Mike Scala on the Importance of Challenging the Incumbent

Mike Scala, Democratic congressional candidate for New York's 5th district, answers a question on why he is running against the incumbent at the Springfield Gardens/Rosedale Community Action Association. He highlighted the incumbent's vote for the Budget Control Act that cut Medicare and student loans as why the incumbent is out of touch with the community he represents. Scala also spoke to the fact that the majority of the incumbent's donations come from PACs.

The Springfield Gardens/Rosedale Community Action Association meeting seems to have become the only quasi-debate of the election. The meeting was originally meant to be a night to allow its members to meet the candidates and hear a brief introduction from them. Questions from the attendees were to be limited yet from the onset the need to allow candidates to respond to each other became evident. Each candidate was then given a minute to speak per question and respond in kind. Although no official debate has taken place, Scala was the first candidate and Communities of Color the first media outlet to publicly call for a legitimate debate. This year's primary is June 26, 2012.