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Democrat Creigh Deeds (left) and Republican |
In their last debate two weeks before the election, Virginia's gubernatorial candidates clashed again over familiar themes of transportation, a college thesis and federal legislation.
Republican Bob McDonnell and Democrat Creigh Deeds faced off in a debate in Roanoke, sponsored by local NBC station WSLS.
Moderators Jay Warren, a WSLS anchor, and Robert Denton, a Virginia Tech professor of political communications, pressed both men on some of their campaign claims through a format that allowed more follow-up questions than debates often do.
Transportation was the first question of the hourly debate, and Deeds was pushed to explain what
Deeds didn't declare a specific tax but said he meant taxes that are tied to people using transportation networks.
McDonnell was asked how his transportation plan is viable, given that many of the aspects of it have failed in the General Assembly.
He said some of his proposals "have been tried and failed, but not with the leadership of a governor" and that he knows transportation is "going to take a bipartisan solution."
Deeds also took some heat for his claim that McDonnell as a legislator has pushed for 35 bills restricting abortions. He actually sponsored only eight--the rest were other legislators' bills he signed on to--and those mostly involved banning partial birth abortion or requiring parental consent for minors to get abortions.
Deeds stuck by the 35 number and said McDonnell's record on social issues is important because it helps highlight what Deeds characterized as an "election year conversion" from a legislator focused on social issues to a candidate pretending to be more interested in economic development.
"Virginia needs a governor in these troubled times that will focus on the big issues, will focus on jobs and the economy. Bob has spent his career focusing on social issues," Deeds said. "The thesis is relevant because it puts into context Bob's record. He never wrote a bill to create a job, he never wrote a bill to create an educational opportunity, it helps explain why he's been so focused on social issues."
Asked whether he'd push for more abortion restrictions as governor, McDonnell seemed to say no.
"I'm going to follow the law. The law is very clear on when [abortion] should be allowed," McDonnell said. "That's one issue that's important, but the overwhelming thing that I'm going to spend my time on is jobs, the economy."
He also said he believes in promoting adoption and fatherhood initiatives, and said Deeds has focused on McDonnell's college thesis to avoid talking about Deeds' own hazy transportation plan and ties to unpopular federal policies.
Both men were asked how they expect to pay for their proposals that involve new spending, such as encouraging thousands more Virginians to get college degrees.
Both men said they're proposing ways to make government more efficient, in part by more audits of state agency spending, and that they hope to pay for their proposals through the resulting cuts in spending and by stimulating economic growth.
Deeds specifically suggested outsourcing food and janitorial services in public schools.
The two also sparred over the federal "cap and trade" bill, which would impose stricter environmental standards on businesses and, Republicans say, raise taxes.
Deeds supported a report from the Governor's Commission on Climate Change that called for stricter emissions standards than those being proposed in a federal bill.
He said he does not, however, support that federal bill.
"I'm not trying to have it both ways," Deeds said, adding that there was no legislation attached to the report he did support.
He said the current federal cap and trade bill "will raise costs in a time of recession" and could put Virginia companies at a competitive disadvantage. He accused McDonnell of misleading voters in ads that claim Deeds does support the cap and trade bill, and also got in a dig saying that McDonnell has "refused to acknowledge" the reality of climate change.
McDonnell said Deeds is changing his stance to be more palatable to voters.
"I know now that it's politically unpopular to support this massive energy tax, he's taking another look at it," McDonnell said.
He said a governor "needs to stand up to Washington" and, in one of several instances of the debate when he tied Deeds to Washington politicians, suggested that Deeds would be unable to disagree with his "Washington allies."
Both men are promoting themselves as the one who will bring jobs to Virginia, and they were questioned about how they propose using the governor's opportunity fund to do that. McDonnell has advocated doubling the money in that fund, while Deeds has pointed out that McDonnell voted to cut money to the fund in the past.
McDonnell said those votes "were in the context of overall billion-dollar budgets," and said they also came at a time when Virginia was in a more favorable economic position.
"I think things have changed dramatically," McDonnell said. "I do believe now it's vitally important to double the governor's opportunity fund."
He said Virginia needs to provide more incentives to lure businesses to keep up with other states that provide bigger incentive packages.
Deeds said he wrote the bill that created the opportunity fund, and that such efforts to create economic opportunity, especially for rural areas, were one reason he got into politics in the first place.
As they have in the past, the men disagreed on health care reform--both advocate more affordable options and more coverage for more people, but McDonnell opposes the current federal legislation that he says would lead to more government interference in health care. Both men want small businesses to have more ways to provide insurance coverage for employees; McDonnell advocates lower-cost options, individual savings accounts and focus on prevention, and Deeds supports allowing small businesses to pool together to buy insurance.
The election is in two weeks, on Nov. 3.
The debate was shown on TV stations in Roanoke, Harrisonburg and Charlottesville, as well as C-Span and the Richmond CBS6 Xtra channel, which is how The Free Lance-Star viewed it. It also streamed live on WSLS.com
Chelyen Davis: 540/368-5028
Email: cdavis@freelancestar.com
