The two candidates in Wisconsin's Seventh District congressional race met in their first debate Monday night in Wausau. Former state Senator and television newsman Pat Kreitlow wants to unseat freshman Republican Sean Duffy, who ended 41 years of Democratic control in the Seventh District in the last election. Monday night, Kreitlow accused Duffy of trying to end Medicare because of his support of the Paul Ryan budget, "He went on to do, essentially the ending of Medicare as we know it, by turning it into a coupon program where seniors would get that voucher that does not keep up with health care costs." But Duffy said changes are needed to keep Medicare solvent, "Sen. Kreitlow and his plan is the only plan that has Medicare ending. It's going broke under his proposal. It's not solved. It's not solvent. It's going broke." The two sparred over another issue that's prominent in their campaign ads. Duffy accused Kreitlow of wanting to bail out big banks because of his support of the Dodd Frank financial reform bill, "Dodd Frank picks winners and losers. It identifies banks that are so big that if they fail, they're going to ask every taxpayer in Wausau, Wisconsin and America to bail them out. I'm sick of taxpayers being forced to bail out big banks that aren't responsible with their investments." Kreitlow said Duffy doesn't like Dodd Frank because Wall Street is financing his campaign, "He's done exactly what they've wanted him to do, and as a result has collected $750,000 in contributions from banks, credit card companies, insurance companies, real estate firms, and oil and natural gas companies." Pat Kreitlow and Sean Duffy will meet in a second Wisconsin Public Radio debate November 1 in Superior.
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