Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, September 7, 1994                   TAG: 9409070150
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: By GREG SCHNEIDER and MARGARET EDDS STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ROBB TRIPS OVER HIS OWN TONGUE

Faced with a question during Tuesday's debate about what entitlements should be cut to reduce the federal deficit, Sen. Charles Robb came out with this line:

``I would take food from the mouths of widows and orphans, if I had to, to try to solve this problem.''

Robb immediately acknowledged that it was a tough line.

``It's a stupid line, that's what it is,'' shot back Douglas Wilder.

``It's, it's the only, but, but, let me, let me, th-this is the reason we don't solve the problem,'' Robb stammered.

``You may want to elaborate on that, Senator,'' said moderator Judy Woodruff.

``Obviously, I'm not being literal in that. But we clearly, we clearly have to make tough choices, and we can't always duck when you ask somebody where they're going to cut,'' Robb finally said.

He had been frustrated, Robb said later, because his opponents weren't very specific about cuts. Robb was trying to get across the point that every entitlement - Social Security, Medicaid, welfare - ought to be exposed to the budget ax.

But it didn't come out quite right.

His opponents saw the humor, but for all the wrong reasons.

``I'm not sure he's got enough time left in his term to explain that one,'' said Marshall Coleman.

Keywords:
POLITICS