Gilmore Attacks Warner on Bailout Plan

By Anita Kumar

Saturday, October 4, 2008

ROANOKE, Oct. 3 — Republican James S. Gilmore III sought to revive his underdog bid for U.S. Senate on Friday night in the final schedauled debate of the campaign by repeatedly and adamantly touting his opposition to the $700 billion financial bailout package signed into law earlier in the day.

The lively 60-minute debate between Gilmore and his Democratic opponent, Mark R. Warner, might have been Gilmore's best chance to change the dynamics of the race and prove that he can compete with his popular rival.

The race has largely centered on the opponents' records as governor, but the financial rescue package provided Gilmore with a new way to emphasize the differences between them and highlight what he called his fight for the taxpayer.

Gilmore attacked Warner for his support of the emergency economic plan signed by President Bush, and he told a statewide television audience that he would have saved taxpayers' money by not handing it to "Wall Street high rollers."

"The next bailout is on the way," Gilmore said. "Who is going to stand up for the taxpayers?"

The differences between the two former governors, who have never held federal elective office, were clear in both their leadership styles and on the issues. They repeatedly interrupted each other in a series of feisty exchanges, but Gilmore was by far the more aggressive, returning to the nation's growing financial crisis at almost every answer.

"Don't talk down to me," Gilmore snapped at Warner at one point. "Don't tell me, 'I don't understand.' You don't understand."

The House of Representatives initially rejected the plan designed to shore up the U.S. financial system, but the House and the Senate passed it after it was revised to include $108 billion in tax breaks to businesses and families.

Warner said he supports the plan and would have voted for it, even though he would have liked to have seen some changes. He said there would be further "economic turmoil" if the bailout had not been approved and noted that both presidential candidates, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama, and both Virginia senators, Republican John W. Warner and Democrat James Webb, supported the bill.

"We had to act," Warner said. "This was a time when we needed to go forward to help the taxpayers."

Gilmore said he opposed the plan because it rewards individuals and businesses that took risks with their money.

"This bailout is wrong. It is wrong," he said. "I can say, I would have voted no. I would have protected the taxpayer. Mark Warner would have not."

But Gilmore declined to be specific about an alternative package, and Warner declined to list which spending cuts he would make to pay for the rescue bill.

Gilmore, who served from 1998 until 2002, and Warner, who replaced him, also clashed on energy, taxes and spending, Iraq and Iran, illegal immigration and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

On Iraq, Warner said he would not set a timeline for troops to come home, but he said the United States needs to turn more responsibility over to the Iraqi government.

"We've got to start bringing home our troops in a responsible way," he said.

Gilmore accused Warner of changing his stand from last year, when he said troops should start to leave in January 2009. Gilmore said the troops should stay as long as needed.

On energy, Gilmore insisted that the only way to reduce the price of gas is to drill along the nation's coastlines and in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and to encourage coal and nuclear power sources. "I say we go get that oil," Gilmore said.

Warner, whose energy plan calls for getting tougher with OPEC and increasing regulation on investors who speculate in the oil market, has been hesitant to embrace drilling. But on Friday, he was more supportive than he ever has been.

"I don't believe it's a silver bullet, but it has to be part of the mix," he said.

Much of the race has focused on the rivals' records as governor, and on Friday, the candidates continued to blame each other for the state's past financial problems.

Gilmore won the governor's seat after promising to eliminate the personal property tax Virginia cities and counties levy on vehicles, a key source of revenue for local governments. Warner blamed Gilmore for underestimating the impact of the tax cut on services and contributing to a state budget shortfall that eventually topped $6 billion.

"My opponent left Virginia with a massive budget shortfall," Warner said.

Gilmore touted his record trimming the car tax and balancing the budget as well as other successes, including increasing the number of teachers in public schools.

"There was never a budget shortfall in Virginia," Gilmore said. "The law does not permit that."

With the help of moderate Republicans, Warner pushed through a $1.4 billion tax increase in 2004 to balance the budget and preserve money for education and social services. Gilmore accused Warner of ignoring the state's improving economic conditions in 2004 so he could justify the tax increase.

The two also clashed on potential Supreme Court nominees. Gilmore said he would vote to confirm justices who support overturning Roe v. Wade; Warner said he wants to protect the landmark abortion case.

Gilmore and Warner are running to replace the retiring Sen. John W. Warner (R) in a race that could help determine whether Virginia's gradual shift toward Democratic statewide candidates is solidifying. But the contest has largely been overshadowed by the closest presidential race in Virginia in modern history.

A month before the Nov. 4 election, Warner has a big lead in polls and fundraising over Gilmore, who barely won his party's nomination this summer. A Washington Post-ABC News poll released last week showed Warner leading Gilmore among likely voters by 61 percent to 31 percent.

A wealthy venture capitalist who co-founded Nextel, Warner, 53, is also far ahead in the money race. At the end of June, the most recent fundraising data available, Warner had $5 million in the bank. Gilmore, 58 and a former leader of the Republican National Committee, had $117,000.

The debate, sponsored by WSLS -TV in Roanoke and moderated by WSLS anchor Jay Warren, was held at the new glass-and-steel Taubman Museum of Art still under construction downtown Roanoke. A three-person panel of journalists and political analysts asked questions.

Gilmore and Warner have debated twice before, but Friday's was the only one to be available on live television across much of the state. No television stations in Northern Virginia aired the debate, but it was available on the national cable public-affairs network C-SPAN.

But the debate received little attention on a night of the week when fewer people watch television and on a day after a highly anticipated debate between the two vice presidential candidates.

Before the debate began, dozens of Warner supporters gathered outside, chanting "War-ner." A group of less than a dozen Gilmore supporters stood quietly across the street.

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