Hodes, Ayotte trade barbs during today’s debate
HENNIKER — Democratic Senate candidate Paul Hodes of Concord and Republican Kelly Ayotte of Nashua fought over a host of issues, including spending, taxes and political independence during a one-hour debate at New England College today. The exchange broke no new ground, but Ayotte, the former attorney general, and Hodes, the two-term congressman, repeatedly tried to put the other on the defensive. Ayotte said Hodes has been a liberal toady for the speaker of the House while in Washington and masquerades as a fiscal conservative in this election as he tries to replace Republican Senator Judd Gregg who is retiring. “When it comes to representing the people of New Hampshire, voting with Nancy Pelosi 94 percent of the time is not representing New Hampshire,” Ayotte said. Hodes declared Ayotte supports the same corporate interests that have spent more than $3 million on independent attacks against Hodes in this race. “The millionaires, the oil executives, the Wall Street corporate raiders don’t need another U.S. senator. They have plenty of them in Washington already,” Hodes said. They forcefully questioned one another, Hodes asking Ayotte about e-mails in which she discussed her political future around the time of the death penalty trial for the murder of Manchester Patrolman Michael Briggs. “I handled that case with the utmost integrity,” Ayotte responded. Ayotte demanded Hodes explain the 100 votes he’s missed in the U.S. House including one last summer to extend unemployment benefits. “Sometimes you just can’t make all the votes you want to,” Hodes said, adding that the vote was never in doubt and the bill passed overwhelmingly. Ayotte shot back, “There’s a video showing you a day before speaking to a liberal bloggers conference in Las Vegas? Is that where you were?” Hodes merely said it was a “scheduling conflict.” Media panelists asked the candidates a variety of questions ranging from the violence in the Congo and Mideast peace talks to the solutions for childhood obesity. Since the Sept.
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