THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 30, 1996 TAG: 9609300045
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SERIES: DECISION 96
SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG LENGTH: 87 lines
Virginia's two candidates for the U.S. Senate spelled out sharp differences on tax and spending matters Sunday night during an hourlong debate at the College of William & Mary.
Democrat Mark R. Warner repeatedly accused three-term Republican incumbent John W. Warner of casting votes in 1995 to slow the rate of growth for Medicare benefits while at the same time seeking a tax cut for the rich.
``I will not balance the budget on the backs of our senior citizens,'' Warner said.
``My priorities are different from John's,'' Mark Warner added later in the debate. ``I believe we have to put off massive tax relief until we get our fiscal house in order.''
John Warner defended his vote to slow the rate of Medicare growth as a serious attempt to pare entitlement programs, which account for a large portion of federal spending. He said his support for the Republican $245 billion tax cut proposal - including reductions in levies on income and capital gains - was aimed at keeping money in the pockets of working families.
The Republican repeatedly challenged Mark Warner to come forward with a list of his own proposed cuts. He scoffed at the Democrat's proposal that a bipartisan panel be appointed to recommend ways to cut federal spending.
``If you want to criticize me, that's fine,'' John Warner said. ``But I think in fairness, Mark, you've got to put where you would cut on the table.''
The debate over taxing and spending highlighted a mostly civil debate in which the candidates also sought to stress their leadership qualities, experience and vision of the future.
The debate was sponsored by Virginia Public Television and Landmark Communications Inc., which publishes The Virginian-Pilot and The Roanoke Times. Questions were asked by a group of 16 citizens - five of whom attended the debate in Williamsburg, while the rest viewed it from studios in Falls Church or Roanoke.
Each of the citizens had participated earlier this year in roundtable discussions on politics with the two newspapers and public television. The debate was moderated by Ken Bode, a political commentator on CNN.
The exchange - the second of three debates scheduled for the candidates before the Nov. 5 election - was particularly important to Mark Warner, who has been unable to cut into John Warner's lead of more than 20 percentage points, according to several statewide polls.
Mark Warner sought to portray his foe as a doing little more in the Senate than marching in step with Republican leaders such as House Speaker Newt Gingrich. He said John Warner backed GOP budget cuts which reduced federal funds for computers in classrooms and lunch subsidies.
John Warner disputed the characterization, saying he has long prided his independence from Republican ideology. As evidence, John Warner consistently alluded to his outspoken opposition in 1994 to Oliver L. North, the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate. Warner outraged many Republicans by accusing North, the central figure in the Iran-Contra affair, of being dishonest.
The 69-year-old moderate Republican once again distanced himself from the religious right by saying he opposed calls to abolish the federal Department of Education. ``I have never been part of any group which I believe is extremist,'' he said.
While defending much of the bureaucracy, John Warner said efforts to drastically cut the Internal Revenue Service and flatten the tax structure are ``great ideas.''
Mark Warner replied: ``John, if those are great ideas, what have you been doing the last 18 years?''
The senator shot back: ``Fighting a Democrat-controlled Congress,'' a response that drew loud applause.
The Republican said his top priority would be to ensure that the United States remains strong militarily.
Mark Warner, a 41-year-old cellular telephone magnate, said his top goal is to improve education and train students to cope in a technological age.
Although Mark Warner has never held public office, he said he is a strong leader. The Democrat pointed to his experience building a personal fortune in excess of $100 million and his successful efforts to help make medical insurance available to many working Virginia families that have low incomes but do not qualify for Medicaid. MEMO: House, Senate leaders debate taxes, Medicare
Story, A2 ILLUSTRATION: BETH BERGMAN
The Virginian-Pilot
WHRO's Chris Dickon, center, gives Mark Warner, left, and John
Warner their cues before Sunday night's debate. The debate got bad
marks for content by citizen questioners.
KEYWORDS: CANDIDATE U.S. SENATE RACE VIRGINIA DEBATES
ISSUE by CNB