Attorney General Candidates Trade Jabs

Attorney General Candidates Trade Jabs

Attorney General candidates Erik Wallin and Peter Kilmartin went head to head yesterday, each accusing the other of being “out of touch” with average Rhode Islanders.

The exchange began when Kilmartin, a Democrat, blasted Wallin, the Republican candidate, for being “recklessly out of touch” with Rhode Islanders because he had promised to file suit in federal court to block the health care reform bill.

“By doing so, Wallin wants to make it legal for insurance companies to discriminate on age and gender, to drop people’s coverage when they are sick, and to deny coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions,” said Kilmartin spokesman Brett Broesder. “Additionally, he wants to continue letting insurance companies drop children from their plans when they get sick.”

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Broesder also faulted Wallin for accepting the endorsement of the “radical right-wing Tea Party movement” which he said “wants to cut taxes for millionaires and big corporations.”

Wallin Calls Kilmartin a ‘Political Hack’

Wallin immediately fired back, calling Kilmartin “another political hack with another pension.”

“Who is out of touch with Rhode Islander families?” Wallin asked. “How about Representative Peter Kilmartin who at age 48 has two public pensions, one from the City of Pawtucket, the other from his 20 years as a state General Assembly member. Think he has any concerns about his financial well-being or healthcare? No, of course not, thanks to you, the taxpayers, he is set for life, so is his family and by the way, we paid for his law school as well.”

Broesder shot back, saying Wallin was “blatantly lying.” He said Kilmartin was the only representative to take a cut in pay with other state employees and had rejected a legislative pension.

‘More Mud-Slinging’

Wallin said he wanted to challenge the health care bill because it was unconstitutional. Wallin admitted the bill had some benefits and said he generally supported health care reform, as long as it was done “properly.”

As for endorsements, Wallin said that in addition to the Tea Party, he has received the support of Warwick Mayor Scott Avedisian, Cranston Mayor Allan Fung, and former Attorney General Jeffrey Pine—individuals that he said could hardly be considered “right wing extremists.”

“As Representative Kilmartin did during his primary, this is just more mud-slinging based on lies,” Wallin concluded.