Feisty Debate for Rhode Island Congressional District 1
by Mark Curtis, ABC 6 Political Reporter
It was a feisty congressional debate.
On Social Security, Brendan Doherty supported raising retirement age, perhaps by just one year; David Cicilline said keep it as is; and David Vogel said create more jobs, so more people contribute to the retirement system.
The most explosive issue of the night was Doherty saying Democrat David Cicilline has taken at least 12 thousand dollars in campaign donations from strip clubs over the years.
Republican Doherty said, “These were all strip clubs in the city of providence on his watch when he was the mayor of the city of providence. So I would just ask, what did you do for this strip club?”
Doherty says one strip club made a donation to Cicilline just two years ago.
The Congressman called the accusations old news, and a distraction.
“I think what this is an attempt to really do is to talk about campaign contributions from 7, 10 years ago; cases I had as a lawyer 15, 20 years ago, so that voters will not focus on the fact that Brendan Doherty, if he's elected to congress, will go to Washington, he's a Romney Republican,” said Rep. David Cicilline, (D) Rhode Island.
David Vogel said the strip club controversy is a good example of why he's running as an independent.
“I feel like a pinball in the middle of a bing and a bong, sort of a thing. And this is exactly why we need independents, true independents that are not beholden to anyone,” Vogel said.
All three men agreed Rhode Island does not need a state death penalty, but Brendan Doherty was the only one to back the federal death penalty:
The latest Brown University poll tells us the race is close: Cicilline 46 percent; Doherty 40 percent (with a 6 percent margin of error); Vogel 7 percent and 7 percent undecided.
