LAWRENCE: Bell outlines Senate campaign issues
From the need for immigration reform and the return to the gold-backed dollar and related economic issues, U.S. Senate hopeful Jeff Bell touched on a wide range of topics at Rider University in Lawrenceville last week.
Mr. Bell, who is a Republican, wants to unseat U.S. Sen. Cory Booker in the Nov. 4 general election. The Democratic senator was elected to the U.S. Senate in a special election last year, and is running for his first full term.
Right out of the box last week, Mr. Bell criticized Senator Bookers decision to hold only one debate with him. Mr. Bell, who ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate against Democrat Bill Bradley in 1978, said the two men held 21 debates during that campaign.
"There is something about the Democratic Party and the left wing. They are not used to a debate. They dont like it. They assume their vision is correct," said Mr. Bell, who spoke at the invitation of the universitys Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics.
Mr. Bell described the debates between himself and Mr. Bradley as "fruitful." Although Mr. Bradley was opposed to income tax rate cuts, he eventually reconsidered and co-sponsored the Tax Reform Act of 1986 in the Senate.
Reaching bipartisan support today is difficult to do, Mr. Bell said. President Obamas idea of negotiation is to ask for 95 percent of what he wants, demand it and then threaten to leave the table if his demands are not met, he said. The president issues executive orders to get what he wants, so there is no incentive to go to the table.
Another issue that should have received bipartisan support is immigration reform, said Mr. Bell, noting that he favors immigration reform. President George W. Bush pushed for immigration reform, but the Republican-led U.S. House of Representatives balked.
President Obama pledged there would be immigration reform in his first term, but "he did not lift a finger," Mr. Bell said. The rumor has it that one of his top advisers, Rahm Emmanuel, told the president not to do it because it could have hurt the 2010 election, he said, adding that afterwards, the president "used immigration reform as a club against Republicans."
Mr. Bell said he is not opposed to immigration reform. It would be a pathway to citizenship for 11 million illegal aliens, he said. Reform would "regularize" their status. They would have to pay fines and taxes, and then there would be a 10-year waiting period until they could apply for U.S. citizenship.
Immigration reform is not amnesty, he emphasized, because there is no guarantee of obtaining American citizenship.
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LAWRENCE: Bell outlines Senate campaign issues