Crowd awaits 45th Congressional debate: Crowd awaits 45th Congressional debate
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Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, arrives at her campaign office in Palm Desert after her camp declared victory in the 45th Congressional District debate on Thursday. / Richard Lui, The Desert Sun
Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet is greeted with cheers at Democratic headquarters in Cathedral City on Thursday after debating Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs. / Marilyn Chung, The Desert Sun
From left: Mardella Pryor of Sky Valley, Lorna Damerow of Banning and Joe Lucsko of Banning react to a verbal jab by Palm Springs Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack against Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet during a live broadcast of the 45th Congressional debate on Thursday. / Richard Lui The Desert Sun
Elle Kurpiewski, president of the Democrats of the Desert, cheers in response to a comment made by Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet during a debate with Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack on Thursday. / Marilyn Chung The Desert Sun
A televised screen shot of the debate. / Michael Snyder, The Desert Sun
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Rep. Mary Bono Mack and Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet used their debate Thursday — the 45th Congressional District's first in eight years — as a forum to attack each others' records.
For voters, the often-tense debate, co-sponsored by The Desert Sun and KPSP Local 2, revealed clear policy distinctions between the two candidates on hot-button issues such as the economy, immigration, same-sex marriage and the war in Afghanistan.
VIDEO: Democratic challenger Steve Pougnet speaks to his supporters after the debate
VIDEO: Republican Rep. Mary Bono Mack speaks to her supporters after the debate
The hour-long event also provided a glimpse into their respective styles and personalities.
Both candidates looked to score points, but Bono Mack was clearly more aggressive, making sharp digs at Pougnet that bordered on the personal.
Referring to his environmental platform, Bono Mack said the only thing “green” about Pougnet is that he's “green with envy” in his quest for higher office.
Bono Mack criticized Pougnet as out-of-touch with the public, naive on foreign policy, ineffective as mayor and in lock-step with the Obama administration “big-government” agenda, as she put it.
Pougnet landed his own shots, however, essentially characterizing Bono Mack as a lightweight who has accomplished little in 12 years beyond supporting former President George W. Bush's policies.
He also described her as someone who's rarely in her own district, a point Bono Mack disputed and dismissed as a baseless criticism.
“People don't buy this … it's a bad campaign tactic,” she said.
What impact the debate will have on the Nov. 2 election isn't clear, particularly since it was held in the summer when many residents are out of town or have yet to turn their attention to local politics.
Both candidates dodged questions. When asked about the recent court ruling overturning Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California, Bono Mack maintained it's a state issue — even though the ruling is now moving through the federal courts.
Bono Mack declined, as she has in the past, to offer her opinion on the controversial issue.
Pougnet said he supports the recent ruling but quickly changed the subject, saying the gay community is primarily concerned about job creation.
Bono Mack was one of eight House Republicans to vote for “cap-and-trade” climate change legislation, a bill that narrowly passed the House in June 2009.
The initiative, which hasn't come to a vote on the Senate floor, would limit industrial emissions and allow companies to sell their emissions permits on the open market.
Bono Mack's vote garnered heavy criticism from more conservative constituents.
Though she touted her initial vote for the cap-and-trade measure, Bono Mack did not make clear last night whether she would continue to support the cap-and- trade legislation with the changes made since her vote. She spoke only in general terms, saying that she had the better green energy record of the two.
Bono Mack scored perhaps her biggest hit when the two candidates discussed the controversy over an Islamic cultural center and mosque proposed about two blocks from New York's Ground Zero, the site of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Pougnet praised President Obama for taking a stand on the issue, citing the fundamental separation of church and state protected by the U.S. Constitution.
Pougnet added, however, that he “would not support the building at this time” due to potential hazards and traffic at the downtown Manhattan site.
“The American people are still hurting deeply over 9/11,” Bono Mack said. “The families to this day are still suffering and you are worried about traffic?”
Addressing a post-election crowd of supporters, Pougnet said he wished he had “clearly stated how (he) felt about the mosque.”
“But hey,” he added, chuckling. “All in all she doesn't like me one bit, I can tell you that.”
Bono Mack also attacked Pougnet's record as mayor, citing the stalled Desert Fashion Plaza and Hard Rock hotel projects, and the failed Port Lawrence retail project, whose site was converted into a parking lot by the city.
“He promised so many things and they're not there,” Bono Mack said.
Pougnet fired back during the debate, saying the developers would say “deficit-busting budgets under George Bush” hindered those Palm Springs.
Pougnet also touted Palm Springs' hotel incentive program, launched several years ago, which rewards Palm Springs hotels that complete major remodels with future 10-year discounts in the bed tax they pay. The program has helped pave the way for economic growth in Palm Springs, he said.
Bono Mack justified her praise of projects that benefited from the $787 billion economic stimulus bill — even though she did not vote for the bill.
She said only a sliver of that total purse helped to fund local projects across the country, including a new tower being built at the Palm Springs International Airport.
The economic stimulus bill did not help create enough permanent jobs, Bono Mack added, taking aim at the new bocce ball park being built in Palm Springs at the corner of Gene Autry Trail and Vista Chino.
“How many jobs did that create?” she said.
The two also sharply disagreed on foreign policy. Pougnet said he split with the Obama administration's timeline to pull troops out of Afghanistan by 2011. More than 1,200 U.S. troops have died there since the fighting began in 2001.
Pougnet said he disagreed with the timeline because “it's time now.”
“NATO needs to take a little more control of Afghanistan” and bring troops home by Thanksgiving and Christmas “while still protecting this great country.”
“You are so wrong on this,” Bono Mack responded. She supported Gen. David Petraeus' approach to the conflict, which could push the 2011 exit date.
On illegal immigration, Bono Mack said she supported a “strong robust non-amnesty guest program” and the controversial “e-verify” program.
Pougnet said he wouldn't support “full amnesty” and took aim at Bono Mack, saying she's spent six terms in Congress, in a heavily Latino district, but blames President Obama for not passing immigration reform.
Both candidates appeared confident at their post-debate parties.
“I think I did very well. I'm running against a 12-year, career politician,” Pougnet said. “She actually created the mess that I, as mayor, have to deal with. I'm the low man on the totem pole.”
Bono Mack said she enjoyed participating in the debate.
“It was actually a lot of fun to talk about what's wrong with our country right now, and the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer and Barack Obama is not right for our country and I think we made that clear,” she said.
Desert Sun reporters Mariecar Mendoza and Blake Herzog contributed to this report.
