Brown, Ketner talk priorities
Incumbent's focus is energy, challenger's is financial crisis
Alan Hawes
The Post and Courier
Linda Ketner listens as Henry Brown makes his closing statement Tuesday during a joint appearance at the Rotary Club of Charleston.
Additional stories
Ketner, Brown spar on economy, forest fire, published 10/09/08
Ketner edits, restores disputed video clip; Candidate deletes part objected to by Brown, published 10/08/08
Ketner, Brown debate, but gloves come off after; Feud over forest fire ad carries on for 15 minutes, published 10/02/08
In what was likely their final joint appearance before the Nov. 4 election, 1st Congressional District candidates Henry Brown and Linda Ketner on Tuesday offered two different priorities they would pursue, if elected.
Brown, the Republican incumbent, said he would work hardest to tap this nation's domestic sources of energy, sources that environmental groups have been wary of.
Ketner, the Democratic challenger, said she would work to reinstate federal financial regulations that were removed in 1999 and that she said fueled the nation's current financial crisis.
They appeared before more than 100 members and guests of the Rotary Club of Charleston. Both were gracious toward each other and avoided one of the campaign's hottest topics so far: Ketner's television ad about Brown's 2004 controlled burn that also singed 20 acres of the Francis Marion National Forest.
He has called the ad untrue; she has kept it on the air.
Brown, who is seeking a fifth term, said the nation's toughest issue is coming up with a new energy policy that will help wean the nation from its $700 billion dependence on foreign oil, and he promised to pursue domestic sources even if environmental groups don't like it.
"We can't continue to send that money across the seas and expect to have a rich and prosperous life," he said.
Ketner, who has never sought office before, said she agreed with Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain when he said "government is broken." She said President Clinton's 1999 decision to get rid of Depression-era regulations that separated banks, insurance companies and investment houses is at the root of the problem.
"I'm not going to blame the Republicans because there's a lot of blame to go around. A lot," she said. "I believe it was preventable. I believe it was predictable, and I don't believe we have the right solution to it yet."
On immigration, Ketner said she would like to see the Navy's Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, or SPAWAR, get a contract to build a "virtual wall" along the U.S.-Mexico border, and Brown said the nation needs to identify its 12 million to 20 million illegal immigrants "and return them to their destination."
Ketner said she also didn't support amnesty.
On balancing the federal budget, Brown said he wants to see Congress be required to balance the budget, like the South Carolina General Assembly must do. Ketner asked him why he didn't introduce legislation to do so, and Brown replied, "I did. I signed onto the Balanced Budget Amendment."
Brown defended his office spending $177,000 on constituent mailings, among the most of any congressman, by saying he spent less on staff and limos than others. "We've elected to have a bare minimum staff and to put money aside so we can keep in touch with our constituents," he said, adding that he gets a lot of compliments about that.
Ketner, who is running in a district that hasn't elected a Democrat to Congress in almost 30 years, vowed to be independent of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.
"I think I'm going to be the bane of Nancy Pelosi's existence. I really do," she said, adding that more members of Congress should take their cues from the people, not their party's leaders.
The 1st District is considered solid GOP turf, but later Tuesday the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added Ketner to its "Red to Blue" program, meaning that it is expected to contribute to her campaign.
As they wrapped up their 30-minute forum, Ketner said, "I'd like you to think about what I said today surrounding the economy. We need a new Congress. We need a new way of doing business in America."
Brown said he wanted to continue to serve to tackle issues like energy independence and immigration. "It's a tough job," he said. "There's no easy fix."
Reach Robert Behre at rbehre@postandcourier.com or 937-5771.
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Comments
This article has 19 comment(s)
Posted by moonpie on October 15, 2008 at 6:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
We cannot depend on Brown. Put the work hourse to pasture! Him and Lindsey....
Posted by proudmomma on October 15, 2008 at 9:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Why would you "return" illegals to their "destination"? Does he mean place of origin?
Posted by Weeeee on October 15, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Or does he mean from jail back to Stall Road?
Posted by To_live_and_die_in_Dixie on October 15, 2008 at 10:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hey serialmooner, Don't you know that Democrats NEVER do anything wrong?? The only corrupt people in this country are the Republicans. That is evident with their Democratic Messiah leader. You'll never get any of them to admit that anything they do is corrupt--of course, when they do it, it's just a clerical error or something they weren't aware was happening or any of their other million excuses!
Posted by Larz13 on October 15, 2008 at 11:04 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am happy that Spanky is impressed that an admin sent him an email and signed Ketner's name.
Remember in DC if you criticize Obama, you are a racist.
Posted by hightide on October 15, 2008 at 11:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Jane, how much did you get paid to post that one?
Stay on subject people. Sheesh!
Republicans AND Democrats have screwed up, but at this point, it's time to put NEW people in charge, despite their party affiliation.
Go Linda!
Posted by SpiderJohn on October 15, 2008 at 12:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/13/f...
He is the son of the late evangelist Francis Schaeffer and considered himself a lifelong Republican. He voted for John McCain in 2000, and McCain even endorsed one of Schaeffer’s earlier books on military service.
Then cruise on over to the article about Palin and her ties to the right wind nut jobs! "I’m Governor Sarah Palin, and I am delighted to welcome you to the 2008 Alaskan Independence Party convention in the Golden Heart City, Fairbanks. Your party plays an important role in our state’s politics."
http://www.democracynow.org/2008/10/13/m...
Posted by SpiderJohn on October 15, 2008 at 1:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Jane - you are delusional! Of course Obama is a citizen of the United States or he couldn't be running! Man, you are a real piece of work and a fool if you believe any of your own lies! Is that how it works? You repeat the same lie over and over again that finally it becomes the truth?
Poor misguided fool!
McBush took money from ACORN as well. What about the Keating five. At least your posts are lies, unlike the TRUTH about PALIN!
I would be very worried if Palin became president and believed in succeeding from the union.
“John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as ‘not one of us,’ I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instigating violence.
“At a Sarah Palin rally, someone called out, ‘Kill him!’ At one of your rallies, someone called out, ‘Terrorist!’ Neither was answered or denounced by you or your running mate, as the crowd laughed and cheered. At your campaign event Wednesday in Bethlehem, Pa., the crowd was seething with hatred for the Democratic nominee—an attitude encouraged in speeches there by you, your running mate, your wife and the local Republican chairman.
“Shame!
Just a small sample of what evangelist Francis Schaeffer wrote in his open letter to McCain.
Jane go take your meds, the paranoia is returning!
Posted by Rebel_Yell on October 15, 2008 at 2:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
blah, blah Jane! Watching her do more harm for McCain than good, again. Way to go - you must feel bad that McCain would be better off without you on his side. Independents and Moderates don't vote for smear campaigns. Besides, you are off topic and SC is a lock so you are wasting your 4th grade thoughts.
Posted by SpiderJohn on October 15, 2008 at 3:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ketner will win!
Obama will win!
The republicans are getting scared and mean!
On June 13, 2008, Obama’s campaign finally released a copy, while launching a fact-check Web site of its own, Fightthesmears.com. The site is a direct response to allegations about Obama that won’t go away: He’s Muslim. He took the oath of office on a Koran. He refuses to say the Pledge of Allegiance. PolitiFact has researched all of these accusations and none of them are true.
When the birth certificate arrived from the Obama campaign it confirmed his name as the other documents already showed it. Still, we took an extra step: We e-mailed it to the Hawaii Department of Health, which maintains such records, to ask if it was real.
“It’s a valid Hawaii state birth certificate,” spokesman Janice Okubo told us.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/...
Jane you obviously did not read the link regarding Palin's association with Alaskan Independence Party. It details her cronyism with the leader of the AIP and how she nominated him for city council. And it confirms AIP agenda to infiltrate the mainstream parties to over throw the United States of America. WOW - you are such a stand up patriot to support Palin (NOT)!
Posted by SpiderJohn on October 15, 2008 at 3:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It that your only rebuttal?
Did you check and see that his birth certificate is real? Or are you affraid to be proven wrong once again by a pinko, commie, liberal loser?
All of your posts are bogus and you need to run, so you can cash your Karl Rovian check for spreading lies, before the banks close!
Posted by SpiderJohn on October 15, 2008 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I do believe that you are finished Jane - no one believes your lies anymore, except the few righties that are still allowed on the P&C site.
You have been proven wrong over and over again, but I have to say that you are one persistent cuss!
I know it is hard to accept but you guys are outa here!
Posted by moonpie on October 15, 2008 at 8:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Spiderjohn is drinking the blue coolaide again. Sounds like that spankerass poster. Dear Jane don't bother trying to explain this stuff to the mindless. They can never understand. They can't understand the two way streak of racism, ie Rev Wright, The corrupt past and misgivings of the democratic party, ie Barney Frank, Chris Dodd, who should be in jail I might add. They can't understand the associations of our dear Obama and how that could effect his decision making, ie hanging with a terroist, being in a racist church for 20 yrs, having a crook that robbed fannie mae of 90 million dollars as his finiancial adviser. It will never be simple enough to understand.
Posted by rollo on October 15, 2008 at 10:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ketner is an idiot, regurgitating Dem talking points like a parrot. The rules she is referring to simply removed some barriers between commercial and mortgage institutions.
The REAL prob is the removal of the discretion of a mortgage institution to say "NO" to an unqualified borrower. That began with the "Community Re-investment Act" which was passed by a Dem Congress and signed by Jimmy Carter, A Dem President.
Ketner is claiming to be independant of Pelosi, yet she copies Pelosies' talking points without a thought!
Ketner = Pelosi
Posted by willie08 on October 16, 2008 at 12:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Brown's time is up. Out with the old fart!
Republicans are a bunch of haters.
Anybody but Brown.
Posted by carolinamommyof4 on October 16, 2008 at 6:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
James_Crackcorn~ best post I've seen so far! I am on the fence here too.
I have tried to reword this every way possible so as not to offend. I believe god loves us all, but find it unusual for an openly gay Ketner to preach about God in most of her ads.
Yes I know gays can be christians, but to some people and religions...this would seem highly hypocritical.
I am completely open-minded and say to each his own, but wanted to point this fact out and open the door for a broader discussion.
Posted by chassc1 on October 16, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Henry Brown has not done NOTHING for us!!!!!! Vote Ketner!
Posted by rollo on October 16, 2008 at 9:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Posted by chassc1 on October 16, 2008 at 7:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Henry Brown has not done NOTHING for us!!!!!! Vote Ketner!"
????
Vote Ketner because she has done so much more? Idiot.
Posted by rollo on October 16, 2008 at 9:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ketner is anti-energy, anti-growth, anti-jobs. She's against everything we need to pull out of this economic mess that the Dem's have created.
So, if you enjoy daytime TV and waiting around for the mailman to deliver your unemployment check,... vote Ketner.