#TBT One Week Ago: Cramer’s Worst Debate Moments

(BISMARCK, ND) – One week ago U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp and Congressman Kevin Cramer met to debate for the first time and, unfortunately for Cramer, they get to do it again tomorrow. Who knows what the second and final debate will hold for Cramer, but we’ve got our dictionary ready just in case. To get you ready, here are Cramer’s worst moments from the first debate.

1. Cramer lied to the people of North Dakota about “CramerCare” and his health care agenda when he said that none of the bills he supports allows insurers to deny coverage or charge higher premiums to folks with pre-existing conditions.

MODERATOR: “If elected, will you support or oppose any bills that allow insurers to deny coverage or charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions, reinstitute lifetime or annual caps or weaken benefit such as coverage for prescription drugs?

CRAMER: I would not, and I have not.”

** Fact Check: This is false and has been debunked by the Washington Post and PolitiFact.

2. Cramer was desperate for a dictionary, confusing “censure” and “censor” before lecturing the moderator.

MODERATOR: “What responsibility does Congress have to censure the President’s continued attacks on freedom of the press?

CRAMER: Now I never thought I’d hear a serious journalist suggest that we censor the president’s speech.”

His gaffe was so bad that the moderator felt compelled to clarify her original question:

MODERATOR 1: “I’m sorry. Just want to clarify the word was censure, not to censor.

3. Cramer once again compared standing up for North Dakotans against the trade war to treason.

CRAMER: “I’ll tell you one thing I haven’t done. I haven’t stood with China against our farmers. I haven’t stood with Canada against our farmers. I haven’t stood with Mexico against our farmers. When our president picks the tools that he’s going to use, I think we’re obligated to stand with the United States of America. The best way to end the trade war quickly is to be unified on our side, not on the other side.”

Remember the time he referred to Heidi as an “enemy of our own country” when she took farmers to visit the Mexican Embassy to mitigate the harm being done to North Dakota farmers.

And in case you needed reminding why Heidi won the debate and will win on November 6th, watch her highlight her record of bipartisan results for North Dakota:

HEITKAMP: “I think it’s, I think it’s interesting that Congressman Cramer talks about President Trump. Why not talk about what you’ve done? Why not talk about your accomplishments? Why not talk about your… bipartisan credibility? Because when you look at rankings, no matter what he says, I am 50th most conservative and 49th most liberal and political thought right now is like a dumbbell. There’s hard right and hard left. Congressman Cramer is going to be on the hard, right? There’s connective tissue in between that stops gridlock and that’s the moderates like me who try and get things done and do get things done.”

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