Franken Vs. McFadden Debate: How Loyal Is Your Vote?
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - WCCO hosted a debate between Democratic Sen. Al Franken and Republican challenger Mike McFadden at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Here's the fourth question:
Mr. McFadden, viewers have seen a lot of political ads this fall.
In yours, you have repeatedly criticized Senator Franken for voting with President Obama 97 percent of the time, and promised that if you are elected and vote with a president 97 percent of the time, you won't seek a second term.
What is the proper percentage?
Pat, what I'll show is independent leadership. I'll go out there, and I won't be a rubber stamp for any president. It's an issue because I believe this president is leading us in the wrong direction. Al Franken has been a rubber stamp for this president: He's voted for him 97 percent of the time. I haven't met anybody else in Minnesota who agrees with another person 97 percent of the time. I don't even agree with my wife 97 percent of the time. ... America's broken right now, Congress is not working, it is hyperpartisan.
Sen. Franken, we actually broke down the votes among the U.S. Senate, and we actually found that there were no Republican senators who voted with their party 97 percent of the time, while 37 Democratic senators voted with the president 97 percent of the time. Doesn't that make the Democratic party the party of gridlock?
No, because so many of these votes that are recorded are just nominations--the HHS secretary passed 100-0. I try 100 percent of the time to vote for Minnesota, and I have worked across party lines. I've done legislation with Lamar Alexander, a Republican of Tennessee. We just got signed in July the first reform of our workplace training system since 1998. I worked with Pat Roberts on making drugs safer. I worked with Deb Fischer, a Republican from Nebraska, on rural broadbanding.
Watch full answers in the video above.
The Franken-McFadden Debate On WCCO
Ebola Travel Ban: Candidate Quotations | Full Video
Affordable Care Act: Candidate Quotations | Full Video
Fighting ISIS: Candidate Quotations | Full Video
Voting Loyalty: Candidate Quotations | Full Video
NFL Tax Exemption: Candidate Quotations | Full Video
Negative Ads and Business Entanglements: Candidate Quotations | Video, Part 1 | Video, Part 2
