FORT SMITH — The marquee outside the Fort Smith Convention Center read “3rd District Congressional Debate, Womack/ Wiederkehr.”
“It’s a common mistake,” David Whitaker, the Democratic nominee in the 3rd District race, said before a debate Thursday night with Steve Womack, his Republican opponent.
In the Arkansas Rivervalley, Wiederkehr is a wellknown name. Wiederkehr Wine Cellars of Altus is promoted as the oldest and largest winery in mid-America.
The misspelling seemed to portend a theme picked up by Womack near the end of the debate.
Womack, who has served as mayor of Rogers for 12 years, told Whitaker that people don’t know much about him. This is Whitaker’sfirst race for public office. He’s a former assistant city attorney in Fayetteville.
During part of the debate when the candidates were allowed to ask each other questions, Womack asked Whitaker about his stance on abortion and gays serving in the military.
“I am ready for the federal government, particularly the United States Congress, to get back to the business of running the federal government and get out of people’s lives,” Whitaker said, to a smattering of applause from a crowd about 100.
Womack pressed on.
“Pro life or pro choice?” he asked, more pointedly.
Whitaker leaned into the microphone. “Pro-gress,” he said.
The debate was sponsored by Progressive Arkansas magazine. It is the last debate scheduled for the two candidates before election day, which is Nov. 2.
During the debate, Womack touted his record of economic achievement in Rogers, which he said the city accomplished without raising any taxes.
“I’m a big believer that productivity is the way out of the economic doldrums that face America today,” Womack said, adding that the tax structure should be more favorable for small businesses.
Womack said the United States should cut spending back to the pre-economic stimulus levels of President George W. Bush’s administration.
“I’d like to go back to preunnecessary war spending,” said Whitaker, referring to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that began during the Bush years of 2001-09.
Womack said cuts could be made in many areas of the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Education.
Whitaker said Womack favors leaving the so-called Bush tax cut for the richest 2 percent of Americans, and that will “blow up the deficit by $700 billion” over the next decade.
“No entrepreneurial spirit is going to come up with the $700 billion to fill that hole,” Whitaker said.
After the debate, Whitaker said any cuts in the federal Education Department wouldbe only “a drop in the bucket.” The Bush tax cuts are set to expire Dec. 31.
Both candidates said they didn’t want to raise taxes in the current economic climate.
Answering a question about Israel and Palestinian hostilities, Womack said the United States should “stand by” Israel but not “impose its will” in the Middle East.
“I believe it’s irresponsible to follow my opponent’s path,”Whitaker said. “Every time the United States steps away, the process collapses. We can’t disengage from that part of the world because they won’t find peace by themselves. ... We should show unwavering support for our long-time ally Israel, but that doesn’t mean we should rubber stamp everything they say.”
Whitaker said the United States should tell Israel, “You have to stop expanding settlements on Palestinian land.”
Answering a question from Womack, Whitaker said he had donated to Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign, but he has made no political donations since he started his campaign for Congress.
“I have not donated anything to anyone else since becoming a candidate because I’m poor,” Whitaker said.
The candidates are running to fill the seat being vacated by Republican U.S. Rep. John Boozman of Rogers, who is running for U.S. Senate.
The 3rd District seat has been held by the GOP since 1967.
Womack won the May 18 Republican primary with 31.2 percent of the vote. Second was state Sen. Cecile Bledsoe, R-Rogers, with 13.3 percent. Womack won the runoff election with 51.8 percent of the vote.
Whitaker didn’t face an opponent in the Democratic primary election.
Besides being mayor of Rogers, Womack is a retired colonel with 30 years of military experience. He also worked for two years in the financial services industry as a consultant for Merrill Lynch in 1996-97.
Whitaker was assistant city attorney in Fayetteville from 2001 until earlier this year. He was in the Air Force from 1983-89.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 7 on 10/22/2010