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BOSTON — Accusations and criticisms flew across the debate stage at WBZ Tuesday night as the two contenders for the Massachusetts U.S. Senate seat faced off in their first and only debate of the election.
Democratic incumbent Sen. Ed Markey, 80, of Malden, used the evening to emphasize the need for Democratic control of Congress and how a win for his opponent, John Deaton, 59, of Bolton, was a win for the president.
“I’m going to Washington to be a check on Donald Trump,” said Markey, who is seeking a third term, at the start of the debate. “Mr. Deaton is going to be a blank check for Donald Trump.”
In a campaign season that has witnessed Republicans trying to distance themselves from an unpopular president, Deaton has likewise touted his independence. The lawyer, known for his work with cryptocurrency, repeatedly parried Markey’s attempts to link him to Trump and voiced his refusal to vote for Trump at any point.
“I wear an American jersey, not a Republican jersey,” Deaton said. “I’m the man that stood on the stage and said ‘F’ to both parties because both parties are corrupt.”
For his part, Deaton resurrected the specters of the more conservative positions held by Markey early in his 50-year-old congressional career. The tact has been used before by Markey’s opponents, who have dug up his positions opposing busing policies in the 1970s and his initial support for the Hyde Amendment around the same time. The amendment, annually approved by Congress as part of the budget process since 1976, prevents the use of federal Medicaid funds for abortions.
“You wanted to ban Black children from being bused in the ’70s and ’80s to white schools,” he said. “And now you act like Mr. Reparations. Senator, we need someone in Washington who will work with both parties.”
Yet Markey managed to turn the focus back on the “R” next to his contender’s name.
Markey shifted leftward on busing and abortion in the 1980s. Since then, he has continued to garner the support of progressive groups through support for legislation such as the Green New Deal and Medicare for All.
“There are so many red herrings that Mr. Deaton is putting out here we’re going to need an aquarium,” he said. “We need a majority in the Senate that is going to be a check on these extreme policies of Donald Trump.”
Deaton continued to defend his record as an anti-Trump Republican, adding that it was possible for such a candidate to exist in Massachusetts, pointing to former Gov. Charlie Baker as an example.
“It’s not about the ‘R,’” he said. “It’s about the candidate. It’s about the person.
“He wants to keep saying Trump,” Deaton added. “Every time he says Trump, it’s to dodge his despicable record of 50 years of regrets.”
Issues
The first question presented by WBZ political analyst Jon Keller, the debate moderator, asked candidates whether they supported Medicare for All. Markey, who has made the policy a cornerstone of his campaign, unsurprisingly reaffirmed his support.
“We’re not running a healthcare system, we’re running a sick care system,” he said. “There is a 20-year life expectancy gap between people who live in Back Bay and people who live in Roxbury right here in Boston, Massachusetts.
“We have to have a system that finally, once and for all, reaches everyone in our nation,” he continued, placing much of the blame for high costs on insurance companies.
Deaton, who previously told The Light that Medicare for All will happen but not immediately, agreed that insurance companies have too much clout and that their monopoly needs to be broken up.
“If you gave me one issue to work on in Washington, it would be healthcare,” he said, adding that Medicare for All currently does not have a majority of Senate Democrats supporting it. “I’ve got a real plan that breaks up the three vertically integrated insurance companies that control 90% of our healthcare.”
When asked if they would support legislation currently before Congress to impeach the president, neither rejected the position outright.
“I would,” Markey said. “It began when he declared an illegal, unconstitutional war against Iran last June without any consultation with the United States Congress.”
Deaton said he was open to the idea, but that Markey’s approach reeked of partisanship.
“I’ve never supported President Trump,” Deaton said. “So I’m open to following the evidence.
“But you ought to notice something he just said,” Deaton continued, referring to the lack of congressional consultation before attacking Iran. “Then why didn’t you impeach Barack Obama? Barack Obama spent seven months bombing Libya, he did not get Congressional approval.”
The conversation also turned to questions of affordability which Markey has linked to fuel prices and the Iran War throughout the campaign.
“People watching tonight, they’re suffering,” he said. “It’s at their kitchen table. It’s Trump at the pump.”
Deaton, who also said he does not support the War in Iran, again pointed to Markey’s use of the president’s name as a political tactic. He went so far as to declare control of Congress a foregone conclusion.
“He keeps saying that the Republicans are going to be in control,” Deaton said. “We all know that the Democrats are going to win the House and the Democrats are going to win the Senate. You have a chance to send a non-partisan person like me, who will really put America first.”
Markey, again framed the election in Massachusetts as an opportunity to rebuff Trump.
“Mr. Deaton wants the voters of Massachusetts to be transported to some fantasy land,” Markey said. “These Republican senators, they are absolutely occupied by this MAGA base. They do whatever he wants.”
Contact Kevin G. Andrade at kandrade@newbedfordlight.org
