ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610070100
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: HARTFORD, CONN.
SOURCE: Associated Press
NOTE: Lede
President Clinton and Bob Dole clashed vigorously over tax cuts, Medicare, education and the economy Sunday night in a spirited prime-time debate over who should be trusted to lead America into the 21st century.
``I think the best thing going for Bob Dole is that Bob Dole keeps his word,'' the Republican challenger.
``It is not midnight in America, senator: We are better off than we were four years ago,'' Clinton said in making his case for a second term.
The Democratic incumbent and his Republican challenger stood on stage just a few feet apart, challenging each other again and again in a 90-minute showdown that ushered in the final month of the White House campaign.
Clinton took credit for an economy that had created more than 10 million jobs, for cutting the deficit by 60 percent and for vetoing Dole-backed Republican budgets he asserted would have cut $270 billion from Medicare and another $30 billion from education.
Looking ahead, Clinton said his $100 billion in tax credits targeted to making college more affordable were far more responsible than Dole's ``$550 billion tax scheme.''
``We have the right approach for the future,'' Clinton said.
Dole forcefully disagreed, and accused Clinton of running a campaign designed to scare elderly Americans. ``I am trying to save your Medicare, just as I rescued Social Security,'' Dole said.
The former Kansas senator told the viewing audience, ``If I could not cut taxes and balance the budget at the same time I would not look you in the eye tonight.''
Dole was the aggressor throughout the night, asserting time and again that Clinton's conservative election-year rhetoric about curfews, school uniforms and welfare reform was at odds with a liberal record of giant tax increases and a giant government takeover of health care.
``I wouldn't want to be a liberal either - Mr. President - but you are stuck with it,'' Dole said.
Clinton shook his head at the label and called it the ``golden oldie'' of Republican presidential campaigns. He said that given his record of deficit reduction, paring welfare rolls and supporting the death penalty, ``I just don't think that dog will hunt this time.''
For all the sharp exchanges, there were several moments of laughter. ``You can probably tell we like each other, we just see the world in different ways,'' Clinton said.
And indeed they did.
``I trust the people, the president trusts the government,'' Dole said.
Clinton said he trusted the people, too, but that the government had a critical role in areas such as protecting the environment, putting more police on the street and regulating tobacco sales to keep children from smoking.
Dole said the economy was not growing nearly as fast as it could, and that millions of Americans were feeling an economic squeeze. ``Americans are working harder and paying higher taxes,'' he said.
``I want the government to pinch pennies for a change instead of the American families.''
Dole recalled Clinton's own admission that in 1993 he ``had raised taxes too much.'' A bit later, Clinton recalled a decade-old quote from Dole's running mate, Jack Kemp, who said Dole ``never met a tax he didn't hike.''
With answer after answer, Clinton sought to portray Dole as bent on cutting or gutting vital government programs such as Head Start and student loans. He also criticized Dole's proposal to eliminate the Education Department. ``I think my ideas are better for the future,'' the president said.
Dole was equally determined to shed any suggestion he was hardhearted, referring obliquely to his own struggles overcoming grave World War II wounds and making the case that his school-choice plan would allow poor inner-city children to go to better schools. ``I'm not some extremist out here,'' Dole said. ``I care about people.''
After Dole accused Clinton of being in the pocket of trial lawyers who have contributed millions to his campaigns, Clinton said Dole had sided with the tobacco companies when the administration tried to block cigarette sales to minors. He also said Dole and House Speaker Newt Gingrich had ``let polluters come into the halls of Congress and rewrite the environmental laws.''
``That's not true,'' Dole shot back. Dole also said he was on record 30 years ago pushing for warnings on cigarette labels - and said drug use among teen-agers had doubled during Clinton's term.
The president said he took some responsibility for that and vowed to keep fighting teen drug use. Recalling his younger brother's drug addiction, Clinton turned to Dole and said, ``I hate drugs, senator.''
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. ``If I could not cut taxes and balance the budgetby CNBat the same time I would not look you in the eye tonight,'' former
Senate Majority Leader Bob
Dole said during Sunday's debate. 2. ``It is not midnight in
America, senator: We are better off than we were four years ago,''
President Clinton said during the debate, the first of two scheduled
with Dole. color. KEYWORDS: ONLINE POLITICS PRESIDENT