U.S. Rep. Ron Kind, D-La Crosse, and his Republican challenger Tony Kurtz squared off last night in a broadcast debate in Stevens Point.
Kind has served nine terms representing the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes western and central parts of the state. The former prosecutor faces a challenge from Kurtz, who served in Iraq in Operation Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On Thursday night, the two clashed on how to respond to the Islamic State group. Kind ruled out deploying ground troops to the region.
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“Reintroducing U.S. combat troops on the ground for a prolonged military engagement would be a huge strategic mistake,” said Kind. “We’re coming out of two very long and very costly wars in the Middle East already. We can’t keep going over there and being their babysitter or their policeman every time there’s a fight or a conflict.”
Kurtz, however, disagreed.
“I have had boots on the ground, not only once but twice,” Kurtz said. “My wife has had boots on the ground, not once but twice. And I do not take this decision lightly, when I say that there may be, in the future, the necessity to have boots on the ground.”
Kurtz also warned that the Islamic State group, also known as ISIS, and Ebola could enter the U.S. through our southern border.
“We have to have a step-up program to secure our border,” said Kurtz. “That’s a must with Ebola, with ISIS, with other communicable diseases. This is the right time to have bipartisan support to actually secure our border.”
Kind accused him of spreading fear.
“This idea that all we’ve got to do is travel bans and quarantines and secure the southern border so that ISIS won’t infect someone, sneak him into Mexico and have him cross the border is ludicrous. There’s no evidence of that happening,” said Kind.
Ron Kind and Tony Kurtz were questioned by reporters from the Stevens Point Journal, WAOW-TV and WSAW-TV.
Editor’s Note: The author of this article, Glen Moberg, also hosted the debate between Kind and Kurtz.
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