Democrats Debate In Iowa
Debating in Iowa, Vice President Al Gore told Democratic rival Bill Bradley on Saturday that he's not in a Washington bunker trying to fend off the scandals of the past, he's on "the front lines in the battle for our future."
It was an echo of their last debate, in New Hampshire, and Gore delivered his answer in opening this round. "I want to start by telling you what we were doing in that Washington bunker," he said.
He said the administration has delivered new jobs, reformed welfare, and strengthened the economy, and that his goals as president would produce more progress.
"That's not a bunker," Gore said. "Those are the front lines in the fight for our future."
They went on to argue a familiar topic, health insurance, Bradley again accusing the vice president of misrepresenting his position by saying it would undermine Medicare and do away with Medicaid.
"I'd replace Medicaid with something better," Bradley said, accusing Gore of always conveniently ignoring that.
Gore said he wants to come back to Iowa and debate Bradley on agricultural policy. He rolled out his challenge to twice weekly debates with no more television ads.
"I know that you have said no, but as they say on that millionaire television show, is that your final answer?" he asked Bradley, who ignored it.
On agriculture, Bradley said family farmers have had no real help, "no safety net whatsoever," from the current administration. The former New Jersey senator said he wants policy changes to help small farmers. "You can talk about the past, but I want to talk about the future," Bradley told Gore.
Gore said he could understand Bradley's reluctance to talk about the past, saying his rival had voted against emergency aid to farmers in Midwest floods, and against subsidies for ethanol, a fuel derived from corn.
Both candidates talked tough on farm policies important in Iowa, demanding that foreign markets be opened to genetically modified commodities. Europe and Japan resist those products.
"We can't let Europe and Japan determine our farm policy," said Gore, who said "sound science" should govern.
"The most important thing we can do is use our authority to petition to get access to markets," said Bradley. "The problem with agriculture in America is serious, in Iowa it's dead serious."
The latest Iowa poll showed the challenge facing Bradley; Gore led him by 21 percentage points in a survey for the Des Moines Register among Democrats who said they intend to vote in the party caucuses two weeks from Monday.
The afternoon debate was sponsored by the Des Moines Register, and editor Dennis Ryerson was moderating. The format called for him to pose questions to the candidates submitted by readers, but the candidates also were given a chance to question each other.
The debate, televised natonally by CNN and C-Span, was set in a suburban public TV station before an invitation-only audience of 300.