
DATE: Tuesday, October 7, 1997              TAG: 9710070306

SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A1   EDITION: FINAL  

SOURCE: BY WARREN FISKE, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:  153 lines

CORRECTION/CLARIFICATION: * A story Tuesday about the gubernatorial debate contained an error in stating candidate Jim Gilmore's position on abortion. Gilmore said abortion before eight or 12 weeks ``is a matter between the mother and her physician.'' The story erroneously referred to abortion ``beyond'' eight or 12 weeks. Correction published Thursday, October 9, 1997. * GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE CANDIDATES TRADE BARBS ON CREDIBILITY; ISSUES SECONARY GILMORE-ROBERTSON LINK EYED; BEYER ACCUSED OF TAX FLIP-FLOP.

Virginia's two candidates for governor squared off in a rancorous debate Monday night in which each spent more time questioning the other's credibility than defining policy differences.

Democrat Donald S. Beyer Jr. painted Republican James S. Gilmore III as little more than a pawn for socially conservative broadcaster Pat Robertson of Virginia Beach. Beyer also repeatedly accused Gilmore of being soft in prosecuting child molesters when he was commonwealth's attorney in Henrico County from 1988 to 94.

``If you want Pat Robertson's education agenda, then Jim Gilmore's your candidate,'' Beyer said.

Gilmore, in return, portrayed Beyer as a negative, untrustworthy campaigner who has changed positions in recent years on tax cuts and tough sentences for criminals.

``I'm going to be square with the people of Virginia,'' Gilmore said. ``I believe honesty matters.''

The two-hour debate, the first between the candidates this fall, was held at Virginia Commonwealth University and moderated by former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, who teaches at the school. Beyer appeared calm before the camera. Gilmore, who has been suffering with the flu since Saturday, spoke in a quiet voice and rarely smiled.

Perhaps the most sensational charge of the night was Beyer's assertion that Gilmore accepted plea bargains in 35 cases of child molestation when he was commonwealth's attorney. Beyer cited two cases specifically: one in which a man received an 11-month sentence for aggravated sexual battery and another in which a man got 60 days for taking indecent liberties with a 10-year-old girl.

``He is the only candidate here who has put convicted felons back on the street,'' Beyer said repeatedly of Gilmore, who resigned as state attorney general earlier this year and has boasted of his tough law-and-order credentials throughout the campaign.

Gilmore seemed surprised by the charge and said he only accepted plea bargains when his office had weak cases against accused sex offenders.

``You know, sometimes you don't have a good case. And if you don't have the case, sometimes it's best to get the conviction (by accepting a plea bargain) so you can at least get it on their records for the next time around.''

Gilmore said his frustration in seeing violent offenders get weak sentences is a major reason why he supported Gov. George F. Allen's successful effort to abolish parole in 1994. He accused Beyer of flip-flopping on the issue, only coming around to support it when it became clear that no-parole would be passed by the General Assembly.

Beyer said Gilmore would push for a right-wing education platform, including using taxpayer-financed vouchers to pay for private school tuitions. And he painted Gilmore as an extremist for his personal opposition of abortions beyond 12 weeks, even in the case of rape or incest.

But Gilmore said his personal views on abortion would not cause him to change existing laws, which, he said, are a matter of federal rights, beyond the purview of a governor. He said abortion beyond eight or 12 weeks ``is a matter between the mother and her physician.''

Beyer pointed to Robertson's contribution of $100,000 to Gilmore's campaigns since 1993. The founder of the Christian Coalition has given $50,000 this year to Gilmore's gubernatorial effort.

``Sure, Pat Robertson has contributed to my campaign, but Sen. John Warner other Virginians across this state, many of whom have sent in very small contributions,'' Gilmore responded. ``That's just something you have to do. You have to raise money in order to go on television, particularly if you're going to rebut negative advertising.''

But Gilmore denied Beyer's repeated assertions that he has adopted Robertson's agenda on public education and abortion.

Gilmore said he would not push for vouchers if elected governor, but said he would consider such a bill if it were passed by the General Assembly.

``Certainly that's a tool that should be considered with everything else,'' he said.

Beyer, too, found himself on the defensive, answering to why he once called Gilmore's virtual elimination of the personal property tax on cars fiscally reckless before offering a similar plan of his own weeks later.

``I made some initial strong statements in May about my opponent's tax plan, and I stand behind them. My opponent's tax plan is dishonest, it's unfair, it's unworkable, and it remains completely irresponsible,'' Beyer said. ``It projects a growth in Virginia that we have never seen.''

Gilmore has pledged to phase out over five years the tax on the first $20,000 of appraised value on all personally owned vehicles. He has said his plan would cost $625 million when fully phased in; the Virginia Municipal League says it would cost almost $1.4 billion.

Beyer would offer tax credits for people who pay the levy - up to $150 for individuals earning less than $40,000 a year and up to $250 for families with incomes of $75,000.

Beyer said his plan, which is based on a car owner's income, is the better one because it targets working- and middle-class families. It would give far more relief - up to $250 - compared to the $45 first-year break that motorists would garner during the first year of Gilmore's plan.

``Ours will be a tax cut for every Virginian, not just a select group,'' Gilmore said. ``Thirty-eight percent of all Virginians would be unable to get any type of tax relief under Don Beyer's tax proposal.''

Their positions long spelled out in campaign stops and TV ads, both candidates tried to spin the debate on the issue of credibility.

Gilmore said Beyer couldn't be trusted because he unfairly grabbed credit when the state abolished parole and reformed the welfare system. He said Beyer was doing the same by flip-flopping on the issue of tax relief for car owners. Beyer said voters should be wary of anyone accepting thousands from broadcaster Robertson, for being invisible on the protection of the environment and for wanting to dismantle the public school system.

The debate was the second formal exchange between Beyer and Gilmore. The two are slated to square off again Oct. 15 before the Fairfax Chamber of Commerce. The campaigns also are negotiating a possible debate at the end of the month in Norfolk.

Wilder's role in the campaign was a sideshow to the debate. The former governor, a Democrat, has refused thus far to make an endorsement in the race and has criticized Beyer for making ``emotional'' appeals for the black vote by suggesting that Gilmore is insensitive to minority issues.

Many believe that a Wilder endorsement could help mobilize black people to vote and are wondering whether he would cross party lines and back Gilmore. Critics note that Wilder has frequently criticized Democrats in recent statewide campaigns, only to come around and issue a dramatic last-minute endorsement to his party's nominees.

Less than four hours before the debate, Wilder received a phone call from President Clinton, who urged him to back Beyer. Beyer asked Clinton to make the call last Saturday night when the president attended a fund-raiser for the gubernatorial candidate in Arlington, according to Page Boinest, Beyer's spokeswoman.

In an interview before the debate, Wilder said he declined to make any commitment to Clinton, adding that he still hasn't decided whether he will even make an endorsement.

``Nothing has changed,'' he said. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Democrat Don Beyer, left, shakes hands with Republican Jim

Gilmore...

Graphics

DONALD S. BEYER JR.

JAMES S. GILMORE III

LOCAL REACTION

[For complete graphic, please see microfilm] KEYWORDS: ELECTION VIRGINIA GUBERNATORIAL RACE VIRGINIA

PLATFORMS DEBATE CANDIDATES