lafayette Park Middle School.

The debates are sponsored by the Kokomo Tribune, Kokomo Perspective and WIOU. If you can’t attend, our events will be broadcast live on WIOU-AM 1350.

You have a stake – a responsibility – in your community. We encourage you to get registered before Oct. 6 and vote Nov. 4.

Candidates also have responsibilities – to the people they want to serve. They should make themselves available for debates such as ours. Though the planning process for our political get-togethers began months ago, U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., and his 2nd District opponent, Republican Luke Puckett, still haven’t committed to participate in a debate here.

Time is running out, gentlemen.

Local debates

Schedule

• Oct. 1: Lafayette Park Middle School, 919 N. Korby St., Howard County commissioner.

• Oct. 8: Central Middle School, 303 E. Superior St., candidates for state House District 30 and District 38.

• Date, place and time to be determined: U.S. Rep. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., vs. Republican Luke Puckett.

Debate candidates

• Brad Bagwell, R, county commissioner.

• Bill Thompson, D, county commissioner.

• Tyler Moore, R, county commissioner.

• Bob Hayes, D, county commissioner.

• Ron Herrell, D, state House District 30.

• Jason Miller, R, District 30.

• Bob Snow, D, state House District 38.

• Jacque Clements, R, District 38.

        

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