More than 50 Effingham County residents  came out Friday  night to hear from the four GOP Congressional candidates for the District 12 seat.

The candidates answered questions on current political issues and did their best to distinguish themselves as most likely to defeat John Barrow. They were allotted several minutes for opening/closing statements and answers and five rebuttals apiece.

While the House hopefuls were aligned on the issues in general, such as detest for the health care reform package and avid Dem-bashing, their differences were apparent in specific prescriptions each had to problems facing the nation.

Divisions
On the topic of the Deepwater Horizon oil crisis in the Gulf and the federal government’s role in the matter, each of the candidates pointed to the lack of control and coordination.

Jeanne Seaver, an active volunteer in Savannah who for nearly three decades has worked negotiating the buying and selling of small and medium size firms, said that she would look into regulations and oversight, and advocated less restrictions on inshore drilling.

“I think that if there weren’t so many regulations, maybe we wouldn’t be having this problem,” she said. “We could be drilling right here on our land and not out there in the deep, deep, way out there. Maybe if we didn’t have to go out so far, things would be working. We could drill right here. Drill, baby, drill, at home, on our land.”

Meanwhile, nuclear energy advocate Ray McKinney, the Effingham native who has served as a vice president at Continental Field Systems, said he thinks the federal government needs to get out of the way so that states can apply their cleanup solutions. He said the biggest problem was government trying to place blame without knowing for certain what caused the accident.

“Until we know what the problem was, until we know what exactly happened, we’re not going to be able to fix it,” said McKinney, later clarifying that he wants states to be allowed to protect their shores through their own strategies, rather than waiting for word from the federal government.

Former Thunderbolt fire chief Carl Smith respectfully disagreed. He said he typically does not approve of government intervention, but as a first responder he understands that sometimes the public needs the help and called for federal leadership.

“You have to have a clear chain of command, somebody in charge of what’s going on, and what is our biggest problem. Our government and our president did not take command of the situation from the very beginning,” Smith said.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Horner, who jumped in the race in January, noted throughout the night that his views were in the same vicinity as Smith’s.

“We need a leader. President Obama is not a leader,” he said. “He’s never even managed a McDonalds and he just seems to be dithering. As a military person I can’t stand what’s going on. Someone needs to get up there and direct things,”

As for the recently passed health care legislation, Smith pointed out that the U.S. government has become a mammoth conglomerate.
Horner pointed out ways to “squeeze” money away from the programs through appropriations. Concurring, McKinney’s and Seaver’s strategies revolved around taking over the Capitol seat by seat and defunding the programs. However, Seaver foresees dramatic consequences from the bill.

“We have got to take this country back and in 2010, or we are headed to socialism,” she said. “It’s happening. I hear it every day; we’re getting closer and closer, and I don’t know about you, but I’m scared half to death. So let’s think about solutions.”

Seaver went on to suggest “cracking down” on fraudulent Medicare and Medicaid recipients and going across state lines for health insurance.

Similarities
Remarks on cutting spending, shrinking government, cutting taxes and fair tax installation were met cheers from the crowd. During discussion of the health care bill, a crowd member yelled out, “Impeach them all.”

Each of the candidates agreed that the Constitution and founding principles of the U.S. are in danger with the current elected officials, finding states’ rights and the right to bear arms the most vulnerable.

However, McKinney said that the federal government also has violated the 14th Amendment.

“A lot of people think that if you were born in this country, then you are a citizen of this country,” McKinney said. “But that’s not what it says. There’s a caveat. It says that if you are born or naturalized and you fall under the jurisdiction of that governing body, then you are a citizen. So if you’re here illegally, you are not under the jurisdiction of that body. So you are not a U.S. citizen if you are born here but you’re parents are illegal.”

These Republican Congressional contenders will be on the primary ballot July 20 in hopes of taking on the Democrats’ nominee. Incumbent John Barrow faces a primary challenge from former state senator Regina Thomas. Barrow and Thomas also were invited to take part in the forum.

During the “rapidfire” rounds of questioning, they all said character was the most important quality an elected official can possess over knowledge and experience.

Organized by Ken Baxley of the Effingham Tea Party, the debate was held at the Board of Education auditorium and was moderated by Virginia Galloway, state director of Americans for Prosperity.