Barkley Highlights First Debate Victory

Highlights: Barkley Wins First Senate Debate

Coleman, Franken Spar; Barkley Highlights Issues, Accomplishments

For Immediate Release
Contact: Christopher Truscott
ctruscott@senatorbarkley.com

ROCHESTER—Dean Barkley, the Independence Party candidate for U.S. Senate, scored a clear victory in Sunday evening's Senate debate.

While incumbent Republican Sen. Norm Coleman and DFL nominee Al Franken engaged in business-as-usual Washington politics, Barkley remained focused on breaking the partisan gridlock so Congress can finally produce the results the American people have been demanding for so long.

Highlights from the debate, which was held at the University Center in Rochester:

Dean Barkley on the Economic Stabilization Act:

"I didn't like it. (The plan is) better than it was and I think we have to get over that and stop playing the (blame) game and make sure it doesn't happen again."

"If we did not do this, Main Street could've been devastated and I did not want that to happen."

Dean Barkley on Renewable Energy:

"It's a shame it took $4 gas to get Congress to finally start doing something it should've been doing for the last 30 years."

Dean Barkley on Iraq/Military Issues:

"(The war) was (Coleman's) first trillion-dollar mistake and the second was failing to watch over the financial industry."

"I learned from history. … I don't forget what it was like to be lied to (during Vietnam) and all the pain that it caused."

"We've done enough. It's time for Iraq to either sink or swim—become a civilized country that can govern itself or go back to warring tribes."

"The best thing we can do for our troops is bring them home. That's the best thing we can do for them."

"Al-Qaeda came to Iraq after we invaded, not before."

Dean Barkley on Negative Campaigns:

"I've had to take a look at the same talking fish and bowling ads you all have watched."

"This has been an embarrassing campaign … I think Minnesotans should not have been put through this. They both sign-off on these ads."

Dean Barkley on the National Debt:

"The solutions aren't hard, they're just painful and you have to offend some people to do it."

(Barkley supports a four-year spending cap.)

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Barkley, a 58-year-old Minnesota native, served as the director of the Minnesota Office of Strategic and Long Range Planning under Gov. Jesse Ventura. In November 2002, Ventura appointed Barkley to fill the final two months of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone's term.

The former governor said recently that Barkley is "measured minute by minute … the most effective U.S. senator in Minnesota history."

More information is available online at www.senatorbarkley.com.