Granny D meets Judd Gregg in a TV debate

By David Darman on Friday, October 22, 2004.

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Senator Judd Gregg and Doris "Granny D" Haddock squared off last night in their only televised debate.

Their encounter was civil, but still showcased their opposite positions on the war in Iraq, campaign finance reform, and tax cuts.

New Hampshire Public Radio's David Darman has more.

Doris Haddock made it clear in the debate that she opposes the war in Iraq.

And she criticized Senator Judd Gregg for backing it.
young men and women there are in the shooting gallery. that we've lost a thousand of them and god knows how many iraqi people we've lost. i think the war was a mistake, and I'm sorry that it ever had to happen.

Senator Gregg defended the U.S. invasion of Iraq.
He said winning the war could eliminate the threat of terrorism from inside Iraq.
if we are able to create a democracy there, where people have freedom. where women have rights, which they don't presently have or haven't had in the Islamic world traditionally, where liberty reigns and the rule of law reigns. if we're able to accomplish that then we will have undermined breeding grounds for fundamelist islam.

Putting the war aside, Haddock made it clear that reforming campaign finance is her highest priority.

That's no surprise.

Five years ago, when she was 89 years old, she walked across the country to promote campaign finance reform.

Congress passed the McCain Feingold Act in 2002.

But Haddock says corporate money is still a problem in politics.

And she criticized Gregg for accepting corporate contributions.
he is ensnared in the special interest machinery that keeps us from solving our problems. he has accepted over a million and a half dollars in the present election from special interest political action committees.

But Gregg objected to Haddock portraying him as being in the pocket of special interests.

He says his twelve years in office show he's not beholden to anyone.
obviously you've got concern about contributions to campaigns, I guess I can understand that. but i think you have to look at a person's record, before you start characterizing their actions as being payoffs to people. i think that attitude really undermines the political process....

Like other Democrats, including presidential nominee John Kerry, Doris Haddock condemned President Bush's tax cuts.

Democrats charge the cuts have benefitted the wealthiest people in the country, at the expense of the middle class.

Gregg said he believes the cuts averted a serious recession three years ago, and helped families stay afloat during tough times.
under those tax cuts, 500,000 people from new hampshire received benefits in the direct tax cuts, 480,000 received benefits from the marriage tax repeal, over 200,000 received benefits from the child care tax credit, and the list goes on and on.

Senator Gregg agrees with the President on most issues, but he parts company with the President on the White House proposal to fix social security.

He does not support allowing younger workers to divert part of their accounts to outside, private investments.

Here, Doris Haddock agreed with New Hampshire's senior senator.

But she is also wary of any fix that might lead to reduced benefits for retirees.
i think mr kerry is right, that the social security should be left alone. i feel the social security surplus was put into the general account to balance the budget they were stealing it and that is very unwise, and its certainly unwise to privatize it.

Haddock also criticized the No Child Left Behind Law for not being fully funded.

Senator Gregg co sponsered the bill in the Senate with a Democrat, Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts.

And Gregg defends the law, saying it has been a success.
because now parents know whether or not their kids are being taught what they should be taught in the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grade. and they can find out just by looking at the school's record about whether or not their children are learning what they need to learn in order to succeed in america. we cannot leave children behind.

Both candidates said they would fight to keep the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard open.

Some military experts say the Navy could try to close it in the next round of base closings.

The candidates had different attitudes toward Walmart.

Haddock blamed the chain for the demise of neighborhood stores.

Gregg said he thinks the chain creates jobs, and offers consumers lower prices.

During the debate, the 94 year old Haddock said doctors told he she was fit to run.

But at the end of the evening, she pretty much acknowledged she didn't expect to beat Judd Gregg in his bid for a third term in the Senate.

Haddock said she thought her campaign served another purpose beyond this election.
my real victory will this, my real victory will be this. future candidates far better than i must step forward, and agree to run for office without taking a dime of special interest money. we must stand up for the idea that our democracy can be much more than what we see in washington.

If she should get elected, Haddock would turn 100 years old in the final year of her first term.

That would make her the second Senator to reach the century mark.

Strom Thurmond of South Carolina served until he was 100.