On Wednesday afternoon, Republican candidate for Senate Scott Milne got his first and only chance at a one-on-one debate with incumbent Democrat Patrick Leahy. He used the occasion to level some blistering criticism at his opponent, but Leahy says voters won鈥檛 respond favorably to the 鈥渘egative鈥� campaign tactics.
Milne wasted no time getting to the two issues that have defined his campaign for the U.S. Senate. In response to an opening question about what he鈥檇 do as a senator to improve economic prospects for Vermonters, Milne offered this:
鈥淔irst of all, I think what鈥檚 gone wrong in Washington over the last 50 years is this deadly concoction of career politicians being propped up election after election by special interest money,鈥� Milne said.
For Milne, incumbent Sen. Leahy is the embodiment of that 鈥渄eadly concoction.鈥� And he says the senator鈥檚 42-year tenure, and his campaign鈥檚 reliance on contributions from corporate political action committees, render him incapable of representing Vermonters effectively in Washington, D.C.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e a poster child for getting sucked into this love-of-money way of getting your political career extended,鈥� Milne says. 鈥淢y election will be a message from Vermont that we鈥檙e sick and tired of the way things are going in Washington. We need to have a government for the many, not for the few.鈥�
Leahy says Milne鈥檚 admonitions aren鈥檛 resonating with voters. According to recent polls and , Leahy holds a comfortable lead over his Republican challenger.
鈥淢y opponent鈥檚 run only a negative campaign, and people don鈥檛 like negative campaigns,鈥� Leahy says.
What people do like, Leahy says, are results. And he says he鈥檚 delivered them in spades during his seven terms in office.
鈥淚nstead of just going on in a negative campaign, saying things I鈥檓 against, I can talk about things I鈥檝e done, and I鈥檓 for,鈥� Leahy says.
Leahy says his four-decade tenure has earned him a seniority that has brought direct financial benefits for the state.
鈥淧eople have seen what I鈥檝e done for Vermont, what I鈥檝e been able to do,鈥� Leahy says. 鈥淎fter Hurricane Irene, the fact that I could bring far more money to Vermont than anyone else. They鈥檝e seen me work with farmers, with veterans.鈥�
Milne however says the platform he鈥檚 running on would bring the institutional reforms needed to restore order in Congress.
鈥淚 think term limits and campaign finance reform will do wonders to not only get our United States Senate back on track, but to get America back on track,鈥� Milne says.
Milne has been especially critical of Leahy鈥檚 fund-raising apparatus. The incumbent senator has raised more than $1 million in this cycle alone from political actions committees, many linked to corporate entities.
Though his fellow Vermont senator, Bernie Sanders, has sworn off contributions from corporate PACS, Leahy says he can鈥檛 afford to, lest well-resourced conservative forces conspire against him.
鈥淚鈥檓 not, in a time of Citizens United 鈥� I鈥檓 not going to unilaterally disarm,鈥� Leahy says.
Leahy hasn't had a close race in 25 years. Voters will decide whether to buck that trend when they head to the polls on Nov. 8.
