THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 8, 1994 TAG: 9409080595
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
CLAIM: Oliver North: "There's a reason why you've got more parochial school students in Norfolk than you do in (the) public school system. It's because the unionized public schools are wrecking those kids' future."
COUNTERCLAIM: None made.
CONTEXT: North was arguing that the government should provide tax credits for parents who send their children to private schools. Robb challenged North to find the money to pay for such a program. North never explained where the money would come from.
RECORD: "The good colonel was woefully inaccurate," said George Raiss of the Norfolk school system. He said the most recent state census showed 38,500 school-age children in Norfolk. About 35,000 attend public schools. That leaves about 3,500 in private, parochial or home schools.
CLAIM: L. Douglas Wilder, to Charles S. Robb: "You don't deny the fact that you said that you would condone limited use of drugs."
COUNTERCLAIM: "I certainly do" deny it, Robb said.
CONTEXT: Wilder hammered Robb about being in the presence of drug use at Virginia Beach parties when Robb was governor in the early 1980s. Robb has maintained he never knew of partyers using drugs.
THE RECORD: Robb has never been quoted as "condoning" drugs. But in an NBC news interview in 1991, Robb said about drugs at parties: "I'm not saying that I would be a crusader in every instance where individuals may have been involved in some limited illegal activity, but if it was something wide-scale... (I) at least would have quietly notified the state police."
CLAIM: North to Robb: "I am prepared to vote for a line-item veto, which you are opposed to."
COUNTERCLAIM: "I have supported and voted for a line-item veto," Robb replied. "Then you voted both ways on it," North said. "No, I haven't," Robb said.
CONTEXT: The line-item veto would let the president reject specific items in the federal budget approved by Congress. Now he must accept or reject the entire budget.
THE RECORD: For several years, Robb has voiced support for a line-item veto subject to congressional override. As compiled by Congressional Quarterly, Robb's votes include both direct approvals of the line-item veto (in June 1993 and March 1993, for instance) and votes against bills or amendments that contained the line-item veto provision (in another March 1993 vote, for example). Robb's campaign says the votes against came when the line-item provision was part of broader measures Robb opposed.
CLAIM: Wilder to North: Wilder accused North of tolerating drug smuggling alongside arms shipments to Nicaraguan rebels. "How could you ride on a plane with drugs being on the plane?" Wilder said.
COUNTERCLAIM: "The fact is, governor, only you and Lyndon LaRouche are raising the issue of drugs," North said.
CONTEXT: North oversaw the arms shipments as part of the Iran-Contra arms-for-hostages deal. Followers of political extremist Lyndon LaRouche say North allowed drug smuggling at the same time.
THE RECORD: Memos and diary entries uncovered by congressional committees suggest that North suspected drug smuggling by some pilots involved in the Contra resupply, but there is no evidence linking North to any of those flights. Wilder's press secretary, Dan Conley, said Wednesday Wilder misspoke during the debate. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Steve Helber, Associated Press
Charles S. Robb, left and Oliver North at the debate
KEYWORDS: SENATE RACE CANDIDATES DEBATE by CNB