Douglas Herbert, the Democratic candidate seeking to represent New Jersey's 11th district in U.S. Congress, took the opportunity during a three-way candidates' radio debate on Sunday to take several swipes at the voting record of his Republican opponent, Rodney Frelinghuysen.

Frelinghuysen, who has held the position for 16 years, responded with a criticism of spending for federal programs proposed by Democrats and by attacking what he called "Obama-care," the federal health care program about to go into effect.

Herbert had defended the new health-care program as a necessary start to a situation where he said even residents in relatively wealthy Morris County have difficulty affording needed care and medications.

The two major party candidates were joined by the Libertarian candidate for U. S. Congress, Jim Gawron, from Mount Olive Township. "I want to talk about small government being in the direction in which we need to move," Gawron said prior to the debate.

The 11th district includes all of Morris County, parts of Somerset County, including Bernards Township and a portion of Bridgewater, and parts of Essex, Sussex and Passaic counties. 

The debate was broadcast live on radio station WMTR-1250 AM, out of Hanover Township in Morris County, and was moderated by radio host Julie Briggs on her hour-long "Your New Jersey Connection" program. 

A second radio debate between the two candidates is scheduled to be broadcast on WRNJ-1510 AM out of Hackettstown on Oct. 29. That debate is scheduled to be hosted by Joyce Estey.

Frelinghuysen recently agreed to the debates after Herbert had issued several challenges for one. Gary La Spisa, campaign coordinator for Frelinghuysen, said last week he had no comment on why the congressman had decided to conduct this month's scheduled debates.

Briggs opened and closed Sunday's program by asking each of the candidates why they feel they are most qualified and should be elected to U.S. Congress.

Frelinghuysen, who said he had started his day at an American Legion Post in Parsippany, said he understands that people are concerned about the economy, too much taxation and government spending. He criticized President Obama and the Democrats, particularly Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, for advancing a health care program he said will cut Medicare and raise health care costs for many people.

Frelinghuysen, a resident of Harding Township, said Obama and Pelosi too often "apologize" for America. "It's time to retire Nancy Pelosi," Frelinghuysen said.

Herbert, a Chatham resident, said he believes the people of the district are "in trouble," with higher unemployment even than the official 7.9 percent figure cited for Morris County. As the owner of a law office, he said he has been running a small business for 15 years, and he understands the concerns of such businesses.

At several times during the debate, Herbert said the government's priority should be to invest in creating jobs to put people back to work. "We in New Jersey need to begin to help the businesses," he said. "It's about getting people employed and getting them jobs."

"We cannot take money from people via taxation and then hand that out to create jobs," Gawron said. "The more the government spends, the less money is in the hands of the people," he said. 

During the debate, Gawron said he had previously supported Frelinghuysen, and continues to agree with the sitting congressman on many issues. However, he said he was spurred to run after the incumbent congressman supported TARP, the Troubled Asset Relief Program signed into law in 2008 by former President George W. Bush.

Herbert said that TARP bailed out the very financial institutions that had caused the financial crisis. Now, many of those same banks are refusing to lend money to small businesses in need of capital, he said.

Frelinghuysen said the position of both Bush and Obama at the time was that TARP was needed to avert a worldwide financial catastrophe. But he defended his position in opposing other spending programs a fund for lending to small businesses.

Frelinghuysen said the money for that fund would have required borrowing an additional $30 billion. The congressman contended his record indicates he has supported business, and he has gained the support of the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

He said small businesses will be hurt more by requirements in the new health care program, which he said had spurred 17,000 calls to his office, 95 percent against the program.

"I am not against health care reform," Frelinghuysen said. He said he is against the current 3,000-page version of the program.

Herbert accused Frelinghuysen of failing to take an opportunity to come up with better suggestions for health care.

Gawron said he would oppose government intervention in health care or in managing the financial markets. TARP "prolongs the agony," he said.

The three candidates were in relative agreement in response to a caller who said he had been working in the hard-hit construction industry, and now would like to borrow from his retirement accounts without being penalized by the IRS. 

Both Herbert and Frelinghuysen said they would support such relief. Gawron said he would go one better than removing the tax penalty for early withdrawal of retirement funds. "I'm for eliminating the income tax entirely," he said.

There was more disagreement, however, about Frelinghuysen's earmarking of $101 million to upgrade Picatinny Arsenal in western Morris County. Frelinghuysen said the funds to modernize kept open the arsenal, a source of local jobs.

Herbert said that as a veteran, he supports Picatinny's mission. But he said the current economy is not the time to hand out money.

Gawron said the practice of adding earmarked funds for local projects, however worthy, to larger federal initiatives, is part of the reason that the federal deficit has risen to trillions of dollars.

Herbert also asked Frelinghuysen about what he said was the congressman's previous support for term limits. He said he supports a limit of 12 years, which he said would give a representative enough time to garner experience without fostering "political elitism."

Frelinghuysen denied he had made such a pledge. He said his district's residents have benefitted from his seniority and knowledge of Congress.

Gawron said he would oppose term limits because that would limit the right of voters to select a chosen representative. If citizens don't like their representative in Congress, he said, "Then they can vote that person out."