HERMITAGE — So far, the talk among Democrats has been about having four strong candidates to run against Phil English for his 3rd District Congressional seat in the fall.

But it’s close to crunch time, with the April 22 primary just ahead, and at a debate Monday night in Hermitage those candidates fought to show Mercer County who’s strongest.

First, they chased each other around on health care. Everyone at the table agreed it needs to be available to all.

Mike Waltner, an Erie-based lay minister, continued his longtime support for a bill that would provide universal health care to all of America by expanding Medicare and paying for it through a 3 percent payroll tax.

“Eighty-seven other countries have figured this out and I think it’s time we did, too,” Waltner said.

He called universal health care a moral imperative that will spell economic good, since it takes the weight off employers’ shoulders who provide health care and makes America more competative abroad.

Erie County Councilman Kyle Foust said Waltner is to his left on health care. While he would support the same bill that Waltner does if it came up, he said he’d work across the aisle more with Republicans to get something done.

Kathy Dahlkemper, a small- business woman, and Tom Myers, an attorney, both said they’d support the same bill as Waltner if it hit the House floor for a vote.

Mrs. Dahlkemper also called for changes like making hospital records electronic and reducing the number of times the same test is repeated – basically, to make health care cheaper.

Myers emphasized his experience fighting insurance companies as an attorney.

Foust said health care reform is priority one, but getting it passed is key, hinting that the universal plan Waltner touts might be a hard sell.

He compared it to the failed universal health care bill of the 1990s. “If it doesn’t pass, it doesn’t make any difference.” Foust added, “We are going to lose the opportunity to get universal health care.”

Waltner fired back and told Foust he’d take the lead, that a third of the House supports the bill and that he’d be one more. “I am the change candidate for this very reason.”

Myers argued that Waltner’s bill has languished in Congress since it was introduced in January 2007, and though he’d co-sponsor it also, added that it hasn’t moved.

Foust also called out Mrs. Dahlkemper on her pro-life stance. He said she was to his right on abortion.

Each candidate said he or she wanted to work to make abortions rare and to provide social support for the poor. Waltner said he’d like to work with Republicans on social programs to curb the number of abortions.

Mrs. Dahlkemper said she is pro-life from conception until natural death. She said besides voting for pro-life legislation, she also opposes euthanasia and the death penalty.

Foust, Waltner and Myers said they would support a woman’s right to choose.

On other issues, the candidates agreed. They all wanted to snatch up a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee, the main tax-writing committee for the House of Representatives.

“Phil English is on the Ways and Means Committee, and he’s going to pound that over our heads in the fall,” Foust said.

The committee can be used to bring home a lot of money, Foust said. He said he’d use it to help write middle-class friendly tax laws.

But congressmen don’t get to choose their committees. Committee positions, including a Ways and Means spot, are passed onto congressional members by party leadership. Waltner said English got his spot in an attempt by Republicans to protect his seat.

He said the Democrats would probably do the same for a Democrat who beats English in November.

The candidates also all opposed Social Security privatization and wanted to increase the wage cap –– basically so the wealthy pay into the program more –– to keep Social Security solvent.

Everyone favored a law that would prevent companies from using replacement workers when a union goes on strike, everyone agreed that jobs are a top priority, and everyone wanted to create incentives to spur growth of “green-collar” jobs in the area –– basically, jobs associated with alternative energy or environmental technology.