U.S. Rep. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., the incumbent representative of the 2nd Congressional District, and Republican challenger Peter Theron participated in the 2008 Global Affairs Forum Thursday.
The debate was sponsored by the Dane County Chapter of the United Nations Association and 20 other area civic groups.
Melanie Ramey, president of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, moderated the event as Baldwin and Theron answered questions from the audience on foreign policy and international affairs.
We are having this election at times of great consequence '¦ The focus has been primarily on economic and domestic issues of great importance, but that does not mean that we are having this election at a time when our role in the world is not equally important,"" Baldwin said in her opening statement.
Theron and Baldwin covered a number of topics throughout the 90-minute debate, including U.S. exceptionalism, approaches to ending the war in Afghanistan and whether to engage in discussions with Cuba.
When asked how the United States could maintain military supremacy and balance the federal budget, Theron said non-defense military spending should be cut. Baldwin said it is possible to maintain military might and still make rational cuts, pointing to billions of dollars of wasteful spending on no-bid contractors in Iraq.
Theron said he is willing to support policies to fight climate change, including nuclear energy. He said climate change is a secondary issue and the Kyoto Accords are ""outdated.""
""People come before polar bears,"" Theron said.
Baldwin spoke of the work done by Congress during her time as a representative, such as raising standards for the auto industry and a mandate for increased use of biofuels. We have to take action immediately, Baldwin said, to avert a catastrophe in years to come.
Megan Miglautsch, a sophomore at UW-Madison who identifies with conservative values, said the event was her first time at a live political debate. She watched the presidential debates on television.
Miglautsch said the candidates ""were respectful of each other and there were really stark contrasts.
