Langevin, Lawless face off over Iraq war, abortion rights

The 30-minute debate hosted by the League of Women Voters gives voters a look at the Democratic primary opponents for the 2nd Congressional District.

PROVIDENCE -- U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin and Democratic challenger Jennifer Lawless squared off in their first debate last night, with Lawless criticizing the incumbent on such issues as abortion and the Iraq war.

Langevin defended his record over the past six years, saying he voted against the Iraq war and has taken the lead on such issues as stem-cell research and health care.

The candidates, who will face each other in the Sept. 12 Democratic primary for the 2nd Congressional District, took part in a half-hour debate that was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Rhode Island and broadcast live on Rhode Island PBS (WSBE-TV, Channel 36).

In her opening statement, Lawless, a Brown University professor, charged that Langevin has not done enough to "fight back against" President Bush and congressional Republicans on the Iraq war, abortion rights and issues of privacy.

"If you believe in Democratic values, in change and in holding the Bush administration accountable, the choice is clear, and I would appreciate your vote," Lawless said.

In his opening statement and during the debate, Langevin noted that he grew up in Rhode Island, drawing an unspoken contrast with Lawless, who grew up in New York state and moved to the district this year.

"I've spent my whole life in Rhode Island and held elected office almost 20 years," Langevin said. "My priorities have been your priorities."

Langevin said he was proud that in 2002 he voted against authorizing the use of military force in Iraq.

"I think Iraq will go down in history as one of the nation's worst failed policies," he said. "Any support I've given has been in support of the troops, who the president sent into battle without proper body armor and armored Humvees."

Lawless said that while Langevin voted against going to war and in recent weeks has called for Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's resignation, "in between, Representative Langevin has voted at least a dozen times to stay the course, and that's just wrong."

"I'm running because President Bush made a mistake by going to war in Iraq without a plan to win or a plan to leave," Lawless said.

Lawless contrasted her support for abortion rights with Langevin's opposition to abortion rights except in cases of rape, incest or when the mother's life is in danger. She said that while Langevin supports those "theoretical exceptions," he has "voted 27 times against a woman's right to choose."

"At the end of the day, the decision about whether to terminate a pregnancy has to be left to a woman, her physician, her family and her God," Lawless said.

Langevin said, "My pro-life position comes from my personal experience, having almost lost my life as a teenager." He was referring to the accidental shooting that left him paralyzed from the neck down at age 16. "I'm reminded every day how precious a gift life is," he said.

He said he respects other points of view on the issue and has emphasized measures designed to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

Langevin, a member of the House Armed Services and Homeland Security committees, said, "The issue of security is more than military and homeland security. National security is about family security."

And family security includes health-care security, Langevin said. Yet 46 million Americans now lack health insurance, he said, advocating his universal health-care bill.

Lawless called health care "a basic human right," saying, "We need to stop lining the pockets of pharmaceutical companies and make sure seniors can get the drugs they need." She called for "rolling back the Bush tax cuts" to finance a better health-care system.

Both candidates spoke against drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

"We can't dig or drill our way out of the energy crisis," Langevin said. He called for renewable power and alternative sources of energy, saying a national commitment is needed, "comparable to putting a man on the moon."

Lawless said, "The Bush administration is more concerned about lining the pockets of big business than helping the average consumer." She said it's not right that Exxon makes record profits while many Rhode Islanders can't afford to fill up their tanks.

For the first time in 149 years, there is no Republican candidate for the 2nd Congressional District seat. So whoever wins the Democratic primary will face Rod Driver, a former Democratic state representative who is running as an independent.

Driver criticized the League of Women Voters for not including him in last night's debate, saying, "It made the league look like an arm of the Democratic Party." He said the league has not committed to a debate between him and the winner of the primary.

League president Hollie Courage said the debate was for candidates in the Democratic primary, and that didn't include Driver.

The Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate -- Sheldon Whitehouse, Carl Sheeler and Christopher Young -- will debate on Rhode Island PBS at 8 tonight.

This article, writting by Ed Fitzpatrick, appeared on August 31, 2006, in the Providence Journal.