Congressional candidates have opposite views on health care but find other areas of agreement

If you’re looking for a debate fix before the vice presidential candidates square off in Danville, here are some highlights from the forum earlier this week between the congressional candidates in Louisville.

WFPL, Louisville’s NPR station, hosted the congressional candidates for a forum moderated by WFPL’s Phillip Bailey, Kentucky Public Radio’s Kenny Colston and cn|2’s Ryan Alessi moderated the debate Monday between Democratic U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth and Republican challenger Brooks Wicker.

And the two established clear differences early on in the area of health care:

As the fiscal cliff approaches, Wicker said he wants to see Congress extend the Bush-era tax cuts for three to five years to give lawmakers enough time to revamp the federal tax code.

Yarmuth said the income tax cuts instituted in 2001 and 2003 should be extended only for those making $250,000 a year or less.

But the two agreed on letting another tax expire. Check it out:

And WFPL’s Phillip Bailey asked the candidates whether they agreed with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who said he wants to cut federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Wicker said even though that money accounts for 7 percent of WFPL’s budget, the U.S. debt and annual deficit necessitates tough choices.

And in this segment, Yarmuth — an outspoken critic of Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell — gives one area in which he’s been on the same page with Kentucky’s senior Senator (other than their shared enthusiasm for University of Louisville sports). Likewise Wicker, who has been equally critical of President Barack Obama, offers an issue in which he has been “moderately supportive” of the president’s action.