U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam says Trump isn’t Abe Lincoln, Sean Casten calls president a ‘walking disaster’
Roskam said Trump has "demonstrated a lot to be desired as it relates to being forthcoming." His Democratic challenger,
The two candidates appeared before the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board on Wednesday, sparring on an array of policy issues, including taxes, health care and immigration. But Trump -- and the recent developments in federal court -- loomed over the issues in the race for the pivotal suburban
"I'm aware, obviously, of the environment in which I'm operating," Roskam said.
The Tuesday guilty plea of Trump's personal lawyer,
"Does it bring me any joy to be having this discussion about the president of
Casten said after the editorial board meeting that he believes Trump is "hands down the worst president of my lifetime. This guy is a walking disaster. The sooner he's out of office the better."
But the political newcomer and businessman from
Roskam is trying to win a sixth term in
Casten is playing a central role in
It's against that backdrop that Roskam has backed elements of Trump's agenda, including tax policy, his support of the military and the appointment of
"Never telling a lie,
And he said local voters, as they have in the past, can separate their opinions about Trump from their policy preferences on matters such as taxes and health care.
"This is a district that is discerning and capable of separating out different responsibilities," Roskam said.
Casten, meanwhile, didn't directly answer whether he'd vote for House Democratic leader
"I want to understand what the choices are," he said.
The two candidates have debated before, most recently at a forum Fox-32 broadcast last month. That matchup showed they agree about almost nothing and are comfortable attacking each other. Wednesday's meeting was more subdued. They spent much of it locked in a wonky discussion about taxes, health care and immigration -- topics on which they sharply disagree.
Roskam helped write
"We borrowed money to get a simpler and updated tax code," Roskam said, later adding: "The other thing that we get is a growing economy."
"There's a lot of words there, I disagree with almost all of them," Casten replied. He contends that giving companies tax breaks is no guarantee they'll create jobs.
On health care, Casten criticized
"We were told if you liked your doctor you could keep your doctor, that didn't happen," Roskam said. "We were told if you liked your coverage you could keep your coverage, that didn't happen." He repeated his view that Casten wants to "protect, defend and expand" the ACA.
And Roskam sought to deflect Casten's criticism that he hasn't held enough town hall meetings, saying the country is "running above idle right now" and such large-scale gatherings aren't productive.
Instead, Roskam said he's held hundreds of smaller events and meetings at businesses, schools and other places to meet with thousands of constituents over time.
"We need less drama. We need less hyperbole. We need less shouting. And we need more of an ability to work with other people on the other side of the aisle," Roskam said. "And my experience is that if you're sitting down in a smaller group, even if somebody is disagreeing with you, you can actually have a discussion."
Casten pledged to hold four town hall meetings per year if elected, saying he was "truly baffled by Peter's thought process" on the topic.
"The last time you had a town hall, Lehman Brothers existed, Uber didn't, and America had never known a black president," Casten said.
Roskam, 56, is no stranger to an expensive, closely watched race with national implications. Twelve years ago, he narrowly defeated now-
Casten, 46, could be bolstered by the national Democratic tail winds that may accompany the midterm elections.
Showing the heavy interest in the race, national groups have begun spending big money in the
Roskam had
But while campaign fundraising can be more difficult for challengers than sitting congressmen, Casten has been able to use his personal wealth to help pay for his campaign so far. Records show he put
The 30-second spot tries to defend Casten's business record from the
Roskam unveiled a new TV ad, too. It adopts a strategy of Republican Gov.
"Casten and Madigan would make us pay a lot more.
The sprawling
Wednesday's meeting before the Tribune Editorial Board was a session for the candidates to make their pitches for the newspaper's endorsement. The board operates independently from the newsroom.
Twitter @mikeriopell
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