JOHN TRACY AND MATT DUNNE GO HEAD TO HEAD IN LT. GOV. PRIMARY 6 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 60 and the Champion Land deal. Tracy, 54, said if elected as lieu- tenant governor, he would be far I more outspoken than Dubie. “It’s not OK to be quiet,” Tracy said. “I have never shied away from difficult issues and never will." Tracy has served 12 years in the House. He became assistant majority leader during his second term, and later served as major- ity leader. He chaired the House Committee on Health Care whose work led to the new Catamount Health plan. “No one has worked harder on health care,“ said Rep. George Cross (D—Winooski) at the launch of Tracy’s campaign last month. I , “He has the ability to bring people together.” Tracy described traveling the state with Sen. Jim Leddy to talk with Vermonters about health care. He defends the decision to accept Catarnount Health, which some say is a compromise bill that will help Vermonters only to a lim- ited extent. Tracy also stood up for gay and lesbian Vermonters during the civil union debates. He was the majority leader in the House when the civil union bill passed. In that role he decided which bills come up for a vote. “John was really in the thick of the civil union fight,” said Rep. Bill Lippert (D-Hinesburg), who is openly gay. “That's the kind of leadership I respect. John was there when we needed him.” Tracy also supports same-sex marriage. “I was proud to be one of 22 to vote for gay marriage in the debate over civil unions, and I would do so again,” he told OITM. Speaking on national issues, Tracy said he now believes it's time to bring the troops home from the war in Iraq, while respecting those who served there. He also said Dubie has been quiet while civil rights and privacy are “under at- tack" at the federal level. When the Democratic State Committee voted this spring to urge Congress to begin impeach- ment proceedings against Presi- dent Bush, Tracy joined others who decided against asking the Legislature to forwardthe ines- sage to Washington. “You should send the message directly to the people who have to act on it cut out the middleman," Tracy was quoted in an Associated Press article. Political observers say which- ever man wins, Verrnont’s Demo- cratic party will be well served. V VERMONT U.S. SENATE “HOPEFULS MEET THE GAY PRESS 6 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Sanders told in newsweekly he opposes efforts to amend the U.S. Constitution to prohibit gay marriage through the Federal Mar- ‘ riage Amendment. “I am certainly going to vote against the constitutional amend- ment that President Bush is pro- posing,” he said. “I think what this does is instill discrimination in our constitution which is certainly something we don’t want to do.” For Sanders, the key issue in this race is who sets the legislative agenda in Washington DC. “Leadership plays a huge role in determining the agenda and pri- orities of the Congress,” he said. ’ “The most important vote that members of the House and Senate deal with is not health’ care, not the environment, not gay rights, and not the war in Iraq,” Sanders added. “The most important vote is the very first vote you cast to determine which political party controls each body. And when you vote for the Republican leadership in the Senate, you are voting for the most reactionary leadership in the modern history of the United .' ~ States of America. There is no de- bate that one of the Republicans major wedge issues is homopho- bia. They think they can deflect attention away from the war in Iraq, away from the decline of the Huddle class, the disintegration of our health care system, and all the other important issues that impact Americans.” If elected, Sanders promises I0 support the Democratic Party's leadership. Sanders will face either IDX co- founder Rich Tarrant or retired air force pilot Greg Parke, both Re- publicans, In an interview with in news- weekly, Tarrant cited his positions on “health care, better jobs, less partisan hatred in‘ Washington, and education” as reasons gay and As the father of two adopted children, Tarrant. said he supports adoption by gay and lesbian couples. “As long as love is there for the ‘kid, that’s what matters,” he said. lesbian Vermonters should sup- port him. . “What’s important to me is get- ting things done,” Tarrant said. “Ideology isn’t important to me.” While Tarrant said he would cosponsor ENDA and opposes the Federal Marriage Amendment, he conceded he is not familiar with the unique concerns of gay and lesbian Americans. “I would have to look at, con- sider, and make sure I understood the bills,” he said when asked about gay-friendly legislation. “I’m very hesitant to comment on spe- cific bills before I read them and understand both sides.” As the father of two adopted children, Tarrant said he supports adoption by gay and lesbian cou- ples. “As long as love is there for the kid, that's what matters,” he said. _ As a Republican, Tarrant be- lieves he can best serve gay and lesbian Vermonters as a moderate voice within the GOP. “I’ve always felt that someone like me who is willing to push back on my own party can be more ef- fective in getting to the table with logical arguments than someone who is on the other side throwing rocks,” he said. “I'll push back." Republican Greg Parke is a social conservative who does not support gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender equality. “I don't believe in, giving people special rights to flaunt their sexuality,” Parke told in newsweelcly. “Sexu- ality has a certain place in society. It belongs_in the privacy of one‘s home, period.” Parke opposes civil unions, calling them “marriage by another name.” He also said he supports the Federal Marriage Amendment. “Our government should be promoting that which is best for children, and every study out there shows that the best environment for a child is one with a father and a mother,” he said. “When We look at where (gay marriage) has hap- pened, the institution of marriage becomes cheapened and hurts V families in general.” Rich Tarrant and Greg Parke will face off in the Republican pri- mary on September 12. The winner of that contest will face U.S. Rep. Bernie Sanders’ ir1 N0vember.V Paul Olsen is the Vermont Correspondent for Boston's in newsweekly. 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