6th District Democrat hopefuls court crowd at forum

The feeble economy needs a different kind of remedy than the stimulus packages being eyed by the president and Congress, Democrats running in the 6th Congressional District said Wednesday.

In light of fears of recession, Roselle businessman Stan Jagla and Jill Morgenthaler, a former state homeland security adviser from Des Plaines, were asked to give their economic fixes for the country at a voter forum.

Jagla contended free trade agreements are to blame.

"To revive the economy, we've got to stop the bleeding," he said, adding that 2 million American jobs are lost each year because of trade pacts.

Morgenthaler advocated ending frivolous earmarks and subsidies to pharmaceutical and oil companies.

"There's a lot of wasteful spending in Washington. To me, that's the solution," she said.

The candidates running in the Feb. 5 primary also discussed the war in Iraq during the League of Women Voters of Wheaton and Glen Ellyn event.

Morgenthaler said America needs to engage allies such as Jordan's Queen Noor to help build a stable Iraq, which will allow for a strategic withdrawal.

"The whole world needs stability in the Middle East," she said.

Jagla criticized setting benchmarks for withdrawal and advocated a quick departure from Iraq.

"We need to tell them clearly, 'We're leaving in six months.' The Iraqis took care of themselves before; there's no reason they cannot now."

Morgenthaler told the Wheaton audience she had the compassion, common sense and courage to serve in Congress, referring to her service in Iraq as a colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve.

"I met Saddam Hussein and faced off with him," she said. Asked about the comment, Morgenthaler said in 2004 she encountered the former Iraqi president when he was leaving a courtroom during his war crimes trial and exchanged stares with him.

Jagla said he'll be a voice for reform in Washington and criticized entrenched politicians and lobbyists.

"The military and war sectors are so powerful in Washington," he said. "As long as these people have power, there will be no end to the war in Iraq."

The primary winner will face Republican U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam in November.

The 6th District includes northeast DuPage and northwest Cook counties.